Nearly a month after pleading guilty to a felony charge of providing false information to law enforcement, Matthew Queen has resigned as pastor of Friendly Avenue Baptist Church in Greensboro, N.C.
Queen, former evangelism professor and interim provost at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, was snagged in an FBI investigation into alleged coverups of sexual abuse cases within the Southern Baptist Convention.
After months of denying the charges against him, Queen pled guilty Oct. 16 to 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 meeting in Fort Worth.
Matthew Queen
Earlier this year, Queen left the seminary’s employment and was named pastor at Friendly Avenue Baptist Church. However, he has been on administrative leave there since his indictment in federal court May 21.
After his guilty plea Oct. 16, Queen reportedly refused to resign the pastorate, and the church’s bylaws require a 75% vote of the congregation to terminate a pastor.
How the impasse was resolved was not explained in the news released issued by the church Nov. 10. It said: “Dr. Matthew Queen is stepping down from his role as lead pastor at Friendly Avenue Baptist Church, effective immediately. While this has been a challenging season, we continue to trust in God’s sovereignty and remain focused on our mission. As we move forward, we encourage our congregation and the wider community to stay focused on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.”
Of the original charges, FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith explained: “Matthew Queen, an interim provost, allegedly failed to inform the FBI of a conspiracy to destroy evidence related to the ongoing investigation of sexual misconduct and instead produced falsified notes to investigators. Queen’s alleged actions deliberately violated a court order and delayed justice for the sexual abuse victims. The FBI will never tolerate those who intentionally lie and mislead our investigation in an attempt to conceal their malicious behavior.”
Queen’s sentencing is set for Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025.
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