The United Methodist Church (UMC), along with New York’s Warren County, has reached a financial settlement in a sexual abuse case dating back almost 50 years. Troy resident John Smith claimed that Richard A. Reynolds, a former UMC pastor who also served as his foster parent, sexually abused him as a child.

According to information from Smith’s lawyers, the settlement included $750,000 from Warren County and $125,000 from the UMC. Neither entity provided comments to local news outlets about the settlement. ChurchLeaders has reached out to the UMC for comment and will update this article in the event of any reply.

Reynolds was also the subject of a similar lawsuit filed in Fulton County, New York. The terms of the settlement in that case haven’t been disclosed.

Plaintiff’s Attorney: Church Failed to Report Sexual Abuse

Richard Reynolds, 82, served at North Creek Methodist Church in North Creek, New York, and First United Methodist Church in Gloversville, New York. After retiring 25 years ago, he ran a clown business, performing at children’s events.

Smith’s lawsuit alleged that Reynolds, his foster parent, abused him from 1978 to 1981, starting when Smith was 11 years old. Although the statute of limitations had expired, Smith was able to sue under New York’s Child Victims Act.

North Creek Methodist Church, now permanently closed, owned a foster home, according to Smith’s attorneys. They allege that the UMC let Reynolds remain in ministry despite knowing about his abusive behavior.

“The church sent Reynolds for sexual deviancy treatment, and then allowed Reynolds back into its congregation to continue serving in leadership positions where he would have access to children,” said Vincent Nappo, an attorney for Smith. “The church never reported Reynolds to law enforcement, and in fact, pleaded with the victim’s family to keep the abuse silent out of fear of bad publicity.”

During its investigation, Nappo’s law firm indicated, “multiple foster children came forward” to allege sexual abuse by Reynolds. The mother of one alleged victim reportedly wrote a lengthy letter to church leaders, claiming that Reynolds admitted to abusing her son. The UMC’s response to her included excerpts from the denomination’s Book of Discipline, plus a request to keep the concerns “private.”

Former UMC Pastor: ‘That Was a Long, Long Time Ago’

When a Times Union reporter contacted Richard Reynolds for comment, the former pastor said, “Well, that was a long, long time ago, and I’m 82 now, and I’m getting a tinge of Parkinson’s, I think.” Reynolds, who said he closed his clown business during the pandemic, added, “You’re going to write an article, which is not going to look good for me, is that right?”

Musical phenom Taylor Swift released her 11th album this year and has already broken records for the most pre-saves, the most streamed album in a single day, and the first album to reach 1 billion streams in a week. But YouTuber Allen Parr warns parents and all Christians about her “explicit” content on “The Tortured Poets Department,” calling the album “anti-Christian.”

“Are we going to be those types of Christians that basically just go along with the world because that’s what the world is doing,” asked Parr in a recent video, “or are we going to be the type of Christian that stands up and stands out and calls out the evil that’s going on in our culture?”

Allen Parr Warns Parents—And All Christians—About Taylor Swift’s Music Content

From sold-out concert tours to being in the spotlight at Super Bowl LVIII as Travis Kelsey’s girlfriend, Taylor Swift is talented, successful, and admired by her adoring fans. Her latest album has received some criticism alongside its applause.

In a recent YouTube video, Parr was clear from the beginning that he wasn’t trying to attack Swift. “I’m not against Taylor Swift as a person,” Parr explained. He said she seemed “sweet” and like a “nice young lady.” He also said that he’s not against secular music.

But he explained the difference between being secular and anti-Christian. Parr described Swift’s new album as “anti-Christian, secular music” and felt compelled to speak up against the content—specifically listing lyrics from five of her songs.

Parr pointed out that many of Swift’s songs in “The Tortured Poets Department” are labeled as “explicit.” Parents, especially, need to be aware of this label if their kids are free to listen to her songs, according to Parr.

‘Fortnight’

“Fortnight” (literally meaning a period of two weeks) describes a “two-week affair that she had with a married man” that caused her to be “confused” and “depressed,” Parr said. Throughout the song, Swift sings about turning to alcohol to deal with negative emotions.

Swift painted a picture of her ex-lover as also being a neighbor. “Your wife waters flowers, I want to kill her,” the song says.

“And I love you, it’s ruining my life / I touched you for only a fortnight / I touched you, but touched you,” the lyrics say. In the song, Swift continues contact and entices her former partner, saying, “I call you up, but you won’t pick up.”

“Something is wrong with that,” said Parr. “Is this the type of music that a Christian parent should be allowing their kids to listen to?”

‘But Daddy I Love Him’

“But Daddy I Love Him” is a song that tells the story of a young lady willing to “fall in love—no matter what.” Parr surmises that the song is one “encouraging resisting authority.”

Bishop Lamor Whitehead, pastor of Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries in New York City, has been sentenced to nine years in prison. Whitehead, who is sometimes called the “bling bishop,” has been ordered to pay $85,000 in restitution and to forfeit $95,000 as a result of being found guilty of ​​fraud, attempted extortion, and lying to federal agents.

“Lamor Whitehead is a con man who stole millions of dollars in a string of financial frauds and even stole from one of his own parishioners,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams in a statement Monday, June 17, the day Whitehead was sentenced. “He lied to federal agents, and again to the Court at his trial.”

“Today’s sentence puts an end to Whitehead’s various schemes,” Williams said, “and reflects this Office’s commitment to bring accountability to those who abuse their positions of trust.”

Bishop Lamor Whitehead Sentenced

Bishop Lamor Whitehead made headlines in July 2022 when his church’s livestream captured thieves stealing over $1 million worth of jewelry from him and his wife while Whitehead was preaching. 

The bishop is known for his extravagant lifestyle, which has included driving a Rolls Royce, living in a mansion, and wearing Gucci suits. Before founding Leaders of Tomorrow, he served five years in prison for identity theft and grand larceny.

Shortly after news of the jewelry theft broke, it came to light that Whitehead was being sued for stealing $90,000 from the retirement fund of one of his congregants, 56-year-old Pauline Anderson.

In September 2022, Whitehead was arrested after he grabbed a woman during one of his sermons and forced her off-camera, but the charges were dropped. In November 2022, Whitehead filed a defamation suit, seeking $50 million in damages from a radio station for comments implying Whitehead committed crimes.

On Dec. 19, 2022, the bishop was arrested and charged with fraud, extortion, and lying to federal agents. The charges included that Whitehead had defrauded Pauline Anderson, as well as that he had extorted $5,000 from a businessman and attempted to get the same man to lend him $500,000. 

On March 11, a jury unanimously found Whitehead guilty of “two counts of wire fraud, one count of attempted wire fraud, and one count of attempted extortion,” as well as “one count of making false statements” to federal law enforcement agents. The bishop pleaded not guilty and said he planned to appeal the verdict.

Whitehead was reportedly jailed on May 20 for allegedly threatening Anderson and violating a restraining order. The bishop has maintained his innocence and implied that God is on his side, saying, “God is just amazing, to continue to give me great wisdom, great joy, and in spite of it all…God is still God, and the enemy wants you to give up on God, and I’m not gon’ do that.”

Paul Pressler, a key figure behind the Southern Baptist Convention’s conservative resurgence as well as a symbol of its sexual abuse crisis, died June 7 at age 94.

Baptist News Global first reported Pressler’s death, confirming it via a printed funeral program. A service for Pressler was held June 15 at a Houston funeral home, with about 70 attendees. Since then, major news outlets—including the New York Times—have published obituaries about the controversial figure.

When the denomination held its annual meeting in Indianapolis last week, the recent death of the influential evangelical wasn’t publicly acknowledged. In response to a request for comment, an SBC spokesperson said, “The SBC Executive Committee was unaware of Judge Pressler’s passing until it was reported by media on Saturday, June 15.”

