ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA

The altar of St. Anthony in my house

St. Anthony of Padua (or Lisbon) was a Portuguese Catholic priest and a Franciscan friar. His original name was Fernando de Bulhoes and he was born on 15 August 1195 to a wealthy and socially prominent family in Lisbon, Portugal. He received his education at the Cathedral School of Saint Mary near his home and entered the Augustinian Abbey at the age of 15. Fernando was gifted with an excellent memory and had the capability to understand and synthesize complex theological matters. He studied theology and Latin at the Holy Cross Monastery in Coimbra and became a friar of the Franciscan order in 1220, taking the name Anthony in honor of St. Anthony the Great and was later sent as a missionary preacher to Italy. He also taught theology in several universities in Italy and France. Because of his vision of the young Jesus in 1231, he is usually shown in pictures and statues with the Christ child.

Stout and overweight, it seemed improbable that Anthony could radiate holiness. However, when people heard him preach, they were impressed by his eloquent words and filled with the wonders of his faith. He was so full of goodness and so well-known that many cities and towns in Europe competed for his presence. Many miracles have also been attributed to this popular saint. Those who wish to find lost or stolen articles pray to St. Anthony. It is said that a novice at his monastery decided to leave the community and he took Anthony's psalter with him. When the saint prayed for its return, the psalter thief was moved to return the psalter to Anthony and rejoined the order.

Anthony once traveled as a guest preacher to Rimini, a city on the Adriatic Coast, in Italy's Emilia-Romagna region. A merchant named Bonillo, one of the town's most outspoken and notoriously known citizens, mocked and ridiculed the Catholic doctrine of the Real Presence, which states that the consecrated Host is truly the body and blood, soul and divinity of Christ. Anthony tried to make Bonillo understand that the Real Presence was not a fable but the saint's arguments failed to convince Bonillo.

Several days later, Anthony carried the Blessed Sacrament through the streets in a solemn procession. All those who were present, except Bonillo, knelt when the Host passed. The heretic was busy feeding his donkey and ignored the procession that passed his way. However, as St. Anthony and the Blessed Sacrament was approaching him, Bonillo's donkey went down on its knees and bowed its head to the ground. Bonillo was converted on the very spot by his donkey's miraculous act of adoration. Because of the Eucharistic miracle of Rimini, St. Anthony of Padua is known as the protector of donkeys, mules, and asses.

Anthony once travelled to the city of Rimini to preach to a community of heretics. When they refused to listen to him, ignored him and derided him, Anthony walked to the banks of the Brenta River and began to address the fish in the river. He was such a powerful preacher that thousands of fish swam to the surface of the water and arranged themselves neatly in rows to listen to him.

While Anthony was traveling with a fellow Franciscan, a poor woman invited them to spend the night at her house. Her one and only luxury was a small barrel of wine, and her precious possessions were two glass wine goblets. To celebrate the occasion, the woman brought out her wine glasses and filled them with wine. Anthony's companion accidentally dropped and broke his glass. In her haste to serve them, the poor woman did not realize that she has forgotten to turn off the tap to the wine barrel. Seeing how distressed she was, Anthony began to pray, and to the astonishment of the woman, the wineglass was put back together and made whole, the tap turned off, and the empty barrel was filled anew with wine right up to the brim.

One day, a young man of Padua, named Leonardo, had a nasty argument with his mother and kicked her in a fit of anger and frustration. Feeling repentant, he immediately went to the church where St. Anthony was hearing confessions and confessed what he had done to his mother. "The foot that strikes your mother deserves to be cut off," muttered Anthony. Even though he did not intend his words to be taken literally, the young man ran home, grabbed a hatchet, and chopped off his own foot. When Anthony found out what Leonardo had done, he went to Leonardo's bedroom, held the severed foot close to the leg and prayed, and almost instantly the foot was miraculously reattached to the leg. That is why St. Anthony is also known as the patron of amputees. 

Anthony died from edema in the suburb of Arcella on his way to Padua in 1231, at the age of 35, and was buried in Santa Maria Mater Domini, a church in Santa Croce in Venice, Italy. He was made a saint on 30 May 1932 in Spoleto (a city in Italy) by Pope Gregory IX. When his body was exhumed to be reburied in a new basilica in 1263, it was discovered that his tongue remained incorrupt and looked like it was still alive even though his body had completely decomposed. On 16 January 1946, he was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church. 

St. Anthony is the patron saint for both Padua and Portugal and his feast day is celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church on 13 June, which was the day of his death. Today, St. Anthony's holy tongue and his jaw bone are displayed in special gold reliquaries in the Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua in northern Italy. The rest of his remains have been transferred to a tomb in a separate chapel, the Chapel of St. Anthony.

