LITTLE ROCK (AR)
Baptist News Global [Jacksonville FL]
October 20, 2024
By Mark Wingfield
An Arkansas church rocked by child sexual abuse scandals is preparing to adopt bylaws for the first time in its 132-year history, but the draft proposal would muzzle church members from speaking to reporters and non-members about the affairs of the church.
This unusual bylaw provision was unveiled just days before one of the church’s former ministers was formally charged with repeated sexual assault and kidnapping of a child during what he called “closet time” with her at Immanuel Baptist Church.
Patrick Stephen Miller previously served Immanuel as assistant director of children’s ministry and was sent from there to an Oklahoma church without any notice to that church of accusations made against him. Miller was charged with two counts each of kidnapping and second-degree sexual assault, which together carry a potential life sentence.
It was church members speaking out about this and other unaddressed matters of sexual abuse at the church that brought national attention to what at the time was the largest Southern Baptist church in Arkansas. The church since has lost hundreds of members and the senior pastor was forced to resign.
Leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention have said they are dumbfounded by the mishandling of abuse allegations and the draft bylaws, which appear to violate key Baptist tenets of autonomy and soul competency.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with reporting by Frank Lockwood, has been the primary source of outside information on the church’s internal workings.
Former SBC President Bart Barber, who is a student of parliamentary procedure, told the newspaper last summer: “What happened at Immanuel Baptist Little Rock — it’s become a cautionary tale that may help move people toward better practices in our churches. And I hope so, I pray so. Honestly, whether you have a sympathetic heart to survivors of abuse or not, nobody wants to be Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock.”
Now, other state and national denominational leaders are expressing shock at the proposed bylaws — after previously being shocked such a prominent and historic church had no bylaws before.
The proposed bylaws would require Immanuel members “to avoid making statements to the general public, media or via the internet with intent to breach church business confidentialities, injure the reputation of the church, or disregard Jesus’ imperative to love one another as he loves us so that others will know we are his disciples.”
“When you know the context of Immanuel, I can understand why they put it in there, but I’m not sure it’s the healthiest thing,” Arkansas Baptist State Convention President Brad Lewter told the newspaper.
Three women have accused Patrick Stephen Miller of sexually abusing them when they were children. Also, a former Immanuel church volunteer, Reagan Danielle Gray, has been charged with one count of first-degree sexual assault for allegations involving a high school boy.
Both Miller and Gray have denied the allegations against them.
However, Miller’s case took a serious turn last week when he was formally charged in Pulaski County Court with sexual assault and kidnapping. His alleged victim was between the ages of 8 and 10 when the alleged abuse occurred. A trial date has not yet been set. Each charge carries a potential life sentence if Miller is convicted.
Miller’s attorney, Bill James, said he doesn’t believe prosecutors have the evidence to back up their charges, which include placing the girl in a closet at the church and then rubbing his hands on her thighs and touching her body under her shirt and pressing his body against her.
Miller, who now lives in Oklahoma, is free on a $50,000 bond.
“We believe this is nothing more than some type of hysteria that has nothing to do with the facts,” he told the Democrat-Gazette. “We haven’t seen all the discovery yet, but we deny that our client did anything.”