By Bob Allen An Alabama Baptist minister charged with murder in his wife’s July slaying waived an initial court appearance Feb. 5. The case against him now is headed toward a grand jury. Attorneys for Richard Shahan, former children and…
Children’s minister charged with abuse
By Bob Allen An associate pastor at a Southern Baptist church in Muscle Shoals, Ala., is being held on a more than $1 million bond after reportedly telling police he sexually abused so many children that he could not remember…
Peeping preacher’s prison sentence stands
By Bob Allen A Mississippi judge on Wednesday refused to reduce a 10-year prison sentence he handed down to a former Southern Baptist traveling evangelist and popular youth speaker convicted of video voyeurism in 2012. “I think basically I got…
Accused Baptist camp chaperone indicted
By Bob Allen A volunteer youth worker accused of playing strip poker for sexual gratification with boys at a North Carolina Baptist camp in 2013 has been indicted on felony charges. Clyde Wesley Way, 68, was indicted Jan. 21 by…
Richard Shahan released on bond
By Bob Allen A former Baptist minister charged with his wife’s July murder was released late Friday afternoon from jail in Birmingham, Ala., on $100,000 bond. Local media reported that family members raised the bond amount set the day before…
Florida Baptists to appeal abuse award
By Bob Allen The Florida Baptist Convention plans to appeal a jury’s decision to award $12.5 million in damages in a lawsuit claiming Baptist officials didn’t check far enough into the background of a church planter convicted in 2007 of…
State says murder suspect planned to wed boyfriend
By Bob Allen Prosecutors say a former minister at First Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., charged with his wife’s murder, was trying to leave the country prior to his Jan. 1 arrest to marry his boyfriend. The latest twist in…
Richard Shahan seeks $30,000 bond
By Bob Allen Lawyers for an Alabama Baptist minister arrested while trying to board a flight for Germany on a charge of murdering his wife are asking a judge to set a “reasonable” bond not to exceed $30,000 allowing his…
Pastor: Church heartbroken by murder, arrest
By Bob Allen The interim pastor of an Alabama church, whose former children’s minister is in jail on charges of murdering his wife, told church members Jan. 12 to rely on their faith amid struggles. “Not a one of us…
Former assn. secretary sentenced for theft
By Bob Allen The former financial secretary at an Alabama Baptist association will spend the night in jail for a year after pleading guilty of theft. Tonya Renee Woodward, 52, confessed in August to stealing money from the Columbia Baptist…
Life outside the fence
We humans don’t like living outside our comfort zone. We like familiar surroundings, familiar faces, and predictable routines. I’m just the same though to most folks it might look like my husband and I are already living outside of our…
Woman admits to embezzling church funds
By Bob Allen The former financial secretary at an Alabama Baptist association pleaded guilty Aug. 28 to stealing from her employer and was then arrested on additional charges claiming she took even more. Tonya Renee Woodward, 52, of Dothan, Ala.,…