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.
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.