You may also like to read Prayer to St. Anthony and the Miraculous Letter Delivery. To view the content page of this blog, please click here.

Bibliography:

1. Paul, Tessa. The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Saints. Hermes House.
2. Craughwell, Thomas J. (2016). Heaven Help Us. Chartwell Books.

Prayer to St. Anthony and the Miraculous Letter Delivery

The Vision of St. Anthony of Padua by Giovanni Battista Pittoni

St. Anthony of Padua was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan order, the largest religious order in the Roman Catholic Church. For almost 800 years, he has been one of the most well-known miracle-working saints. He performed so many miracles during his lifetime, and so many more through his intercession immediately after his death, that he was canonized by Pope Gregory IX eleven months after his death. That was the fastest canonization in the history of the Church. Beatified and canonized on 30 May 1232, he was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church on 16 January 1946. His Feast Day is celebrated on 13th June. As the patron saint of lost or stolen items, he is venerated all over the world. Above is a painting of St. Anthony by the Italian painter, Giovanni Battista Pittoni, completed in August 1730. This painting is now in the San Diego Museum of Art, a fine arts museum in California (You can click here to read more about the miracles of St. Anthony).

St. Anthony is my patron saint and I have been praying for his intercession for as long as I can remember. In this article, I would like to share the miracle that I have experienced recently through the intercession of St. Anthony. I was a lecturer in a tertiary institution in the state of Pahang from April 2015 to February 2018. In December 2017, I applied to be transferred back to a school in Kuala Lumpur because I really couldn't adapt to life in that state. It was also very tiring for me to travel to and from Kuala Lumpur every weekend. One week before Christmas, I was told that my transfer was approved and that I would receive my letter of approval through the Education Ministry. The letter was posted to me and I received it on 5 January 2018. Following the letter of approval, it would take some time for placement and this would also require approval from the Education Ministry. On 2 February 2018, I was told that the placement / transfer letter would be sent to me after the officer-in-charge has signed it but he was not around at that moment. My heart sank as this would mean that I would have to pack my bags and return to Pahang on the third day of Chinese New Year. This would also mean that I might have to stay in Pahang until March as it would take some time for the letter to reach me by post. That weekend, when I went back to Kuala Lumpur, I prayed to St. Anthony and put the letter which I received from the Education Ministry (on Jan 5th.) under his picture on my altar. On this letter, I wrote the letters S.A.G. Guess what happened? On 8 February 2018, the clerk told me that my transfer letter was faxed to her that morning! That was really good news for me - on 14 February 2018, I was so happy to say "Goodbye Pahang, Hello Kuala Lumpur" and of course I had a wonderful Chinese New Year (Chinese New Year fell on 16 February 2018). Was this a miracle or merely a coincidence? Sometimes, we just cannot deny the fact that Heaven does help us. Why did I write the letters S.A.G. on the letter before I put it under St. Anthony's picture? Please read the story below.

In the year 1729, Antonio Dante, a Spanish merchant, left Spain for South America on a business venture in Lima, Peru. His wife did not follow him but remained in Spain. She wrote many letters to him but there was no reply from him even after months of waiting. As she was worried about her husband and almost running out of money, she wrote a letter to her husband and brought it to the Church of St. Francis in Oviedo where there was a large statue of St. Anthony. She placed the letter in the hand of St. Anthony's statue and prayed to St. Anthony for his intercession to deliver the letter to her husband.

When she returned to church the next day, she saw a letter in the hand of St. Anthony's statue but it was not the one that she has written. As she was trying to remove the letter, 300 golden coins fell from the sleeve of the statue. And to her astonishment, the letter was from her husband. The letter, which was dated 23^rd July 1729, is as follows:

"My dearest wife, For some time I have been expecting a letter from you, and I have been greatly troubled and concerned at not hearing from you. But at last your letter has come, and given me joy. It was a Father of the Order of St. Francis who brought it to me. You complain that I have left your letters unanswered. I assure you that when I did not receive any from you I believed you must be dead, and so you may imagine my happiness at the arrival of your letter. I answer you now by the same religious Father, and send you three hundred golden crowns, which should suffice for your support until my approaching return.

In the hope of soon being with you, I pray God for you, and I commend myself to my dear patron St. Anthony, and ardently desire that you may continue to send me tidings of yourself.

Your most affectionate,
Antonio Dante

It should be noted that the letter was originally written in Spanish and has been preserved in the Church of St. Francis in Oviedo until today. It has since become common practice in some parts of the world to write the letters S.A.G. (St. Anthony Guide) on envelopes and parcels before posting for their safe delivery. To me, it was not just safe delivery but fast and miraculous delivery. Thank you, St. Anthony.

You may also like to read WHAT IS SO WRONG ABOUT PRAYING TO THE SAINTS?; THE MIRACLES OF MEDJUGORJE and LOURDES: MIRACLES AND THE MIRACULOUSLY HEALED. To view the content page of this blog, please click here.

