Registered Sex Offender Pastor Returns to Pulpit
Posted by Todd Rhoades in Controversy on Feb 6th, 2012 | 16 commentsPastor Darrell Gilyard admitted in 2004 that he fathered the child of a woman who had accused him of raping him during a counseling session.
Since his trial, Gilyard has been in prison… until about 2 months ago.
Not Gilyard is back in the pulpit. After just 2 months.
Why? Because, he says, he needs the money and feels God is calling him back into the ministry.
Gilyard is still on three years probation that restricts him from having any conduct with minors. But the church, Christ Tabernacle Baptist Church, decided to make some exceptions so that Gilyard could preach:
1. The church agreed to bar minors from their services
2. The church agreed that Gilyard would not be able to do any kind of marriage counseling or other pastoral work.
Initially, Gilyard said he didn’t want to subject the church to negative press or go through it again himself.
A spokesman for the church: “We are a group of Christians who are not afraid of controversy…He needs and wants to preach and we need somebody to minister to us spiritually — so why not him?”
Attendance at the church usually runs 5-10 people. Attendance Gilyard’s first Sunday was 150.
Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2012-02-04/story/jacksonville-pastor-convicted-sex-crimes-back-pulpit#ixzz1lbSnMlVJ
OK… your thoughts?
Is there ANYTHING that should disqualify a pastor FOR LIFE from ministry? Rape, incest, financial misdealings, adultery, alcoholism, homosexual behavior, sexual molestation, physical abuse?
Is there anything that, EVEN WITH a good accountability plan, should disqualify a pastor from EVER returning to the pulpit?
And how do you know when it’s ok to return? When is the restoration plan considered a success?
No doubt that when a church decides they’d like to hear a man preach and will shut all minors out of the service in order to do so, that something as gone horribly wrong.
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
16 Responses to “ “Registered Sex Offender Pastor Returns to Pulpit”
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Wow. On the one hand, 1 John 1:9, and on the other hand 1 Timothy 3:1-7.
CAN he be used of God despite his failures? Absolutely!
SHOULD he be entrusted with pastoral leadership? Absolutely NOT!
Will this church look at those 150 and turn a blind eye to the potential dangers? Time will tell.
Agree with the scriptures that Rick quoted and his overall statements. I’d like to add one thing that I never hear mentioned when a pastor fails, will the pastor humble himself enought to quit and let God rehire him? I’ve personally seen way too many guys come back too fast (they rehire themselves) only to crash again. But the guys who let God do the rehiring seem to make it.
That being said, it appears that Mr. Gilyard rehired himself and the church only wants the growth that he lead at his previous church. The article didn’t indicate they wanted to help him through a restoration project.
I think that there are things that do disqualify people from ministry. This church is, in my opinion, stupid. He needs money and we need a preacher… Let’s ban teens from the services… stupid.
What should ban a minister from ministry? I suppose in this situation, “common sense” would be my short answer.
The pattern this man has exhibited should disqualify him from consideration, even if Scripture doesn’t–though I think it does.
If he’s going to go public again in ministry, then the SBC leaders need to step up and publicly warn people not to be swept away by this guy’s charm. Same with Eddie Long; if you take to the public airwaves to drum up support, then people need to be publicly admonished. Unfortunately the people in both of these churches lack discretion and maturity.
This is what happens when we value personality and charisma over godliness, and theology is considered too boring and divisive to teach.
Darrell needs to go get a regular blue collar job, and get into an accountability group at a real church somewhere else—one that practices discipline and has a real board of deacons or elders.
A man of his talent he could make a living pitching pretty much anything he chooses.
I left ministry after 10 years in the same church. I left not because I had fallen, but because I was burnt out. I needed money as well, but I went and got a job out of ministry areas and waited until God rehired me. (Thanks for the words, Dee) It took almost 2 years, but it was well worth it. I learned alot about calling, servanthood and following the footsteps of the Saviour. It seems that this man has learned nothing from his past, if anything that should disqualify him right there!
Er… a church that has to turn away children? Didn’t the disciples once attempt that?
