MIDLAND (MI)
The Roys Report [Chicago IL]
June 6, 2024
By Liz Lykins
Three leaders at televangelist Mark Barclay’s Michigan church face charges of sexual assault. Now, the latest leader to be involved is facing additional charges, according to Midland County Circuit Court records.
Randy Saylor, associate pastor at Living Word International Church in Midland, Michigan, was charged with three new charges of second-degree criminal sexual conduct at a pre-exam conference on Tuesday. Two of the charges involve a minor while the other involves someone he was related to, according to court records.
In May, Saylor, was charged with two other second-degree criminal sexual conduct charges, The Roys Report (TRR) previously reported.
Saylor, 71, faces a total of five criminal sexual conduct charges that will be tried in two separate cases. All of the charges are connected to alleged acts that occurred between 2016 to 2019, according to court records.
Saylor posted a $50,000 bond on Tuesday and is due back in court on June 11, court records report. He has pleaded not guilty on all charges, according to WNEM 5.
Living Word has suspended Saylor from all duties “pending the outcome of the investigation,” Living Word Church Administrator William Bailey said in a statement in May. He noted that there are no allegations that the abuse involved the church in any way or took place there.
“Living Word International Church is deeply saddened and concerned to address recent allegations of misconduct involving one of our ministers,” Bailey added. “This is not the first time our church has faced such a situation, and we acknowledge the pain and trauma this causes to those directly affected, as well as our entire community.”
Saylor is the second pastor and third person involved with the church to be charged with sex crimes.
In April, Randy Saylor’s son, church elder and volunteer Brandon Saylor, was sentenced to five to 15 years in prison for sexual assault crimes, according to court records. He pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with three children under 13, TRR previously reported.
Then in May, 44-year-old Saylor was resentenced to add lifetime electronic monitoring for the Sex Offender Registration Act to his verdict, TRR reported.
Additionally, James Randolph, son-in-law of Mark Barclay and a minister at the church, was arrested and charged with sex crimes against children in March, TRR reported. His case is still making its way through the court processes, according to court records.
He is currently on administrative leave at the church but is out of jail on a $5 million surety bond, court records report.
Living Word Administrator William Bailey said that an independent investigator recently reviewed the church’s internal safety and protective practices and that the results were positive.
“We continue to follow our legal counsel’s advice to make certain we are doing everything possible to ensure the safety of our congregation, especially our children,” Bailey said. “Our policy has always been to immediately report any misconduct to the appropriate authorities, which we consider a good practice for all parents, churches, and ministries.”
Living Word Church was founded by Mark Barclay, whose TV ministry reaches millions of viewers each week, according to the Mark Barclay Ministries website. The website describes the church as a “world-class network of ministries and churches.”