BishopAccountability.org
	After Scandal, Atlanta Pastor Finds Solace in Preaching Gay Inclusion D.E. Paulk Brings New Book to Outwrite Tonight By Matt Schafer Southern Voice March 2, 2009 http://www.sovo.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=24282 As a series of scandals stripped away everything Rev. D.E. Paulk had — his church, his financial resources, even his father — he found the courage to speak his truth. "I don't know how to say this, the scandal didn't make me inclusive, it took away my fear," Paulk said in an interview on Friday. "Before that I was saying that I'll preach about gay inclusion and just sort of mention it here or there. When you lose everything, you have nothing to lose. I looked at my wife one day and said all I have left is me, and what God is speaking to me." In 2006, Paulk moved from a church he started in Stone Mountain to become the senior pastor at Chapel Hill Harvester Church, located in south Decatur. Built by his father, Don Paulk, and his uncle, Bishop Earl Paulk, the 4,000-member church was one of the largest independent, racially diverse churches in the nation. Soon after D.E. Paulk took over as senior pastor, he faced what he now collectively calls "the scandal." A number of women came forward alleging Earl Paulk used his influence as bishop to coerce them into sexual relationships. As part of the legal proceedings, Earl Paulk was forced to undergo a paternity test to see if he had fathered several children in the church. The paternity test revealed that Earl Paulk, the man D.E. Paulk grew up believing was his uncle, was actually his father. It was as these scandals were rocking the church that D.E Paulk found the strength to say what was in his heart. "The thing that really hurt me the most, during the time that I was coming back here and beginning to speak about gay inclusion, we were going through, my goodness, a scandal of epic proportion. I think there was in all 36 stories — and there was still one last week — but the majority of our church stayed," he said. "They stayed through the adultery allegations, the racketeering charges, there's been all sorts of things they've accused us of, some true, some not true, but the majority of the people stayed," he added. "It wasn't really until I started teaching gay inclusion and other religious thought [that people began to leave]." Under fire from his congregation because of his teaching and marred by his family's legacy, Paulk considered leaving and starting over somewhere else. "I think if I had the money we probably would have left, but all we had is what we had, so let's put our feet down," he said. "We had nothing left, we had no reputation, and that's maybe the best thing that ever happened to us because it freed us from all the fear. The trying to garner votes from congregants, and tithes, and say let's just be our selves, it's all we have left." Working with the remnants of the massive Cathedral ? the building is up for sale as the church tries to beat foreclosure ? D.E. Paulk is beginning to build a new school of inclusion and religion thought. He is set to appear at Outwrite Bookstore & Coffeehouse on tonight at 7:30 p.m. to promote his book "I Don't Know … The Way of Knowing." The book outlines his beliefs, a multi-national mixture of Hindu, Buddhist, Daoism and other religious thought combined with quotes from an array of historical and cultural figures. Throughout the book, Paulk admits he doesn't have the answers, and advocates the creation of groups of people all looking for the answers together. "This is kind of playing my cards here; in several years we probably won't be called a church anymore, we'll just be called a community," he said. "I think we'll just be a community of seekers." Paulk is against the idea of defining God as a certain concept, and advocates looking for the answer, but accepting the answers may not be forthcoming. "I think the goal of the book is to get people to admit that they don't know as much as they might think they know," he said.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.