Monday, April 22, 2013

Other than that, how was your dinner?


 

Convicted child molester, John Langworthy, was spotted today dining in a Jackson, MS restaurant with his wife and daughter. When asked by the manager as his party was leaving if their meal was satisfactory, the person who snapped the photo replied that it was fine until a convicted child molester sat down at the next table. Yes, I suppose that would sap just about anyone's appetite. The manager was reportedly "stunned and concerned" and asked if that was "the music minister from Clinton."

John was overheard discussing "prayer" and was said to be "very animated and happy-go-lucky."

Someone has speculated "this is what happens when someone doesn't have to go to jail and instead gets to all but run the community."

No worries!

Oh, and I've just been informed the name of the restaurant is... taa daa... Cock of the Walk.  (You couldn't make this stuff up.)

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PLEASE, if you were a victim of JL or any other abuser or have information about the abuse of someone else, regardless of how insignificant the information may seem or how long ago it may have occurred, contact the proper authorities and let them sort it out! In Clinton, that would be detective Josh Frazier at 601-924-5252.

If the abuse or suspicion of abuse occurred in Jackson, MS:

Jackson Police Sex Crimes: 601-960-1210

In addition to either of the two police departments listed above, to provide any information regarding known or suspected abuse in Hinds County, MS, contact Assistant D.A. Jamie McBride at 601-968-6568.

If the abuse or suspicion of abuse occurred at Prestonwood or in the Dallas area:

Dallas Police non-emergency number: 214-744-4444

Child exploitation unit: 214-671-4211

Dallas Children's Advocacy Center: 214-818-2600

DCAC victim assistant coordinator: 214-818-2613

DCAC will act as the go-between if you do not want to contact the police directly. Don't worry about any statute of limitations. What may seem to be an insignificant detail may be the missing puzzle piece the investigators need. Go to them and tell them what you know and let them determine if it's important! They will keep your identity confidential.

Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (S.N.A.P.) contacts:

Mark Belenchia (Jackson, MS), msbelenchia@gmail.com, 601-953-2535

Amy Smith (Houston, TX), spacecitysnap@gmail.com, 281-748-4050

David Brown (Memphis, West TN), DavidBrown38053@gmail.com, 901-569-4500

David Clohessy (national), SNAPclohessy@aol.com, 314-566-9790 cell

Barbara Dorris, Outreach Director, SNAPdorris@gmail.com, 314-862-7688

16 comments:

Nicholas said...

It's hard to believe how many SBC leaders have their hands dirty over the Langworthy affair, even Al Mohler:

http://thewartburgwatch.com/2012/11/07/phillip-gunn-sbts-al-mohler-legal-rightmoral-right/

http://stopbaptistpredators.blogspot.com/2011/12/dear-al.html

Anonymous said...

shame you won't do the same post for where ever Paul Williams dines!

New BBC Open Forum said...

Hey, send me photos! I'll be happy to.

Last update on Paul Williams was here.

New BBC Open Forum said...

One other difference, John Langworthy is now a CONVICTED child molester and is listed on the national sex offender registry. Paul Williams is a CONFESSED child molester, but he was never charged with anything. Now, that is a shame.

Straight Path said...

I taught preschoolers at Bellevue Baptist for a year. During my 12 years of membership, I spoke to Paul Williams about 3 times for phone counseling and NEVER in a trillion years would I have ever suspected him as someone who was remotely capable of molesting his own son. He appeared to be the most conservative and well-adjusted man on Bellevue's staff. Boy, how appearances are deceiving!

Both Paul Williams and his wife SHOULD BE IN PRISON.

They are repulsive excuses for human beings. IMO, any church who could put him on the staff is definitely pleasing Satan. God doesn't approve of a ridiculous decision like this.

Super Sleuth said...

In case anyone remembers, Mike Spradlin of Mid America Seminary used to preach regularly on Sunday nights. After Steve Gaines was exposed in the Commercial Appeal, Spradlin stated he should be fired for harboring and protecting the pedophile Paul Williams. You will note that Spradlin was never invited back and also BBC money to the Seminary was drastically reduced. For a time, Gaines was wondering if he would be fired. He of course did not get fired or get reprimanded for what he did. Now, he reportedly makes $1 million a year, does not preach on Wednesday nights, and goes on many vacations. He even had the nerve a while back to say that he had it tough. Go figure him out.

New BBC Open Forum said...

The article in question was discussed here.

All accurate except SG's compensation package is confidential. That amount, if true, would not surprise me, but we don't know. And if it is true... or even a fourth that amount... well, allow me to do a little SG-style proof-texting here:

"For the love of money is the root of all evil." 1 Tim. 6:10a

Follow the money.

New BBC Open Forum said...

He even had the nerve a while back to say that he had it tough.

I believe the word was "persecuted."

Anonymous said...

I attended Morrison Heights Baptist Church and I have known the Langworthys for some time. Say what you will about John - what he did was certainly detestable and should not be tolerated (by the church or by the courts). That said, his wife and daughter are wonderful people, and they are also victims of John's actions. They suffer, too, and deserve grace and mercy, not your ridicule.

New BBC Open Forum said...

Who "ridiculed" his wife and daughter?

Anonymous said...

Was there an annual business meeting this year at BBC? Most SBC churches have a monthly business meetings and the staff salaries are known with the review of financial statements.

A larger percentage of Bellevue's members come to be fed and don't seem to care how the church is operated. The budget is now much smaller and more difficult to meet since many have moved on to other churches. The Passion Play is now a memory.

