NBC News uncovered a 50-year pattern of sex abuse, silence and cover-up in the world’s largest Pentecostal denomination.
A children’s pastor was caught filming girls in a church bathroom in Arkansas. Elders suspended him for a few weeks.
In Illinois, a preacher was accused of sexually abusing children. Church leaders sent him to therapy rather than call police.
In California, a worship minister went to prison for molesting boys. His congregation threw him a party when he returned.
All of these men remained in ministry in the Assemblies of God, the world’s largest Pentecostal denomination. All went on to abuse more children.
I don’t know first hand, but the Unitarian Universalist churches that embrace LGBT and everyone seem reasonable. Still, I think any leaders in a place that draws spiritually or socially needy people are in a position to abuse their congregation.
I grew up UU. We considered it an ideology not a religion.
The thing about UU is that it is kinda both because it was made from the merger of Unitarians, who were a Christian sect and Univesalists who were not specifically religious.
It’s weird and lovely. I know a lot of clergy from other faiths who attend UU churches in retirement because they want the fellowship, but don’t want to be the defacto “backup preacher.”
Unitarian churches are the only ones that I’ve been welcomed, loved, and asked if there was anything I needed as soon as I walked in. They’re all awesome people actually making differences in their communities. People give freely in the churches I’ve been in and multiple times, unhoused folks would walk in and there was a stash of clothes, food, and hygiene products to give to them during the service. Like, as the pastor was preaching. And nobody made them stay. A few did, but most grabbed and left. Everybody would smile at them and offer seats next to them. I’ve never seen that in other Protestant churches before.