Home Christian News Prescription Drug Abuse Is Cause of JD Hall’s Disqualification, Church Says

Prescription Drug Abuse Is Cause of JD Hall’s Disqualification, Church Says

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(L) FBC Sidney Logo (R) Photo of JD Hall. Screengrab via Facebook @Fellowship Baptist Church of Sidney.

On Monday afternoon (June 27), Fellowship Baptist Church (FBC) of Sidney, Montana, released a statement disclosing that their pastor Jordan “JD” Hall disqualified himself from pastoral ministry due to a dependency on the prescription Xanax.

FBC Sidney’s statement comes one day after one of Hall’s publications, Protestia, announced that they parted ways with Hall because of his pastoral disqualification.

Church leadership shared that following an incident on Sunday, June 5, they became aware that Hall had “fallen into a dependency upon prescription alprazolam (Xanax), characterized by use that exceeded his prescribed dosage.”

On June 8, Hall resigned as FBC Sidney’s lead pastor, because he believed that his dependency resulted in him being disqualified from eldership. The church body voted to accept Hall’s resignation during a business meeting.

Hall, who named former SBC president J.D. Greear as 2019’s worst Christian of the year, attempted to resign after his traffic stop in May, which had resulted in a DUI arrest, but the church rejected it. Hall’s blood alcohol level was 0.00 upon being pulled over but was cited for driving under the influence of drugs.

“I was not using alcohol or any other kind of illegal narcotic or recreational drug,” Hall had said, claiming that his inability to pass a field sobriety test was due to a Vitamin D deficiency.

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“The deacons and elders met yesterday and rejected his resignation in consultation with three well-respected and Godly pastors of other churches,” FBC Sidney’s leadership wrote in May.

At the time, the church’s council determined that Hall was exhausted and potentially addicted to working. They advised him to take a three-month sabbatical. Hall was also instructed to change his phone number, so he wouldn’t be bothered by outsiders.

FBC Sidney’s June 27 statement explained that Hall’s latest resignation was distinct from his rejected attempt in May.

“Due to the testimony of Pastor Hall regarding a known vitamin deficiency that he insisted was to blame for his lack of coordination, the church had voted unanimously to reject his resignation, believing that the situation did not disqualify him from the pastorate,” the church said.