A judge here in my hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, has agreed to modify the terms of Darrell Gilyard's probation to once again allow him access to children, to "minister to children" - so long as the children are in the presence of another adult. Read Bob Allen's coverage of the story here.
Gilyard is the "pedophile preacher" who plead guilty in 2009 to lewd and lascivious acts, including molestation of a 12-15 year old, with two girls in his church at Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church. He spent three years in jail, and when he got out of the slammer, he was hired by Christ Missionary Baptist Tabernacle as their preacher man. But the kiddos weren't allowed in his presence because he is a sexual predator. The man is a registered sex offender in our state. Click here to see his registration with the FDLE.
But now a judge has agreed to allow him access to kids once again. And apparently the State Attorney's office - that would be Angela Corey's office - didn't object to the modification. This is absolutely insane, because the adults who will be supervising Gilyard's access to potential child victims, are adults who themselves don't have enough sense to not subject THEMSELVES to Gilyard's manipulation - manipulation and abuse of adult women that that he has admitted to in other churches in Texas.
Where is the outrage? Where are the pastors protesting this or even just speaking out against Gilyard having access to children? Pastors love to use their pulpits to rail against all sorts of social issues - the social issues that are red meat to their conservative congregations - but why the silence about one of their own who still wants access to young girls to "minister" to them? We know - it is the same reason that very few pastors dare to speak out against Ergun Caner. Let's see, who is the man who promoted both Caner and Gilyard by giving both men access to his pulpit? Yes, Jerry Vines. That might be why there is so much silence, especially amongst the Baptists. Jerry might lose his stained glass window at SWBTS if pastors talk too much about Gilyard.
Kudos to Tim Pullium and News4Jax.com in covering this story. I don't see anywhere else in our local media where this probation modification was covered.
Gilyard has a history of abusing church members - children AND adults - as Bob Allen reminds in his coverage - dating all the way back to the 1980s. Read my summary from December 2011. Gilyard was even accused of rape of a church member in Texas. To now give Gilyard access to kids, supervised by adults who themselves don't have the sense themselves not to subject their minds to the manipulation of Gilyard - is to make them sitting ducks for more abuse by this master manipulator named Darrell Gilyard. It is just a matter of time, it will happen again.
Here is perhaps the saddest part of the Tim Pulliam piece. A woman who who was interviewed by Tim Pulliam, when asked about Gilyard being allowed access to children, a woman doesn't have a problem with Gilyard having access to her kids:
Yeah. Being a faithful child of God comes before motherly duties. Let go and let God. Let go and let Gilyard. Gilyard's followers are willing to sacrifice the safety of their kids and let a sexual predator have access to their ears and minds. That is all a predator needs. Access. And now Gilyard has the open door he needs."I'm a mom, but first I'm a child of God. And I feel like he will change. And I feel like ultimately he has to deal with God for that."
Oh, there was one pastor who did speak up on this issue. Pastor Fred Wallace said:
Yes, Darrell Gilyard, he's so much like the prophet Moses."Moses, he was a murderer. And yet when he got out, God called him, and told him 'I want you now go and tell the Pharaoh to let my people go.'"
God called Moses to lead the people out of Egypt.
And God apparently is "calling" Gilyard to minister to little boys and girls once again.
And the hundreds and thousands of "Men of God" in Jacksonville remain silent as Gilyard gets access to more and more potential victims.
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More reading on Darrell Gilyard is available below. Watchdog has been covering the Gilyard saga since December 2007, so read these articles for more than what you just read about in the media reports:Gilyard Stays on Paid Leave - Dec 2007
Gilyard's Past - You're Telling Me Nobody Knew??
Gilyard's Text Messages and Sexual Encounters
One Bright Spot in the Gilyard Story
Gilyard's Ugly Past
Preaching Pedophile is Back in the Pulpit
Jax Baptist Association Issues Gilyard Statement
13 comments:
A safe prediction:
This church will ban ALL electronic gadgets when women and children are interacting with Gilyard. Then Darrell Gilyard will have free reign to do whatever he does with the women and children of the church.