Amen!
I spent 20 years working as a Corrections Officer.
No jail would allow a predator, still on probation to come into the facility as a counselor.
Not to mention the confusion of hiring a wolf as a shepherd.
This is so absurd, I am just going to agree with my brothers and shut up.
Let him flip burgers at McDonalds if he needs money.
Speak for yourself – I don’t really want him flipping my burgers! He can, however, be a sanitation engineer. Very limited contact with people in that job description.
Unbelievable! The church has to protect the minors from the pastor? That is just plain wrong! Never mind the devil or sinful nature of the flesh…..just stay away from the pastor!
Many denoms do not allow licensing ever after a homosexual charge has been leveled and found to be truthful.
You can preach but now hold license. That is legitimate and I would honor that decision. But, banning people so they do not get near the wolf in sheeps clothing is another thing totally………..
WOW!!!!
I keep telling you but no one is listening to me. Sometimes I even get deleted by Todd for not being a politically correct evangelical. Let me say it again for those of you who can’t or won’t listen the first time. There is no authentic church of Jesus in the world today. Its all a fake. These people who call themselves “Christians” are not following Jesus’ commands. Heck, most Christian pastors don’t even to bother quoting Christ anymore. They love to refer to everyone but Christ in the bible during their sermons. Why? Because the words of Jesus don’t fit in with the modern evangelical political agenda. Church today is just a show. Its a for-profit entertainment business masquerading as church. That’s the reason this kind of thing happens. Why are you so surprised?
Now quit worrying about the pastor who is raping the women in his congregation and get back to boycotting starbucks.
Yes, its true he is raping women but I’m sure he can quote Leviticus by heart.
Not all christians and pastors are like that. my pastor quotes Jesus all through the service and lives it out daily. Don’t lump everyone together.
Let him preach in prisons.
It seems his talent took him further than his character could keep him the first time. Now it is only a matter of time before it happens again. Returning because he needs the money? Red Flag! He is no longer above reproach, resign and get a job. Feel free to keep growing in faith, living in the forgiveness of Jesus, plugging into a local church and ministering to people, but not as the pastor. You broke a trust that has created a stumbling block, remove yourself. Your talent is hindering the little ones from coming to Jesus. Another Red Flag!
These men are not scripturally qualified to be ministers or leaders in the church. They should never be in a position where people trust them, ever. They gave up that right when they knowingly abused their ministry. These men are doing the only thing that they have ever known how to do- work in ministry at churches, con, lie, and manipulate good, well-intentioned Christian people, take advantage of people who are willing to forgive. They should be in church- with boundaries, but never, ever in any sort of leadership position.
My former youth minister (from the 80′s) had sex more than once w/ teen girls in his youth groups. When he was caught, he repented and cried in front of the church and resigned, but deliberatley continued having sex with the girl anyway. She was 14 when it began- he was mid 30′s and married. He went on the run and was featured on America’s Most Wanted. He was caught in Las Vegas and was sentenced to 10 yrs in prison. He ended up marrying the girl when she turned 17 from prison and SHE ended the marriage 2 yrs later. He did not end this relationship and probably never would have. It was then that he started “admitting” that what he had done was wrong and that he was “sorry. I have stacks of letters from him that he wrote to me from prison proclaiming his undying love for this girl. After his release in 2005, he came back to my church in Dallas, TX, where a girl from my youth group testified against him- he had a “relationship” with her, too. He immediately began to look for a wife and married a woman (#3) w/ a teen daughter. He quickly wormed his way back into ministry and he is now a leader in this church. He has never had any boundaries and has full access to anyone at anytime. I and many others left. Our opposition was not well received. The congregation is small now, but has a large preschool connected to it. They have chosen not to tell preschool parents about him and the church only gives certain details minimizing his crimes to people who inquire. They claim that he made a “onetime mistake”. He’s “repentant” and “forgiven” and anyone who questions it has no mercy or understanding. Since he is one of the ministers and a community out reach person, he will most likely be at an Easter egg hunt that the church is sponsering at a public city park. Do people have a right to know?