News of interest to former Christians


AddThis Social Bookmark Button
By CAREN M. PENLAND
SPECIAL TO THE STAR-TELEGRAM


EULESS -- Methodist church officials placed a pastor accused of molesting a 21-year-old man on a 90-day suspension Tuesday, pending the outcome of an internal investigation.

Bishop Ben Chamness has called for a special meeting Dec. 14 of top officials of the 28-county Central Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church to discuss further disciplinary action against the Rev. James L. Finley, 68.

They will determine then whether to permanently relieve Finley of his post as senior pastor of First United Methodist Church of Euless, conference spokeswoman Carolyn Stephens said.

"What happens at that meeting depends on pastor Finley," Stephens said. "He has not indicated that he wishes to resign, though he has met with the bishop to discuss the situation."

Finley will retain his salary and benefits during the investigation. The Rev. Charles McClure, retired director of the conference's finance and administration, will lead the Euless congregation until an interim pastor is appointed Dec. 14, Stephens said.

Finley, of Euless, could not be reached to comment Tuesday.

He was arrested Thursday in Euless after police say he molested a 21-year-old man. He was released that evening after posting $1,000 bail.

On Sunday, Chamness read a prepared statement to the Euless congregation: "This week, the news reported that your pastor, Rev. Jimmy Finley, was arrested for an act unbecoming of a Christian, much less a United Methodist minister. It has grieved me, and I am sure that it has grieved you. ... I trust that you will work together as never before, pray for one another, and seek the healing mercy of God."

Finley, who is married and has four adult children, has been at First United Methodist Church of Euless for the past four years, according to church records.

He is expected to be charged with public lewdness, a Class A misdemeanor, police have said. He could face a maximum of one year in jail and a $4,000 fine if convicted.

AND MORE

Euless pastor leaves ministryBy CAREN M. PENLANDSPECIAL TO THE STAR-TELEGRAMEULESS — A pastor who was arrested this month on suspicion of molesting a 21-year-old man has withdrawn from the United Methodist Church ministry, church authorities said. James L. Finley, who had been pastor of the First United Methodist Church of Euless for four years, relinquished his ministry credentials during a meeting Wednesday with Bishop Ben Chamness, head of the 28-county Central Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Finley, 68, will no longer be able to serve as a pastor at any church, perform weddings, or preach, officials said.

The Rev. Charles McClure, retired director of the conference’s finance and administration, will serve as interim pastor in Euless until Jan. 31, while church authorities search for a permanent replacement.

Finley, who was arrested Dec. 1, had been placed on 90 days’ suspension from the Euless church, which has about 1,400 members. He did not return phone calls seeking comment Thursday.

Conference spokeswoman Carolyn Stephens said a pastor from another church will be appointed in Euless, which may cause “a shift in clergy in other area churches,” though she couldn’t say how many or which churches may be affected.
United Methodist pastors generally don’t spend more than five or six years at any given church, she said. In situations where a pastor resigns, a cabinet of top church authorities chooses a replacement from another area church, which will then also need a replacement, causing several pastors to move.

“We find the best person for the congregation,” she said. “Different congregations have different needs, and when something like this happens, church members need a strong and compassionate pastor to lead them through hard times.”

Finley, of Euless, was arrested after a 21-year-old man called police to report that he had been molested. Investigators urged the man to call Finley on the telephone and talk with him about what happened. Police recorded that phone conversation, during which Finley offered to perform additional sex acts on the man, police have said.

After the man returned to his apartment, Finley showed up and the man called police, who arrested Finley about a block away.

Finley is free on $1,000 bail. He is accused of public lewdness, a Class A misdemeanor, police have said. If convicted, he could face up to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine.

“The church regrets that any [persons] might have been harmed by the undesirable actions of Finley,” Chamness said in a written statement Thursday. “The church stands ready to offer counseling to any of those who request it.”
 
Anonymous Jim Lee said...
wouldn't it be great if all religious institutions could be closed down permanently?


Anonymous Anonymous said...
Well now it doesn't seem to be such a heinous crime after all, I guess he just wanted to fundle a younger man's penis, I mean it can't be so bad, at least it wasn't a little girl, yet! It doesn't sound like such a serious crime since the disciplinary action seems so minimal. Maybe he was following Jesus's lead since Jesus had 12 male disciples, maybe Jesus was really a bona fide homosexual, and the scriptures were really covered up and distroyed by the Catholic Church.

Could it have been that Jesus was really crucified because he was openly gay, and the story got twisted in order to hide the honosexual activities of the Catholic Priests and Jesus of that time? Most likely, Jesus was a homosexual and had the mind of an eight year old girl.


Anonymous Anonymous said...
The Methodist bishop over the conference proposed church counseling? I hope he meant counseling outside of their service paid for at the Methodist churches' expense.
--Darron Steele


Anonymous Anonymous said...
The people who posted their comments on this blog obviously have no clue about what being a Christian truly is. You let one bad apple spoil the whole harvest. You mock my God and degrade my Savior. May God have mercy on each of your souls.


Anonymous Rot8ing Anode said...
Actually, we have quite a bit of clues, facts, and first hand knowledge of Christianity. And what analogy are you trying to make with apples and harvests, are we going to make cider?

We are doing nothing wrong, we just see your god as a product of your imagination. If mocking imaginary things is frowned upon in your eyes, click the X in the upper right and all the blasphemy will vanish. You can run to your false sense of shelter and belief that there are no different ways of thought in the world.


