Posted on 12/02/2009 8:01:30 AM PST by markomalley
LOWELL -- Members of a Gaston county church are vowing to support their pastor after he was accused of sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl.
Keith Pettis, pastor of New Life Christian Center, was arrested in August on several charges, including statutory rape, taking indecent liberties with a child, and first-degree sex offense with a child.
The girl, now 14 and living in another N.C. town, said the abuse started in August 2006 and continued until March of this year, according to Gaston County Police.
Pettis, 42, was surrounded by parishioners and his family Tuesday evening as the church held a rally for their spiritual leader.
"I believe in his innocence," said Michelle Brown, one of about 40 supporters who attended the rally. "I don't believe that he did this."
Pettis, who was released on $50,000 bond after his arrest, is due in court on Thursday. He declined to speak with reporters Tuesday evening.
His older brother, Winifred Pettis, said the church saw a drop in attendance immediately after the pastor's arrest but more worshipers now attend weekly services.
"I'm his brother. I know his character," the elder Pettis said. "I raised him, that's not in him."
That is not the question!!
Now, if they’d only let pastors marry, we wouldn’t have this problem.
Oh, hang on, waitaminnit here...
On second thought, fuhgeddaboutit.
His parishoners might not appreciate it, but, hey, go for it.
Regardless, the pastor should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The church is called “New Life Center.”
I hate this postmodern churches.
No wonder they unquestionably believe him.
This drives me nuts...
I have kids about the same age as this girl. Their mother and/or I know their whereabouts and WHO they are with 100% of the time.
I understand that young teens sometimes cry wolf, but it seems that it would be pretty easy to figure out whether true or not.
I really dislike when they publish articles like this and give no facts. -’..pastor is ACCUSED..’
Either he spent lots of ‘alone’ time with her or not.
Might be Assembly of God...Jimmy swaggarts church. They have some great congregations but have also had some noted ministers fall (my former brother-in law among them). But this is the first I have seen involving a child.
It is just a little black church in North Carolina with one employee.
Society hates to admit that the most likely (in oroder) abusers are as follows:
Fathers— asa in father married to mothers (not priests)
Teachers
Coaches
Finally — the priests.
So if a father teaches history, coaches basketball or football or an intramural team — they are far more likely to be a sexual abuser than any priest.
Statistics bear this out.
Oops
as in fathers married to mothers (not priests)
if it was a 13 y.o. boy I wonder if they would react the same way
Regardless, the pastor should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Accusations of sexual abuse are odd -- people almost always assume that the person is guilty. My uncle was accused of sexual abuse by his daughter's school psychiatrist. Turns out it wasn't true, though his reputation was tarnished.
Let's assume that people are innocent, especially when it's something so heinous as this, and when there are only accusations and no knowledge of real evidence. This wouldn't be the first situation where a girl makes something up to hurt someone she hates....
“Regardless, the pastor should be presumed innocent until proven guilty. “
That’s only in court. If a man walks up and shoots you, you do not have to assume he is innocent of the crime.
Girls are indeed most likely to be abused by a male relative overall (stepfather included in that).
Boys are more likely to be abused by an unrelated male.
For girls, Mom’s boyfriend or New Hubby is far higher statistically to abuse an underage girl, than a biological father.
The thing is, we have no evidence that he is guilty of what he’s accused of.
What if someone accused you of sexual abuse? Wouldn’t you want to be assumed innocent until SOME sort of evidence was offered?
Accusations of sexual abuse are nasty things ...
“What if someone accused you of sexual abuse? Wouldn’t you want to be assumed innocent until SOME sort of evidence was offered?”
I am smart enough to know that accusations are not easily made. If the pastor was never alone with the girl, he has nothing to worry about. That’s why I am never alone with kids or females.
Did you jump all over the Duke lacrosse players accused of sexually abusing a woman? Did you assume that the accusations against them were true?
Or did you withhold judgment until you had more information?
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