Methodist Pastor Suspended for 'Public Lewdness'
On Tuesday, the senior pastor of a 1,400-member Methodist church in Texas was suspended after being arrested for allegedly molesting a young adult man.
The Catholic Church is not the only Christian group haunted by allegations of sexual molestation by its clergy. On Tuesday, the senior pastor of a 1,400-member Methodist church in Texas was suspended after being arrested for allegedly molesting a young adult man.
The Rev. James Leonard Finley, 68, of First United Methodist Church in Euless, Texas, was suspended for 90 days of all ministerial duties by Bishop Ben R. Chamness, who oversees more than 300 churches in the Central Texas United Methodist Conference.
Finley was arrested on Dec. 1 on charges of “public lewdness” after authorities said he molested a 21-year-old man at the man’s apartment. The pastor was also recorded offering to perform sexual acts on the man.
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The event comes at a time when the Catholic Church is being criticized for having protected clergy members found guilty of molesting congregants.
In the case of the Methodist church, the Central Texas Conference released a statement acknowledging the situation and – at least temporarily – revoking Finley’s pastoral license.
"We understand that humans are fallible, but we also know that through God we have the means and faith to bring healing," Bishop Chamness said in a statement Dec. 2. "Within the United Methodist Church we have a clearly defined process for dealing with such matters, including counseling where needed.
In the meantime, Chamnes placed the associate pastor of the Euless church, the Rev. Beverly Springer, in charge of day-to-day operations. Chamness also visited the church on Dec. 4 to offer comfort to the congregation as they recover from the incident.
According to the United Methodist News Service, the bishop said his office had no knowledge of past incidents involving Finley.
"In fact, Rev. Finley has served the United Methodist Church faithfully for more than 40 years, according to every record that I find,” he said.
If convicted, Finley faces up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.
