Creflo Dollar Arrested Latest: Pastor Responds on Facebook
After being arrested and released on $5,000 bail, the well-known megachurch founder and pastor Creflo Dollar has published his first responses on social networking site Facebook, telling his followers to praise God.
"Let the redeemed of the Lord say so. Go ahead and give God some Praise!" wrote the megachurch pastor, whose church attracts about 36,000 churchgoers, on his Facebook page Saturday.
Dollar was charged on simple battery-family violence Friday morning, and was later released from Fayette County Jail on $5,000 bail. He is charged with allegedly choking, punching and wrestling his 15-year-old daughter to the ground on Thursday night. The incident reportedly happened after Dollar refused to let his daughter go out to a party.
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However, despite the charges Dollar has insisted he has nothing to be regretful for and he has not done anything wrong. The pastor claimed he was simply disciplining and spanking the girl.
"I just love my kid. Love 'em. Same problem every parent's going through," he said in a statement Friday.
Dollar's attorney, Nikki Bonner, spoke to The Christian Post and said that despite the charges, he doesn't think Dollar believes he is guilty. "I think anyone who gets arrested doesn't believe they deserve to be arrested," Bonner told CP. He was adamant that his client should be viewed as innocent until proven guilty.
Since the incident hundreds of people have shown support to Dollar and sent him and his family prayers through social networking sites. Many expressed their empathy and also called others to "love" him, instead of "judging" him.
"No One knows The pressures of a Pastor Of His Magnitude unless your actually in his position. The hardest Part is separating the Ministry responsibilities from The family duties. We as fathers in Ministry tend to think that as long as 'Were ok' Our kids will automatically follow suit but as many of us know, that isn't always the case," wrote Angelo Laro Maldonado.
"I don't know brother Creflo personally and even if I did, I'm not called to Judge him, but instead to LOVE HIM!! And that's what I'll do. God has called this man for such a season and I will NOT stand in the way, I will PRAY that the LORD gets HIS way!!" Maldonado added.
Many have defended the right of the pastor to correct his daughter, and urged others to be understanding about the difficulties in raising "rebelling kids."
"I remember sitting in service last Sunday and u said how you were gonna come under attack for the message in this new series you been preaching. Well, the devil will use anyone to attack our faith- including our kids. I know how rebellious teenagers can be. If u love them- u will discipline them. I know u love your daughter. I support u and I will be praying for u and ur fam, Pastor Dollar! See you tomorrow!" said one of his supporters.
Creflo Dollar is pastor and founder of World Changers Church International, with his Changing Your World telecast reaching over a billion homes across the globe, according to his website. He and his wife, Taffi, have five children.
