Lead pastor of Immanuel Baptist pronounces resignation in wake of sexual abuse scandal

Steven Smith has resigned, efficient subsequent month, as lead pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church following months of controversy over his dealing with of kid sexual abuse allegations, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported right this moment.

The Democrat-Gazette’s Frank Lockwood, who has coated the church’s struggles since December, published news of the resignation online and included a link to Smith’s resignation letter.

Smith, whose letter got here simply days earlier than he’s to ship the church’s Easter sermon, mentioned his final Sunday at Immanuel Baptist will probably be April 7.

Immanuel Baptist is residence to one of many state’s largest congregations, and Smith has been its lead pastor since January 2017. However the church’s attendance has dwindled for the reason that sex-abuse controversy surfaced late final yr. Nonetheless, as not too long ago as early March, Smith indicated he believed God nonetheless wished him to serve at Immanuel.

In his resignation letter, Smith wrote: “Each household experiences stress, and our church household stress has been very actual and really public in current months. To really feel this stress as we stroll by way of the halls and as we worship collectively has been disheartening. Sadly, at current we don’t see this abating, however solely rising.”

He and his spouse’s need, he mentioned, is to assist “diffuse the present state of affairs and permit Immanuel to heal.”

Smith’s plans have been unclear. “We’re not moving into one other ministry, however stepping apart to permit this technique of therapeutic to start,” he wrote.

Smith apologized to the congregation in December for not telling them earlier about an accusation {that a} former ministry worker had sexually abused a toddler. The apology got here simply hours after the Democrat-Gazette revealed an article concerning the allegations towards Patrick Stephen Miller, the church’s assistant director of kids’s ministry from Could 2014 to January 2016.

Although initially charged with second-degree sexual assault, Miller pleaded responsible to misdemeanor harassment in January 2022 and acquired a one-year suspended sentence, the newspaper reported. Within the Dec. 10 article, the newspaper additionally wrote about Miller’s since-abandoned efforts to have his prison information sealed.

Smith’s apology additionally happened three months after the church’s discipleship content material director resigned over Smith’s dealing with of one other case, this one involving a former music ministry volunteer and a highschool pupil.

In February, amid requires Smith’s resignation, he survived a no confidence vote by the church’s deacons. The vote reportedly was 26-18.

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