A former bus driver and former pastor from Powder Springs, Ga., was arrested on March 21 and charged with child molestation. Rodney Colston, 64, drove a bus for Cobb County Schools and was the pastor at Temple Baptist Church of West Cobb in Powder Springs.
“As pastor and as a ministry we want justice to be done,” said Joshua Hon, Temple Baptist’s current pastor, in a statement to ChurchLeaders. Hon added that he and his church “are cooperating with authorities and the investigation” and “stand for the protection of children.”
Rodney Colston Faces Felony Charge
Authorities began investigating Ronnie Colston in February after being tipped off by another bus driver. Colston was released on March 22, the day after his arrest, on a $25,000 bail bonds.
A warrant shows that three survivors have alleged Colston molested them at his home in Powder Springs. Because of the statute of limitations, it is too late for officials to charge Colston based on the allegations of two of the girls, who are older. However, Colston has received one felony charge based on the allegations of the youngest, who is 14 years old. She told officials that Colston molested her about seven years ago. According to a CBS affiliate that reported on the story, the victims are relatives of Colston.
Colston has admitted to molesting one of the older girls, but has denied the other allegations. He initially agreed to sit for a formal interview with the special victims unit, but changed his mind after hiring an attorney.
According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Rodney Colston was the pastor of Temple Baptist Church for 20 years before resigning near the end of 2021, and he began driving a bus for the Cobb County School District in 2010. In a statement to ChurchLeaders, a district spokesperson said, “We understand this individual has been arrested for allegations in Rome, Georgia and do not involve Cobb or Cobb students. Although he has resigned his position with the District, we will continue to provide support as needed to the Cobb Police Department and their ongoing investigation.”
Rome is about an hour’s drive from Powder Springs, where Colston resides, and it is not clear that the current allegations are connected to an incident that took place in that city.
A post on Temple Baptist’s Facebook page shows that Hon was welcomed as the church’s new pastor in December 2021. He told the Marietta Daily Journal that he does not believe Colson’s resignation, which occurred two months after Colston’s wife died, was related to the molestation charges.
Editor’s note: This article was updated on March 31, 2022, with a statement from Temple Baptist Church’s pastor, Josh Hon. The article was updated on April 1, 2022, with a statement from a Cobb County School District spokesperson, and wording was changed to clarify that Colston no longer works for the district.