References:
1. Paul, Tessa. The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Saints. Hermes House.
2. Craughwell, Thomas J. (2016). Heaven Help Us. Chartwell Books.

Celebrating My Blog’s 10th Anniversary: 10 Years with Blogspot.com

Greetings from Kuala Lumpur - so how do I look like after 10 years?

Today marks the 10th birthday of my blogspot.com -  I started this blog 10 years ago with the intention to write about Lourdes and Medjugorje. At that time, my mind was completely preoccupied with these two sacred places that all I wanted to do was to write about them. After some time, I began to realize that if I were to focus on this blog, I would never get started with my Ph.D. thesis. I had no choice but to give up writing until after I have completed my Ph.D. thesis. Time flies and today, 10 years later, I have already completed my thesis - in fact I have graduated in the year 2017. I wanted to start writing again then but was so busy with my work that I could not find any time to write at all. As a lecturer in a tertiary institution in Pahang, I worked from 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. and had to spend my weekends travelling to and from Kuala Lumpur. Replacement classes were common - sometimes until 10.00 p.m. at night. I am thankful that I am now back in Kuala Lumpur and need not waste time travelling anymore. Perhaps it's time I start writing again - although ten years later but it is always better to be late than never, right?

To my readers who have been with me since I started this blog, I would like to thank you for your comments, encouragement, support, and most of all for being with me all these years even though I did not write much. I promise to write again and I hope that you will enjoy reading my articles.

To those who have recently discovered my blog, I would like to thank you for taking the trouble to read my articles. Do visit this blog again as I will continue to publish lots of new articles in the near future.

Today is a very special day as I couldn't help feeling that the spirit of Lourdes and Medjugorje is back again. I could still remember very clearly how and why I started this blog on this day ten years ago. Ten years is a long time and many things have happened in this last decade - that's the reason why I will have a lot of things to write about for days to come.

Why Lourdes and Medjugorje? How did they inspire me to start this blog? What do they have to do with the meaning and purpose of life?

As what Antonio Bernardo says, "Lourdes is like a great mirror. For better or worse, it forces us to look inside ourselves." It is when we look inside ourselves that we discover our purpose, vision, mission, goals, motivation, values and beliefs. Gesbron, who was converted to Chrstianity in Lourdes, wrote:

"I say above all to Christians do not go to Lourdes as tourists or spectators. You do not have the right. Go to Lourdes because for more than a hundred years in this place millions of people have suffered, prayed, loved, understood. Above all they have committed themselves. For this reason Lourdes has become one of the most important places for all humanity." 

How right he is! In the past, Lourdes has been invaded on numerous occasions and its inhabitants subjected to violent persecution but despite the bloody wars, they have remained steadfast and faithful to God. Originally a sleepy market town, Lourdes has now become a major Roman Catholic pilgrimage site where many miraculous healings have happened. However, Lourdes is not just about miracles, tourism and fun. It is about faith and self-discovery. Through THE MESSAGE OF LOURDES, we learn our lessons of life and hence become better versions of ourselves. And I hope to share my lessons of life with my readers.

Similarly, the Medjugorje events have a crucial role to play in the fulfilmlent of our needs. Medjugorje is a place where faith is strengthened and hope is revived. It is a place of spiritual renewal and true conversion where we reconcile ourselves with God and the Church. In Medjugorje, we can discover the real meaning of peace and return to prayer and fasting thus renewing ourselves in Christ. The messages of Medjugorje are pure and simple. Our Lady's tireless call to peace, prayer, penance and conversion reminds us of the eternal truths of the Gospel. As our faith is intensified and hope is revived when we live Her messages, we will find the true meaning of the Gospel. During Her apparition to the visionaries, Our Lady identified herself as the "Queen of Peace". In this holy place of peace, we can present our requests to God and the peace of God will guard over our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:6-7). According to Father Branko Rados:

"Peace is not to be found because we are looking for it on the wrong place. We forget that peace is a fruit of our heart and that the only field where it can flourish is in our hearts. It is found in the most inner depths of person's being. Our peace is in God, in the King of peace - Jesus Christ. The message of Medjugorje is the message of peace, which can be attained only through prayer, fasting and personal conversion. That is also the essence of Our lady's messages which simultaneously enlighten Christ's evangelic message: "I am the Way, the Truth and Life" (Jn 14:6) and "Follow me for I am the light of the world" (Jn 8:12)." 

"Peace I leave with you and my peace I give you. Do not be distressed and do not be fearful" (John 14:27). Peace can only be found deep within our hearts, minds, and souls through prayers, fasting and conversion. And Medjugorje is the best place on Earth to look for peace. When we have found peace within ourselves and are ready to take up our cross and follow Jesus, we have discovered the true meaning and purpose of life.

