Hours after a newspaper published an article about abuse allegations within his Arkansas church, Dr. Steven Smith apologized for not telling his congregation about the reported crimes, which date back to 2015. Smith, who has led Immanuel Baptist Church—a Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) church—in Little Rock since 2017, said a court filing prompted him to “publicly discuss this tragedy.”
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According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Pastor Smith dismissed guests after worship on Sunday, Dec. 10, so church members could have a “family meeting.” Then he relayed details about Immanuel’s former assistant children’s ministry director, Patrick Stephen Miller, who was charged with second-degree sexual assault and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor harassment.
Miller, 37, received a suspended sentence, wasn’t required to register as a sex offender, and has been trying to have his criminal record permanently sealed. A hearing on that is set for Feb. 1, and the state has filed opposition to Miller’s efforts.
Pastor Steven Smith Wishes We’d ‘Told You About These Crimes Sooner’
Reading from a statement, Dr. Steven Smith said he wanted to address Miller’s criminal case “in the spirit of transparency.” The pastor indicated he had prayed and followed “counsel from wise members of our church and others” before speaking out. “I wish we would have told you about these crimes sooner,” Smith admitted.
In his address to congregants, the pastor said Immanuel is “working with national experts to create even more safeguards to protect the people in our church.” Immanuel recently formed a Caring Well policy team, Smith said, and new policies will be in place for 2024. “We recognize the importance of treating abuse behavior seriously,” he added. “We intend to honor Christ in the way we care for anyone who’s experienced past abuse.”
Smith, who emphasized that he and church officials cooperated with police, hasn’t answered questions publicly about how he dealt with the matter. ChurchLeaders contacted the church and Smith for comment and will update this article in the event of a reply.
Miller was arrested in 2018 after a child reported being abused by him in a closet three years earlier. After that case made its way through the system, a second child came forward to report abuse by Miller. Although church staff reported both allegations to police, as well as the church’s insurance company, they didn’t inform congregants.
Accusers’ Attorney: Pastor Gave Congregants ‘False Assurances’
Joseph Gates, an attorney representing both accusers, submitted on their behalf a response to Miller’s attempt to seal his records. “During Sunday night and Wednesday night services, he routinely played ‘hide and seek’ with his class,” the response noted about Miller.