Blogger Onanite said...
Some idiot said:

"The people who posted their comments on this blog obviously have no clue about what being a Christian truly is. You let one bad apple spoil the whole harvest. You mock my God and degrade my Savior. May God have mercy on each of your souls."

Oh we all know what being a Christian is all about... it is about hate. Christianity is just plan silly, the idea of Jesus is silly. Go back to your little church, stuff your head in the sand... and live your lie.

Onanite
http://onanite.blogspot.com/


Anonymous PrayForMePlease said...
Christianity is all about elitism. It was started over 2000 years ago by a group of Holyer Than Thou, elitiists that had no identity, no useful purpose, no God or beliefs, so they invented a God and Savior, that they may feel deemed worthy by the same people that they could convince that their particular belief, or that their invented lie was the truth. The lie that is heard around the world daily, the religious lie of a God and personal savior, Jesus born of Holy Ghost Sperm by an Authenticated 12 year old Virgin
girl, is this not child rape? but it's OK for a God to inseminate little girls to get a Holy Ghost Savior no prob. No we do not mock your imaginary God and Savior, we mock your ability to choose and close your mind and let something written down in a book over 2000 years ago be your guide, when your own common sense tells you it cannot be true, you have to pretend that you believe such nonsense, Christains are just going through the same motions set by the same people pretending it's all true, the adult lie that replaced Santa,(be a good little girl/boy and get a reward). Here try Jesus on a stick, catch him if you can, but you need faaaaiiitttth faith, faith, you really do need imaginary faith and alot of it, in fact no one ever seems to have enough faith, why is that? Could it be because faith does not exist along with the imaginary God and Jesus savior invisible lie?

Religion the invisible lie that cannot be easily quelched, only by common sense and logical reasoning
religions can be quelched, and quick in a billionth of a second.

We mock the invisible lie called God and religion. Any more questions? Do come back and pray for us.....lol


Blogger god_NOT said...
>>>One of the anonymous said: The people who posted their comments on this blog obviously have no clue about what being a Christian truly is. You let one bad apple spoil the whole harvest. You mock my God and degrade my Savior. May God have mercy on each of your souls.<<<

Ah! Keep coming here and you and your god will be taunted a second, third, and many more times...

I don't want mercy from your god! I don't answer to him, you, or anyone. Get over it. Don't come onto a site in which you will not be received warmly. You will be added to the list of "the butt of the joke"

If you seek mercy, don't post your pathetic self righteous garbage here! It will be tossed back to you...

(goes to look for the catapult)


Blogger .:webmaster:. said...
"The people who posted their comments on this blog obviously have no clue..."

Ah...uhm...Anony...

Haven't you just become one of those people who posted their comments on this blog?


Blogger .:webmaster:. said...
Ex-pastor on probation in plea deal
STAR-TELEGRAM

JAMES LEONARD FINLEYEULESS -- A former Methodist pastor originally accused of public lewdness with an "immature" young man has been convicted of assault of a disabled person in a plea agreement with prosecutors.

James Leonard Finley, 69, pleaded no contest Thursday to the assault charge and was sentenced to two years' probation with deferred adjudication. He must attend sexual misconduct classes but will not have to register as a sex offender.

Finley, who had been senior pastor of First United Methodist Church of Euless, was fined $1,380 and ordered to do 80 hours of community service.

"All parties were in agreement" about the plea, said Jeff Hampton, a Tarrant County assistant district attorney. "It was a fair result. He took responsibility."

Finley and his attorney, Bruce Ashworth of Fort Worth, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Finley was accused of molesting the 21-year-old man in December. Police later recorded him offering to perform additional sex acts on the victim.

Police, who described the man as "immature," said he lived with his mother and trusted the pastor.

Finley had originally been charged with public lewdness, a misdemeanor. According to the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, neither the misdemeanor assault conviction nor a public lewdness conviction would require him to register as a sex offender.

The only time a person must register as a sex offender for a misdemeanor is when he is convicted twice for indecent exposure, according to state criminal guidelines.

The misdemeanor assault conviction will be dropped from Finley's criminal record if he completes the terms of his probation. His arrest would remain on his record.

Finley relinquished his ministry credentials in December, days after he was arrested a few blocks from the victim's apartment in north Euless.

In addition to his pastoral duties, Finley was a member of the Euless Police Department citizens patrol and had been on the list of pastors called to help to console people involved in tragedies in the city.

Finley, a pastor at the church for four years, is married and has four adult children.

He met the victim in July 2005 at a Euless store where the man worked, police said.

On several occasions, Finley visited with the man when he was in the store, police said. At some point, Finley asked for the man's telephone number, according to police reports. The pastor later professed his love for the victim, police said.

In December, Finley went to the man's apartment, talked to him about sexual experiences and fondled him. The man pleaded for the pastor to stop, police said.

The man called police, who took him to the police station. While he was there, investigators asked him to call Finley and ask him what he had done. In a brief recorded conversation, Finley offered to perform sex acts on the man because he wanted to be the first, police said.

Police then drove the victim back to his Euless apartment. Within minutes, Finley returned to the apartment and tried to get in, police said. Finley was gone when officers arrived, but he was arrested a few blocks away, police said.


Post a Comment | Create a Link | Post in the Forums | Permalink



The first 200 comments appear here under the article. If over 200 comments are posted, click on the "newer" and "newest" links on the Post a Comment page to continue reading the latest comments.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

  Subscribe to this post's Comments (Atom).
Subscribe to every post's Comments (RSS).
Quickly catch up on all recent comments posted on ExChristian.Net on the Recent Comments page.

<< Home