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	AME Church Strips Minister of Duties after Sex Abuse Allegations Surface By Tim Townsend St. Louis Post-Dispatch May 8, 2006 http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/religion/story/ 1DCA98C5C964D48686257169001BCD64?OpenDocument The African Methodist Episcopal church has found that the Rev. Sylvester Laudermill Jr., a former pastor in St. Louis, committed "child sexual abuse" here and in Los Angeles. The church on Monday stripped Laudermill of his duties. A church attorney said Laudermill was "in effect, defrocked." Laudermill was pastor at St. Peter AME Church, at Margaretta and Shreve avenues in St. Louis, from 1994 to 2004 before leaving for Los Angeles. Among the accusations he faces: a seven-year sexual relationship with a male in St. Louis that started when the boy was 14. Criminal charges have not been filed against Laudermill. He is being investigated by the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office, which is also working with the Los Angeles Police Department. A civil suit has not been filed in the St. Louis case. Using guidelines in the church's sexual misconduct policy, Bishop John R. Bryant, head of the church's 5th District, demanded "the immediate and permanent surrender" of Laudermill's "ministerial assignments, responsibilities and credentials," said J. Stanley Sanders, attorney for the 5th District, which includes Missouri and California. Laudermill could not be reached, but his attorney, Leonard Levine, said the pastor would fight the church's decision. "He will seek his reinstatement and adamantly denies all the charges," Levine said. Laudermill, 48, was transferred two years ago to Ward AME Church in Los Angeles, the second-largest AME congregation in the city. Ward has 1,500 members. During his years in St. Louis, where he oversaw a flock of 1,000, Laudermill served as president of numerous clergy-activist groups, including the influential St. Louis Clergy Coalition. In December, a 25-year-old man told St. Louis police and the AME church that he had a sexual relationship with Laudermill from the time he was 14 until he turned 21. That led the church and police to launch investigations. In a statement Monday, the St. Louis man said he "appreciates the prompt action by the Bishop of the AME church in announcing that the charges against Rev. Laudermill are true and in removing him from his position with the church." Sanders, the church lawyer, would not discuss the accusations that also surfaced in Los Angeles, other than to say that the alleged victim there is still a minor. Sanders said the bishop did not know about the alleged relationship in St. Louis when he transferred Laudermill to Los Angeles in 2004. The Rev. Anthony Steele, who took over from Laudermill at St. Peter in St. Louis, called Monday "a necessary dark day" for the church. "The main thing is that the bishop and the two boards have spoken and really sent a message about its adherence to its own policy of sexual misconduct," he said. "This is going to be difficult for everybody, but sometimes it takes a dark day for years of sunshine." Under guidelines set forth in the church's "Doctrine and Discipline," investigative committees, composed of church leaders, were set up in St. Louis and Los Angeles. Laudermill appeared before the committee in Los Angeles, but not in St. Louis. Sanders said the St. Louis committee broke down its investigation into eight allegations, and "sustained" six in its report to the bishop. The Los Angeles committee divided its investigation into two allegations and "sustained" both. Sanders said both committees were unanimous in their findings.
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