Fall from Grace, by Adrian Frater, The Gleaner, June 21, 2009

Fall from Grace

By Adrian Frater
The Gleaner
June 21, 2009

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090621/news/news4.html

THE ARREST of New York-based evangelist, the Reverend Dr Paul Lewis, has stunned the church community even as he remains behind bars at the Savanna-la-Mar police lock-up, in Westmoreland, facing charges of carnal abuse and indecent assault.

The charismatic Lewis, who was born in Jamaica, has developed a reputation as a minister with healing powers, and is the founder and president of The Messengers For Christ Ministries World Healing Centre based in New York.

Lewis

But in Jamaica, Lewis is widely remembered as the man who baptised controversial dancehall star Desmond 'Ninja Man' Ballentine, who had a brief sojourn in the Church before returning to his secular ways.

While Lewis' arrest has rocked sections of the Christian community and could ultimately destroy his ministry, allegations of sexual impropriety against internationally known church leaders are nothing new.

# 1987 - American Evangelist Marvin Gorman, one of the leaders of the powerful Assemblies of God Church, which then featured superstar preacher Jimmy Swaggart, was defrocked after it was revealed that he was having an extra-marital affaire with his secretary.

# 1987 - Jim Bakker, who headed the powerful North Carolina-based Praise The Lord (PTL) ministry, lost his multi-million ministry after it was discovered that he was having an affaire with his church secretary Jessica Hahn. He reportedly paid Hahn US$265,000 to cover up the affaire, but she made a full confession.

# 1988 - Renowned American preacher Jimmy Swaggart, who headed a world-wide multi-million television ministry, stunned 'believers' across the world when he made a tearful television confession about his sexual misdeed. Swaggart's confession came after news surfaced that he had been photographed coming out of a Louisiana brothel with known prostitute, Debra Murphree, in 1987.

# 2000 - Frank Houston, a then high-profile pastor in the Assemblies of God in New Zealand and Australia, was asked to resign his position in the church after he confessed to engaging in sexual activities with a teenage boy while ministering in New Zealand early in his career.

# 2004 - Douglas Goodman, the popular England-based evangelical preacher, of London's Victory Christian Centre, was sent to prison for three and a half years for the sexual assault of four members of his congregation.

# 2006 - Prominent American evangelical leader the Reverend Ted Haggard of the National Association of Evangelicals, which featured over 30 million members, fell from grace and out of the organisation after self-confessed homosexual Mike Jones claimed he had paid him for sex over a three-year span. Haggard subsequently admitted his guilt.

# 2008 - Monsignor Wallace Harris, once a well-known and respected church leader at the Saint Charles Borromeo Parish in Harlem, New York, was forced to step down after allegations surfaced that he had sexually abused two minors. He gave the invocation at the inauguration of New York's governor David Paterson and was involved in the organisation of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to New York.

# 2009 - In Sweden, the diocese boards in Stockholm were called to address several sex-related incidents committed by wayward priests. The allegations included a priest who had a sexual affair with a grieving widow, and one who had a relationship with a 15-year-old.

Status of the 'fallen ones'

While the Reverend Dr Lewis is now behind bars at the Savanna-la-Mar lock-up awaiting his day in court, the other minister, who have had similar troubles have moved on with their lives in various ways.

# Evangelist Marvin Gorman resorted to a low-key life after he was busted, although it was said he played a role in furnishing the photographs that brought down Jimmy Swaggart.

# After spending five years in prison for unrelated improprieties, Jim Bakker has since been released and has started the Covenant House ministry.

# Jimmy Swaggart has re-invented himself and has resumed his ministry and is once again attracting a solid world-wide audience.

# Frank Houston died in Sydney, Australia, on November 8, 2004.

# Douglas Goodman, who was imprisoned in 2004, has completed his sentence and is back on the pulpit.

# Ted Haggard and his wife recently appeared on the TV show 'Divorce Court' to explain how their marriage survived his gay-sex scandal.

# Monsignor Wallace Harris has denied the allegations against him and the Manhattan district attorney's office said no action can be taken because the statute of limitations has expired.

# In Sweden, the Church is seeking to purge itself in the face of more allegations of bad behaviour by wayward priests.

adrain.frater@gleanerjm.com