By Bob Allen A former children’s minister at an Alabama Baptist church was sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to child sex abuse March 7. Jeffrey Dale Eddie, 41, longtime associate pastor for children and church administration…
Facebook helps police nab Baptist preacher
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist pastor in Kentucky was charged with indecent exposure in an arrest that police credit to social media. Kevin Lohse, pastor of Woodlawn Baptist Church in Russellville, Ky., was arrested Feb. 26 after police identified…
Youth minister charged with indecency
By Bob Allen A former Baptist church youth minister in Mississippi is free on a $25,000 bond and awaiting a March 12 court hearing on a charge of gratification of lust involving a 14-year-old boy he knew through his church….
Bob Jones allows abuse probe to proceed
By Bob Allen Bob Jones University announced Feb. 25 that an independent investigation into the school’s handling of allegations of sexual abuse can be completed. The university abruptly terminated its 2012 agreement with Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian…
Former youth pastor pleads to child porn charge
By Bob Allen A former Tennessee Baptist youth minister pleaded guilty Feb. 23 in federal court to possession of child pornography found on his cell phone during an investigation of his previous arrest on charges of statutory rape and sexual…
Alleged abuse by children’s minister headed for grand jury
By Bob Allen An Alabama children’s minister charged with multiple sex crimes remains in jail after his lawyer withdrew a motion for reduced bond and waived a preliminary hearing on Feb. 18. Attorney Billy Underwood had filed a motion on…
Former youth pastor gets 12 years for sexting teen he met through church
By Bob Allen A former youth minister at a Baptist church in Texas, who admitted to exchanging sexually explicit text messages and photos with an underage girl from his church, has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison. Joshua…
SNAP asks Baptists not to appeal abuse verdict
By Bob Allen An organization that supports and advocates on behalf of clergy sex abuse victims has asked the Florida Baptist Convention to reconsider plans to appeal a $12.5 million award to a man sexually abused by a minister convicted…
Bob Jones University halts abuse probe
By Bob Allen Bob Jones University has pulled the plug on an independent investigation into the school’s handling of allegations of sexual abuse, the group hired to conduct the probe announced Feb. 6. Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian…