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| On December 18, 2006, the church announced that Paul Williams, a minister and staffer at the church for thirty-four years, had been placed on leave with an investigation pending regarding a "moral failure," identified by Gaines and others as alleged ] in the 1980s.<ref name="trust">, by James Dowd, ''The Commercial Appeal'', December 20, 2006. Accessed December 21, 2006.</ref> The next day, December 19, Gaines released a statement that acknowledged that he had been aware of the allegation since June 2006 but that he did not address it for several months because Williams had been attending professional counseling and also because of confidentiality concerns and compassion for the staffer.<ref name="trust" /> On December 20, 2006, Gaines addressed several hundred members of his congregation, saying he would like to remain pastor at Bellevue.<ref name="support">, by Jody Callahan, ''The Commercial Appeal'', December 21, 2006. Accessed December 21, 2006.</ref> | On December 18, 2006, the church announced that Paul Williams, a minister and staffer at the church for thirty-four years, had been placed on leave with an investigation pending regarding a "moral failure," identified by Gaines and others as alleged ] in the 1980s.<ref name="trust">, by James Dowd, ''The Commercial Appeal'', December 20, 2006. Accessed December 21, 2006.</ref> The next day, December 19, Gaines released a statement that acknowledged that he had been aware of the allegation since June 2006 but that he did not address it for several months because Williams had been attending professional counseling and also because of confidentiality concerns and compassion for the staffer.<ref name="trust" /> On December 20, 2006, Gaines addressed several hundred members of his congregation, saying he would like to remain pastor at Bellevue.<ref name="support">, by Jody Callahan, ''The Commercial Appeal'', December 21, 2006. Accessed December 21, 2006.</ref> | ||
| On January 28, 2007, a church committee released a report on its investigation of Williams' conduct and the staff's handling of Williams. The report alleged that Williams had sexually molested his son in the 1980s, that Williams and his wife had informed Jamie Fish, the church's minister of biblical guidance, of Williams'past actions in May 2006, that Steve Gaines met with Mr. and Mrs. Williams in June 2006 to discuss the issue, a meeting that was kept confidential, and that Williams was retained on staff thereafter. In early December 2006, Williams' son, the target of the alleged abuse, met with Gaines to discuss why Williams was allowed to remain on staff. The report found that no other children were molested by Williams. The report criticized both Gaines and Fish for not immediately coming forward with the information related to the abuse, either to the church or to authorities as possibly required by Tennessee law.<ref>, by James Dowd, ''The Commercial Appeal'', January 29, 2007. Accessed January 29, 2007.</ref> | On January 28, 2007, a church committee released a report on its investigation of Williams' conduct and the staff's handling of Williams. The report alleged that Williams had sexually molested his son in the 1980s, that Williams and his wife had informed Jamie Fish, the church's minister of biblical guidance, of Williams' past actions in May 2006, that Steve Gaines met with Mr. and Mrs. Williams in June 2006 to discuss the issue, a meeting that was kept confidential, and that Williams was retained on staff thereafter. In early December 2006, Williams' son, the target of the alleged abuse, met with Gaines to discuss why Williams was allowed to remain on staff. The report found that no other children were molested by Williams. The report criticized both Gaines and Fish for not immediately coming forward with the information related to the abuse, either to the church or to authorities as possibly required by Tennessee law.<ref>, by James Dowd, ''The Commercial Appeal'', January 29, 2007. Accessed January 29, 2007.</ref> | ||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 00:33, 6 September 2009
Dr. John Steven "Steve" Gaines (born December 31, 1957, in Corinth, Mississippi) is an American Southern Baptist pastor. He is currently serving at Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova (a suburb of Memphis, Tennessee), one of the largest congregations in the Southern Baptist Convention. He took over the pulpit on September 11, 2005, from longtime pastor and former SBC President Adrian Rogers.
Before arriving at Bellevue Baptist, Gaines pastored for 14 years at the First Baptist Church of Gardendale, Alabama, an 8,500-member church in suburban Birmingham. There he became one of the leading voices in the conservative wing of the SBC. In 2004, Gaines was elected president of the Southern Baptist Pastors' Conference, and was the keynote speaker at the SBC annual meeting in Nashville.
Gaines' theology is best described as conservative and evangelical.
Recognition
In April of 2009, Dr. Gaines was honored with the "Open Door Award" by the April 4th foundation. This was in recognition "His passion for evangelism (which) has galvanized his congregation to reach their city with the Gospel in unprecedented ways by meeting practical needs throughout Memphis."
Handling of minister misconduct
On December 18, 2006, the church announced that Paul Williams, a minister and staffer at the church for thirty-four years, had been placed on leave with an investigation pending regarding a "moral failure," identified by Gaines and others as alleged child molestation in the 1980s. The next day, December 19, Gaines released a statement that acknowledged that he had been aware of the allegation since June 2006 but that he did not address it for several months because Williams had been attending professional counseling and also because of confidentiality concerns and compassion for the staffer. On December 20, 2006, Gaines addressed several hundred members of his congregation, saying he would like to remain pastor at Bellevue.
On January 28, 2007, a church committee released a report on its investigation of Williams' conduct and the staff's handling of Williams. The report alleged that Williams had sexually molested his son in the 1980s, that Williams and his wife had informed Jamie Fish, the church's minister of biblical guidance, of Williams' past actions in May 2006, that Steve Gaines met with Mr. and Mrs. Williams in June 2006 to discuss the issue, a meeting that was kept confidential, and that Williams was retained on staff thereafter. In early December 2006, Williams' son, the target of the alleged abuse, met with Gaines to discuss why Williams was allowed to remain on staff. The report found that no other children were molested by Williams. The report criticized both Gaines and Fish for not immediately coming forward with the information related to the abuse, either to the church or to authorities as possibly required by Tennessee law.
References
- The Open Door Award, Dr. Steve Gaines
- ^ 'People losing trust' in Bellevue pastor, seminary leader says, by James Dowd, The Commercial Appeal, December 20, 2006. Accessed December 21, 2006.
- Gaines wants to remain at Bellevue, by Jody Callahan, The Commercial Appeal, December 21, 2006. Accessed December 21, 2006.
- Bellevue details 'moral failure', by James Dowd, The Commercial Appeal, January 29, 2007. Accessed January 29, 2007.