Four days after their senior pastor pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators, members of Friendly Avenue Baptist Church in Greensboro, N.C., heard a sermon on biblical qualifications for pastors Sunday.
Matthew Queen, who has been on administrative leave from the North Carolina church since May, entered a guilty plea last Wednesday, Oct. 16, on one count of making false statements to the United States Southern District of New York attorney’s office and the FBI in a June 2023. The charges are related to an alleged coverup of sexual abuse claims against at student at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, where Queen at the time was serving as evangelism professor and interim provost.
Queen has not resigned from the Greensboro pastorate, and church leaders reportedly are working through how to handle the odd circumstances. Church bylaws require a 75% affirmative vote to remove a pastor who won’t resign on his own. He only became the church’s pastor in February, three months before being placed on leave.
Church bylaws require a 75% affirmative vote to remove a pastor who won’t resign on his own.
On Sunday morning, interim preacher Chuck Register preached a sermon based on 1 Timothy, chapter 3, where biblical qualifications for a pastor are outlined.
Chuck Register
“This past Wednesday, events unfolded in a federal courtroom in New York City that has brought all of us to this place of worship with the same question in our mind,” Register said. “The question is this: How do we address the issue of pastoral leadership at Friendly Avenue Baptist Church? … Ladies and gentlemen, my responsibility before Almighty God on Sunday mornings as I stand before you is to simply teach the word of God so that in teaching the word of God and helping you to understand the word of God, the Spirit of God can take the word of God and he can instruct and he can mold and he can guide the family of God. And so this morning being true to that responsibility before the Father, I want us to walk through what are the biblical qualifications of a pastor and walking through those biblical qualifications, it is my prayer and it has been my prayer since Wednesday morning that Spirit of God will take the word of God and instruct you, mold you and guide you as a family of God in the days ahead.”
Near the end of the service, church member Darin Humbard gave a report on behalf of the deacons, who previously appointed a special committee related to Queen’s leadership.
Darin Humbard
That committee was scheduled to present a report on its findings Nov. 2, but the guilty plea last week apparently shifted the dynamic.
So Humbard read out loud a statement from the church that was sent to church members after Queen’s guilty plea on Wednesday. That statement says:
Dr. Matthew Queen in court today admitted to committing a serious crime by pleading guilty to a felony charge of making false statement to the government. Sentencing is scheduled for February 2025. Though this date may be subject to change, we stand firmly against any behavior that undermines trust and integrity.
Dr. Queen remains on administrative leave and will not attend worship service as our leadership assesses his status in relationship with Friendly Avenue Baptist Church. We are committed to transparency throughout this process and will provide further updates as our internal review finalizes. We recognize that this news may be difficult to process and we encourage you to seek support from our pastoral staff and from one another. Please be in prayer for our church leaders and our friendly family as we navigate this season and pray for the Queen family.
The same day, church leadership issued a public news release that says:
Friendly Avenue Baptist Church’s leadership has become aware of today’s legal proceedings and Dr. Matthew Queen’s agreement to a plea deal. Dr. Queen has admitted to committing a serious crime by pleading guilty to a felony charge of making false statements to the government. Dr. Queen’s sentencing is scheduled for February 2025.
We stand firmly against any behavior that undermines trust and integrity. Our church leadership is reviewing these recent developments as it works to complete its investigation and submit a recommendation to the church membership concerning Dr. Queen’s status and relationship with Friendly Avenue Baptist Church, all in accordance with the church’s governing documents.
Our primary concern remains the spiritual well-being and support of our congregation. We are dedicated to maintaining a safe and nurturing environment for all members and attendees. We ask for your prayers and understanding as we navigate this difficult season.
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Matt Queen, we hardly knew ye | Opinion by Benjamin Cole
Matt Queen pleads guilty to making false statement to FBI
Former seminary administrator pleads not guilty, is placed on leave by his NC church
Former Southwestern administrator indicted for falsifying sexual abuse records