MISSOURI
News-Leader
It has often been said that Christian churches are both human and divine.
They're human because they're run by people. They've made mistakes throughout history. It's happened countless times in the past and it will happen again.
Clearly it happened in the West Missouri Conference of the United Methodist Church and the tragic situation involving Teresa Norris and former Campbell United Methodist Church pastor the Rev. David Finestead.
Norris sued the church, saying that Finestead raped her and the church's hierarchy did not do enough to prevent that act. A jury ruled in her favor and said the church should pay Norris $6 million.