Are church members at risk if the church is sued?

[mezajarjarbinks]

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? Missouri

My church is being sued by an employee for sexual abuse. The preacher's son is accused of raping an employee. The woman is pregnant too.

Are church members at risk?

What should we do to protect ourselves?

Should we resign our membership in the church?

Thanks!

 

[casa]

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? Missouri

My church is being sued by an employee for sexual abuse. The preacher's son is accused of raping an employee. The woman is pregnant too.

Are church members at risk?

What should we do to protect ourselves?

Should we resign our membership in the church?


Thanks!

Unless the church members were involved in raping her &/or covering up the crime...they don't have anything to do with the situation.

If you don't like the church anymore you can resign. No one else can tell you where you should or should not worship.

 

[saw192837]

By 'rape' I imagine it is "statutory rape", in other words consensual relations with a teenage girl?

In any case, did you know of the crime, and not report it?

Other than that, you have no liability.

 

[mezajarjarbinks]

No, we had no knowledge of it.

The girl claims it was not concentual, but I wonder.

We are being kept in the dark as much as possible. The preacher tried to buy her off. The deacons are fuming mad that they have lost all their authority over the years.

We are all very ashamed of what happened. We are hoping that we can get rid of the preacher.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Chuck

 

[dallas702]

You can get rid of the preacher very quickly by filing a complaint with the police. He'll have to get used to new surroundings.

I hope your church board had the "word of knowledge" about morals clauses and what to do in such a case as this. I hope they didn't for a moment believe that any preacher they hired couldn't sin.

Your members couldn't be sued for his actions, but your board (or whoever is responsible for his employment) can be if they allow him to continue to have access to his victim through the church.

 

[mezajarjarbinks]

I just want to thank everyone for reading this and for your advice. I know that we all sin, but when it is a preacher and his son, it really hurts.

Again, thank you for your help,

Chuck

 

[BelizeBreeze]

I just want to thank everyone for reading this and for your advice. I know that we all sin, but when it is a preacher and his son, it really hurts.

Again, thank you for your help,

Chuck

It would hurt more if you condoned it by not doing the right thing.

And yes, we all sin. Some of us make it a profession