May 13, 2005

Two officials break with church

ARLINGTON (TX)
Fort Worth Star-Telegram

By Anthony Spangler
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

ARLINGTON -- Two of the Agape Christian Fellowship elders named in a lawsuit that claims Bishop Terry Hornbuckle sexually assaulted three women have broken with the church.

The civil lawsuit contends that Eben and Sarah Conner and six other elders are partially responsible for Hornbuckle's actions because they hired him as senior pastor of Agape in Arlington.

The Conners and the other elders were represented by the same attorney. However, the Conners have hired a lawyer who filed court documents on their behalf last month asserting that any injuries to the women were caused "by the intervening criminal acts or act of Defendant Hornbuckle."

If the Conners, who have started their own church, are found liable, they want to be reimbursed by Hornbuckle, according to the court documents.

No other elders had filed counterclaims as of Wednesday.

Posted by kshaw at May 13, 2005 07:27 AM