I really need to know what you guys think &/or would do. I was walking down the hall after my Sunday School class heading to the auditorium for the worship service. All of a sudden my blood began to boil. I walked passed the 20 year old currently being charged with indecent proposition of a minor and child porn among other things. He was arrested in December, so he hasn't had his trial yet. He went to our church when we first started going here, but then switched to the Baptist church in the town down the road. That is where this stuff happened...and it was with church teens! Actually there were rumors of molestation at church camp. Now isn't that a parent's worst nightmare? Where are our kids safe???? I feel like never letting them out of my sight.
I immediately went to the nursery leader and notified her. She thankfully notified all the teachers and locked doors. I then went to our pastor who is the head of education and notified him. He talked to the teachers and stood guard in the hallway. I wanted to get my kids and run home. I couldn't see that pedophile in the service so I was a bit unsettled where he might be lurking.
I really didn't like having a KNOWN offender so close, especially when my kids were out of my sight!
I know we are supposed to love him and that more than anything he needs the Lord to turn him and his desires around....BUT! Not to mention he was doing this crap when his screen name was godrocks and was trying to train to be a youth leader!!!! Frightening.
What would you guys do? What are some of your thoughts?
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Praise the Lord you were there and not home with sick kids! Others may not have recognized him to be able to warn everyone. It is unsettling, but you did great! One sad thing is that him trying to be a youth pastor is not unusual. Most people who struggle with this paticular sin get jobs where they are in some type of regular trusted contact with kids. That's one reason I praise the Lord for the Holy Spirit's constant guiding in our lives and His protection of us and our loved ones. He knew you needed to be there yesterday.
WoW Monica...that is a hard one! Scary yes! Praise the Lord that He is the protector of our children! But we do still have to be wise as God did give us to them as their caretakers here on earth. I think you did the right thing! In our previous church we had something very similiar! It was very scary! This guy had actually been in prison previously and written threatening emails in regards to my family(me, my kids, my siblings)! I have to say that I did keep my kids with me when I saw him in the church and someone actually ended up walking with him the whole time that he was in the building. That was great if he wanted to be in the service, but he was NOT let out of anyones sight...and he was talked to about that. If he wanted to be in the building he was going to have to be escorted around.
I will be praying for you and your church family!
Thank you guys for the input. I would covet your prayers! I was thinking that he should have an escort at all times too. I am glad to hear other churches have had to institute that...well, you know what I mean...that I wasn't out in left field.
Wow! Cari that is soooo scary. That gives me the heebie jeebies.
I think you need to do what the Lord asks of you. He told you to go talk to your pastor and you did. I think your friends have given you some very good ideas. Maybe talk to your pastor about having an escort for this guy. I agree that he should be allowed to come to church, but he needs to be told how people feel and IF he is coming for the right reasons than he shouldn't have a problem with this. Just remember, if God puts something on your heart about this...perhaps an idea of how to make it better or just a gut feeling that something isn't right, make sure you let someone know. Don't just brush it off...it probably means something.
Does anyone know what kind of discipline the other church did on him? If he is unrepentant, then he SHOULD be under church discipline from that other church. Then, your church should be notified of that--especially if he comes again. Your Pastor ought to be notified of what has been done at the other church. IF the man is unrepentant, then your church should do as the Bible says, "Mark and avoid."
If he has publicly repented, then that should be made known to your church. Then it's basic common sense as to what happens when he is at church. He should be told where and where not to be--he needs guidelines/rules so that there is no question about his actions. That is only right--consequences will be there, no matter if he did repent--he should be held in high accountability even if he has repented.
You should go talk with your Pastor so that everything is done Biblically and so every mom is not scared out of her head.
What would I do? I would not attend the church until he was not allowed to return.
Thank you all for you input. You guys are quite level-headed.I am afraid emotionally I am not hip on him being there at all. I agree with you Danna! I don't want to be there with my kids out of my sight with him there. Thank you Danna as usual for your candor.
A story:
A town was flooding. Warnings had gone out. Evacuations had been called into effect. A man remained in his home. He prayed, "God, I trust You will deliver me."
His home began to flood. A man came by with a truck. "Sir, get in my truck! I'll drive you to higher ground!" "No," answered the man. "God is going to save me!"
The water began to raise too high to stay in his home. He climbed to his second story. A boat passed by, & the passengers cried, "Sir, swim to us! We are headed to higher ground!" "No," he called back. "God will save me!"
The water filled his entire home, & he crawled onto his roof. A short while later, a helicopter flew by, dropping its ladder. "No thank you!" yelled the man. "God is going to save me!"
The man drowned.
In heaven, he asked God, "Why didn't you save me? I had faith that you would save me! But I drowned! Why did you not rescue me?"
God answered, "I sent you truck, a boat, & a helicopter. You just didn't get in!"
All that to say, God has you there to protect your children. Don't endanger them under the idea that God will protect them, when in reality God has placed YOU there to protect them.
okay, here is my two cents. and you know my issue with trust! You di d the RIGHT thing, by letting someone in charge know, by talking to someone and letting then handle the situation. Your part to protect others is 100 % on the mark. Now for you own children.....you are their Mom and they will look to you for guidance and protection, IF you feel this strong, then speaking with senior pastor would be appropriate. Letting him know that you are uncomfortable knowing that he has "free range". Then it is up to the pastor to contact the other church to see what they are doing, and also to contact the authorities to see what legal rights he has. You do not want this "perv" to come back later and sue the church(it happens, sadly)especially if he gets away with this. I am sure that there are enough parents like you that will not stand for this.
Good job at recognizing him and being alert. that mom ESP thing really is a scary useful tool. I would have done the exact samething.
Excellent thinking Mol! I can't imagine the fear that must have come on strong and fast when walking through normally familiar halls and you see him. I am kind of with the others about making sure there is a definite plan of attack to ensure he is being monitored at all times. Even so, you might want to try next Sunday and if he returns maybe go elsewhere for a couple of months. We have kind of a freaky situation where a distant family member is charged with similar things. Someone sent him our whole family Christmas picture and it kind of freaks me out. I really don't want him having a picture of my daughter to stare at in his cell as his only child picture for years. My parents are trying to restore their relationship with him, but I don't want him even knowing about our family's kids. They are going to try and visit him but I wish they could get the picture back. What do you think?
Danna...I totally agree with you. God has given us a brain and common sense. Sometimes, that wins out of Christian love.
Jen...eeek, I am sorry to hear about something in your family. I don't blame you for being freaked out. Thankfully we can't know his thoughts...and hopefully you won't ever have to have Sierra around him. Praise God he was found out.
Tam...yeah, like I said on Friday night...I will not put other people ahead of the safety of my kids!
Wow Monica. I will pray for you. I Just don't know why things like that are not shot on sight. OOPS that wasn't very christian now was it? Can you volunteer to be the nursery teacher till he is gone? then you are with your girls all of the time?
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