Three Pastors Who Covered Up or Mishandled Sexual Abuse Cases Are Leading Preaching Intensive at Megachurch Conference

A trio of pastors accused of either covering up or mishandling sexual abuse cases at their churches will be guest speakers at a two-day preaching intensive hosted by Champion Forest Church at the upcoming “Let’s Talk Preaching’ Conference.

This two-and-a-half-day intensive is designed to help attendees sharpen their craft and deepen their conviction as text-driven preachers. Led by Champion Forest Pastor Jarrett Stephens, the conference offers a “deep dive into sermon preparation, structure, and delivery—all centered around faithfully preaching the Word,” enabling participants to “expand their preaching toolbox, connect with like-minded preachers, and master the craft of impactful biblical exposition.”

In addition to Stephens, the speakers include pastors Tony Merida, Tommy Nelson, Bryan Loritts, and Stephen Smith, the latter three of whom have faced controversies for mishandling sexual abuse claims.

Tommy Nelson, former longtime pastor of Denton Bible Church, was implicated when it was revealed that their youth pastor, Robert Shiflet, sexually abused 14 girls and served just over two years in prison, and Nelson and his church covered it up. Fox News reveals more details of this story:

One of the crimes he was convicted of began in 1996 when Shiflet met a 14-year-old girl at Denton Bible. Later in 1997, he led an eighth grade camping trip to the Buffalo National River in Arkansas in 1997, where he was able to isolate her and sexually assault her. Prosecutors say he told her not to tell anyone. 

In an address to the congregation last May, Nelson claimed to have not known about Shiflet’s crimes until 2015, but an investigation, conducted by an attorney the church hired, found that Denton Bible Church revoked Shiflet’s ordination ten years earlier.

Also in 2001, a letter says Denton Bible turned down Shiflet’s request to be promoted to the high school pastor position because of “his pattern of being alone with girls.” But that same year, Pastor Nelson said he recommended Shiflet for a youth pastor job at Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock, Arkansas. It is there that prosecutors say Shiflet, then 32, had sex with a 16-year-old girl in the youth group multiple times, including on a youth trip to Florida.

In 2005, two victims bravely came forward and told a counselor at Denton Bible about their abuse by Shiflet while they were minors. But instead of Denton Bible reporting this to authorities, church leaders confronted Shiflet themselves, and he admitted to the crimes….The law, at that time, did not require church leaders to report the abuse. 

Steven Smith resigned as senior leader of Immanuel Baptist Church amid controversy over his handling of a child abuse case. Smith learned of sexual abuse allegations against former Children’s Director Patrick Stephen and notified law enforcement but did not inform congregation members, including parents of children in Stephen’s classes. This led to a non-confidence motion that saw over a dozen deacons abstain, prompting Smith to step down.

Similarly, Bryan Loritts, hired by Summit Church, faced an investigation into his handling of a sexual abuse case at his former church a decade earlier.

His brother-in-law and church worship director, Rick Trotter, was caught recording people with hidden cameras in the bathroom. The church terminated Trotter immediately, but Loritts did not report the incident to the police. Although he claimed he instructed his leaders to contact the authorities, no police record of the voyeurism was filed. Furthermore, church leaders informed the congregation that Trotter was fired but did not disclose to the congregation the reason or provide details of his misconduct. Additionally, Loritts presents himself as a “Dr.” despite never having earned a doctorate degree, holding only an honorary doctorate from an unaccredited university.

The event is scheduled for October 20-22 at Lanier Theological Library.

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