RELATED: SBC 2024: What Happened at the Annual Meeting in Indianapolis

No cause of death has been reported. Pressler is survived by his wife, Nancy, three children, and their families.

Paul Pressler Was Co-Architect of SBC’s Conservative Resurgence

Paul Pressler, born in Houston in 1930, earned degrees from Princeton and the University of Texas law school. After serving as a Democrat in the Texas House of Representatives in the late 1950s, he was a district judge and then served on the Texas 14^th Court of Appeals.

Pressler, who became a Republican in 1982, was selected seven years later by President George H. W. Bush to lead the Office of Government Ethics. But after an FBI background check found “ethics problems,” Pressler’s name was removed from consideration. Instead, he served on the Drug Advisory Committee during the elder Bush’s administration. Pressler also was a founder of the Council for National Policy, a networking group for conservative politicians.

In his 1999 autobiography “A Hill on Which to Die,” Pressler expressed concern about liberalism creeping into churches. Three decades earlier, he had met Paige Patterson, who shared similar views. For years, the two men worked to build a conservative coalition within the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).

As the New York Times explained, “Pressler acted as a political operative while Patterson, a seminarian, was seen as [the movement’s] theologian.” They worked to move the denomination to the right, aligning it with the GOP.

Baptist News Global publisher Mark Wingfield described Pressler as “the Steve Bannon” of the SBC. “The tactics he used in the SBC were political tactics that worked, and were used at a political level,” Wingfield said. “It became a playbook for the Republican Party.”

Throughout his career, Pressler decried the “perversion” rampant in Washington, D.C. In 2015, he said he had dedicated his life to “the conservative principles on which our country was founded.”

Paul Pressler Was Also Embroiled in Sexual Abuse Scandal

In 2004, Gareld Duane Rollins Jr., a former assistant to Pressler, accused his boss of sexually assaulting him in a hotel room the previous year. According to the Texas Tribune, Pressler settled that suit for $450,000, plus a confidentiality agreement.

That settlement became public in 2017, after Rollins sued Pressler, alleging 24 years of rape, beginning when Rollins was 14. The SBC was also named in that lawsuit; Rollins accused the denomination of covering up Pressler’s behavior. Although the statute of limitations had expired, a Texas Supreme Court ruling allowed the case to continue.

A Mexican Riviera cruise with Dr. Tony Evans that was scheduled for Nov. 9-16 will no longer take place. The news about the cancellation follows an announcement from Evans and his church, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship (OCBF) in Dallas, that the pastor has stepped away from his pastoral duties for a time of repentance and healing from sin.

On Sunday, June 16, Pastor Bobby Gibson addressed Evans’ leave of absence from the stage during morning worship. “I want to be true to [Evans], and we thank God for him. We are yet praying for him, and we just believe the best for him,” said Gibson prior to reading a statement from the OCBF elders. Congregants applauded, and when Gibson added that God will get glory out of this situation, OCBF members emphasized their support by standing. 

RELATED: Dr. Tony Evans Steps Away From Pastoral Duties Because of ‘Sin’ for Time of ‘Repentance and Restoration’

Tony Evans’ Elders Issue Update

Dr. Tony Evans is a widely respected pastor, author and speaker. He has pastored OCBF for over 40 years and has a radio broadcast titled, “The Alternative With Tony Evans.” He is also the founder and president of The Urban Alternative, “a Christian Bible teaching and resource ministry” that aims “to spread the teaching of God’s Word through Christian media with the goal of transforming lives.”

The Mexican Riviera cruise had been planned for the second week of November and featured Chrystal Evans Hurst and Anthony Evans Jr., two of Evans’ children. Bookings started at a cost of $1,198 per person. The trip had been marketed as a “fantastic voyage filled with God’s Word, God’s people and God’s glorious creation.”

“​​Throughout the cruise, we’ll experience powerful teachings, encouraging messages from Chrystal Evans Hurst and uplifting music from Anthony Evans, Jr,” said a webpage advertising the cruise. “We will also find moments of pure relaxation as we soak in the beauty of God’s creation.” That webpage is no longer live.