This is just another horrible example of how the church in general fails to hold itself and its own accountable. We are so busy pointing fingers outward at the world, focusing on issues such as gay marriage and the claim of it destroying the family; meanwhile 50% of marriages end in divorce anyway. Our sin has destroyed the home, not homosexuals. Homosexuality is just another symptom of the big problem, which is the sin that prevails in our world. We need to hold those within the church walls most accountable, and NEVER be accepting of those who have harmed children or forced themselves upon others. I understand that we are to forgive, but my old church had a pedophile who attended church with his parole officer because he was not allowed to be within proximity of children without him. I certainly understand this person may be seeking God, but he could also be seeking my kid, which is why I went elsewhere. Gilyard has taken away these kids' innocence for life, so the least that can be done is he never have back the life of preaching he once held.
I see you mention Jerry Vines' name again. Isn't he still getting a $75,000 per year salary from FBC Jax as a retirement package? No wonder the church is having financial problems. Paying the Brunson family salaries AND Jerry Vines must be very expensive.
"The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus." - 1 Timothy 3:1-13 ESV
"This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers[d] and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer,[e] as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work." - Titus 1:5-16 ESV
This man does not possess the biblical qualifications to pastor to anyone much less to children. It is God's word that this man is unfit for the office he holds. I pray that he repents for his sins and asks for God's forgiveness and someone in the that church gets some discernment.
Do you know why this is happening Jax because too many are still esteeming sermonizing as the priority of characteristic for being in ministry. Sadly, this is so. Paul said to Timothy to watch your doctrine AND YOUR LIFE so as to save your hearers. The balance needs to shift of pastors not merely being good in doctrine but GREAT in deed. Why when was the last time you heard a sermon from II Thessalonians about NOT accepting those as ministers unless they too also act in accordance in NOT putting burdens on the laity where those brethren were taking advantage of congregants of their provision(II Thessalonians 3:-18).
Your outrage shouldn't be against pastors but against the judge who issued the order. As usual, you find a way to stretch things so you can condemn preachers for something. Give it a rest.
As always the protect their own at almost all costs. Predators will do and use anything to get what they want. Churches are easy pickin's.
What? No Administrative pastors whining and complaining from the pulpit about Gilyard getting access to children? No mega pastors saying this is a problem in our churches, but instead, focusing on complainers and criticism as being a major problem in churches.
I guess if it doesn't involve criticizing them; or involves people giving them more money, mega pastors and sissy administrative yes men are silent. Amen? Amen.
Your outrage shouldn't be against pastors but against the judge who issued the order. As usual, you find a way to stretch things so you can condemn preachers for something. Give it a rest.
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Preachers are quick to stomp around when someone whines or complains, so why are they silent when one of their own, a convicted child molestor, gets access to children. We don't rely on judges to keep our children safe. The law limits what they can do. It should be the members of the church, the parents, and yes, other preachers, that help police those that cannot protect themselves from these "men of god."
"Let the little children come to me." Pastor Gilyard
And all God's people said...Amen!
My point Anon is that pastors are railing about all sorts of evils in our society. And yes, they are complaining about "criticism" coming from the church members. Look at Ergun Caner: his lawyer is standing in front of a judge and whining about how Jon Autry, a Christian family man who is offended by Caner's lies in pulpits, is a "cyber terrorist". Really? A blogger who dares to criticize Caner is a terrorist?
These celebrity megachurch pastors are living in an alternative reality, where what they "think" is true based on what they want to be true, is actually true. They think they are specially anointed men of God who speak for God, and thus a critic must be of the devil.
So here is Caner, but I don't hear any complaints. Where is Jerry Vines on this? He is partly responsible for promoting Gilyard in the first place, so why isn't he publicly speaking?
Well, I received an email this week, that Vines WILL speak about Gilyard. In his next book. Yeah, pay him $15 and he'll tell you all about Gilyard. Should be speaking up now.
Mega pastors can dish it out but cannot and will not take criticism!!Its that simple!!
On a related front, SBC big shots being questioned for backing Mahaney: http://www.abpnews.com/ministry/people/item/28705-critics-question-support-of-former-ministry-head-accused-of-covering-up-abuse
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