Interesting earlier comments...and the problems now between Bellevue and the seminary.

New BBC Open Forum said...

You mean a business meeting where members can speak and make motions and actually have a voice in matters of church polity? LOL! Uh... no.

Here's what they had on April 7th:

Proposed Budget Q and A

• Budget and Finance Committee members will be available to answer questions about the proposed 2013–2014 budget.
• Tonight at 5:00 in room F227

Annual Congregational Meeting

• The Bellevue family will vote on the proposed 2013–2014 budget and committee nominations.
• Tonight at the conclusion of the evening Worship Service

This is how they've conducted the "annual congregational meeting" since the infamous "shut 'er down" monkey business meeting. It's all tightly scripted. The general budget (with no salary or other very specific details) is mailed to every household a few weeks before the "meeting." The short Q&A session, which hardly anyone bothers to attend because (1) no questions are actually answered and (2) apparently no one left really cares anyway, is held right before the evening service. At the conclusion of the service they say, "Here's next year's budget. All in favor say 'aye'. The motion passes." Then they vote on the entire slate of people for all the committees (the same people year after year, it seems) the same way. A single vote for all the committees simultaneously. "All in favor say 'aye'. The motion passes. That adjourns our annual congregational meeting." No one but the people on stage are allowed to speak, and there is no dissent permitted.

The "problems" between BBC and the seminary aren't new. When he first came here Steve Gaines reportedly let Mike Spradlin know that he (SG) was the. smartest. student. EVER. to graduate from SWBTS and that people had better realize it. It was made clear that the seminary better "play footsies" with Steve or else. I guess they didn't because they found their support from the church dwindled to nothing.

All that aside though, I don't think it's necessarily Bellevue's place to financially support the seminary. After all, the church GAVE them the land on which their facilities now sit. They receive support from rich donors and tuition from students. It would be nice to see them on friendlier terms with each other (SG's bloated ego will never allow that IMO), but I still don't think the church is obligated to support them financially. That's just my opinion.

The church does still promote the "MABTS Annual Shopping Spree" for the seminary student families. I don't know how much of the work is done by Bellevue members versus non-Bellevue members (perhaps Bellevue does do it all), but Bellevue seems to take all the credit for it regardless.

Speaking of business meetings, Bellevue's bylaws which were written in 1929 (you read that right) and have never, to my knowledge, been updated, do call for monthly business meetings, but like a lot of other situations, the "rules" don't apply to "Brother Steve" and his well-paid henchmen.

It's not without precedent. Apparently Adrian Rogers didn't want the bylaws updated either and reportedly dismissed the advice of those who warned him the church needed to update their bylaws. He famously claimed, "A church is pastor led, deacon served, committee operated and congregationally approved." In other words, we'll make all the decisions, and you can rubber-stamp them and support us financially, but you don't have any say in the way the church is run or the right to question us. Pay up and shut up. It should be no secret that such is the life in megachurches but, sadly, in some smaller churches, too.

New BBC Open Forum said...

A larger percentage of Bellevue's members come to be fed and don't seem to care how the church is operated.

I suppose if you consider being yelled at on a weekly basis and hearing the same tired tirades week after week being "fed." But you're right. They don't seem to care how the church is operated. Most of them have enough sense to realize they don't have any say in matters anyway. The only ways they can effectively vote on anything are with their feet and their checkbooks... their feet heading out the doors and their checkbooks snapping shut.

Anonymous said...

Many years ago, (pre-Steve Gaines) a friend showed me a summary of the BBC budget. It was in the mid $20 million range, with half going to salaries and benefits, the other half to other operations. No buildings or capital items were included. I understand the budget has been lowered to $15 million and it's difficult to make that! I may be wrong, but it appears BBC isn't the church it used to be. Faith Baptist and Hickory Withe Baptist are having many former BBC members joining their congregations.

New BBC Open Forum said...

Anon 6:23,

Sorry, I just now saw your comment.

In answer to your question, the BBC budgets for the past several years were:

2007-08: $23,800,000

2008-09: $24,000,000

2009-10: $21,000,000

2010-11: $20,000,000

2011-12: $20,500,000

2012-13: $20,500,000

2013-14: $20,750,000

So no, the budget has not been lowered to $15 million. As far as making budget, who knows? The only numbers I remember seeing are the projected receipts for the current fiscal year which are released several months before the end of the current fiscal year and the projected receipts for the upcoming fiscal year.

Of course, no salaries are published, especially that of the pastor, but one number from this year's budget I found interesting is this one:

Under the "Pastoral Ministries" section is a line labeled "Compensation" which is equal to $1,923,963. This is supposedly for 17 full-time staff members and 6 part-time staff. For the sake of simplicity, let's think of each part-time staffer as equal to one full-time staffer. That's the equivalent of 20 full-time staff.

Now, divide $1,923,963 by 20. Unless I'm missing something that's just shy of an average of $100K a year per staff member, and that number is surely skewed towards the "office of the pastor."

Frankly, I find the idea of a pastor making over $100K a year a bit distasteful. I have no concept of what it must be like to make anything close to that which makes it next to impossible to relate to any of these people. And then Steve Gaines demands people give more.

No. What little I earn is not going to be given to pay such lavish salaries in what more and more resembles little more than a big business with each passing week. Shake down some other sheep, Steve. This one's sheared bare.

New BBC Open Forum said...


Eddie Struble