Heather Hair, a spokesperson for The Urban Alternative, confirmed the cruise’s cancellation in a statement to The Roys Report. ChurchLeaders has reached out to The Urban Alternative for comment.

A statement on the OCBF website last week said that at both church services on June 9 Evans announced the news he was stepping away from his duties as pastor: “This difficult decision was made after tremendous prayer and multiple meetings with Dr. Evans and the church elders.” 

In his own statement, Evans referred to his failure to live up to God’s standard and said, “I have shared this with my wife, my children, and our church elders, and they have lovingly placed their arms of grace around me. While I have committed no crime, I did not use righteous judgment in my actions.”

RELATED: Dr. Tony Evans Celebrates His Marriage to New Wife Dr. Carla Crummie

The pastor said he is “submitting to a healing and restoration process established by the elders. This will afford me a needed time of spiritual recovery and healing.”

Sunday morning, Gibson read a follow-up statement from the OCBF elders, noting that the church had committed to keeping the congregation informed. “Dear OCBF church family, the board of elders appreciate your love, support and prayers during this very challenging time in the life of our ministry and church,” Gibson said. “We understand that many of you are stunned, confused, and even uncertain about the direction of our church in light of recent events.” 

Former Hillsong New York Pastor Carl Lentz is back in the spotlight, promoting his new “Lights On” podcast in more than one recent interview. 

The first three episodes of the podcast are available now. In each episode, Lentz appears alongside his wife, Laura, to discuss the scandal that rocked their family and impacted the lives of many. The third episode also features Lentz’s children, who offer their perspective on all that has transpired. 

Prior to his roughly four-year hiatus from public life, Lentz was one of the most popular pastors in the country, regularly rubbing shoulders with celebrities and professional athletes. But in 2020, he was dismissed from Hillsong after admitting to an extramarital affair. 

Later, allegations of spiritual and sexual abuse were levied against Lentz. He has denied that these allegations are true. No legal action against Lentz has resulted from the allegations. 

Now, Lentz is telling his story through his podcast on the B-Side network, which was founded by rapper Lecrae, singer Michelle Williams, and Pastor Tim Ross. Lentz has made recent appearances on ABC News’ “Nightline” and the “Breakfast Club” radio program to promote the podcast. 

In an interview released on June 5 with ABC News anchor Byron Pitts, Lentz described himself as “a broken guy that had some serious flaws that I could function with for a long time.” 

“Until [I] couldn’t,” he added. 

Pitts asked Lentz, “Why couldn’t you keep it in your pants and keep it in control?”

“Well, that wasn’t the primary thing that got me in trouble,” Lentz responded. “It wasn’t a sexual thing. It’s not like I was out looking to have sex or looking to commit adultery.”

He continued, “I had deep brokenness that manifested itself in a lot of different ways.”

“Sex addiction is never about sex,” he said later in the interview. “It’s about trauma, and it’s about what trauma produces. And sometimes it manifests itself in a sexual situation.”

Lentz revealed that he was molested as a young child, an experience he said “altered my brain chemistry, altered my habits, altered my view of sex.”

“And from that age till as long as I can remember, I had habits of secrecy and hiding and high risk-taking that I could never explain,” Lentz said. 

“Do you want to change?” Pitts asked, to which Lentz replied, “I’m changing.”

When pressed about how many extramarital affairs he had, Lentz declined to give a number. 

“I’m definitely not going to get into numbers,” he said. “It was more than one and more than I, you know, got caught for. But Laura’s been through too much. My kids have been through too much. And I don’t feel like it helps anything. But it definitely was not an isolated incident.”

Lentz recounted the day he was confronted by two of his staff members and was forced to tell Laura that he had been “unfaithful.”

RELATED: ‘I Don’t Identify as the Disgraced Former Pastor’—Carl Lentz Reflects on Scandals in New Podcast

“The sounds, the tears in that moment were the most painful thing in my memory,” he said. “Nobody deserves that, you know? So I’m forever sad about that.”