Thanks for reading. You may also like to read How Abraham Lincoln Inspired Me to Pursue My Ph.D. and Prayer to St. Anthony and the Miraculous Letter Delivery. To view the content page of this blog, please click here.

References:

1.  Lourdes & Bernadette by Antonio Bernardo. Publisher "il Calamo", p.8.

2.  MEDJUGORJE, Information Center "MIR" Medjugorje, p.9. 

CORRUPT RELIGIOUS LEADERS: PASTORS AND SEX CRIMES

It is obvious what proceeds from the flesh: lewd conduct, impurity, licentiousness (Galatians 5:19).

While comparing evangelicals to Catholics on abuse response, Boz Tchividjian, a Liberty University law professor who investigates abuse said (at the Religion Newswriters Association conference), "I think we are worse." According to him, too many evangelicals had "sacrificed the souls" of young victims (Please read Evangelical Sex Abuse Record 'Worse' Than Catholic, Says Billy Graham's Grandson Boz Tchividijian). So it seems that Protestant pastors are worse than Catholic priests when it comes to sexual abuse. However, very few people are willing to discuss about these corrupt Protestant pastors and their sex crimes. But why point an accusing finger at the Catholic Church for covering up child abuse when sex crimes are more prevalent among Protestant pastors? Is it because they are married  and it is alright for married men to become sexual abusers?

The prevalence of sex crimes amongst Protestant pastors should not be ignored just because they are married as one cannot deny the fact that married men can be much worse when it comes to sexual abuse. After reading Horus Gilgamesh's “25 MORE SHOCKING ARRESTS”: PASTORS CHARGED WITH SEX CRIMES, I decided to google for some sexual abuse cases involving Protestant pastors out of curiosity and it did not take me long before I found 40 such cases. The scandalous behavior of these Protestant pastors has clearly proven that sex scandals have got nothing to do with priestly celibacy but rather it is sexual license that breeds sexual abuse. Below is a list (of 40 cases) of some of the most recent cases on sexual crimes involving pastors (dated from October 2017 to January 2018). Please click on the titles of each case to read more about it.

Case 1: Cops probe Murang'a pastor for sexual abuse at children's home
A pastor cum director of a Murang'a children's home has been accused of sexually exploiting an 18-year-old girl. According to the victim, the pastor took advantage of her poor family background to force her into sexual intercourse with him "numerous times" inside his church and at the children's home. She also said this "man of God" had promised to pay her school fees and transfer her from a day to a boarding secondary school (Source dated 25 January 2018).

Case 2: Mwazha pastor gets 11 years for rape
A Senior pastor at African Apostolic Church (Mwazha) has been jailed for 11 years for raping a nine-year-old congregant. Cain Kandororo, 52, was convicted by Harare magistrate Temba Kuwanda who initially sentenced him to 16 years behind bars (Source dated 20 January 2018).


Case 3 : Ontario youth pastor arrested on suspicion of child sexual abuse

Police are searching for more victims who may have been sexually abused by Gerardo Custodio Jr, a 30-year-old youth pastor in Ontario who was arrested Sunday for alleged lewd acts with two minors. According to the statement from the Ontario Police Department, two women accused the youth pastor of their church, Iglesia La Familia De Dios, for sexually abusing them between 2012 and 2015. One woman said the incidents happened between 2012 and 2014 and she was 14 when the alleged abuse started. The second victim said she was 15 when Custodio allegedly abused her and the incidents happened between 2014 to 2015 (Source dated 16 Jan 2018).

Case 4 :  Tennessee Pastor Accused Of Sexual Assault Placed On Leave Of Absence
A Tennessee pastor, Andy Savage, accused of sexually assaulting a high school student almost 20 years ago has been placed on leave, according to a statement from his Church (Source dated 16 Jan 2018).

Case 5: Former Harrison pastor pleads guilty to sex crimes

A former Harrison pastor, Larry Berkley, was accused of sex crimes and pleaded guilty to being a habitual pedophile in Boone County Arkansas Court. For two years, he has been stealing money from his church to buy drugs and alcohol to molest teenage boys whilst watching porn (Source dated 12 Jan 2018). 

Case 6: Dallas Center pastor pleads guilty to sexual abuse crimes
According to court documents, former Dallas Center pastor, Randy Johnson, accepted a plea deal and will plead guilty to charges of sexual abuse. He was accused of sexually abusing a girl repeatedly whilst she was 12 and 13 years old (Source dated 12 January 2018).

Case 7: Former Alabama pastor gets 20 years for rape of minor
A former Alabama pastor, Camerius Mills, pleaded guilty to raping a 15-year-old girl who was a member of his congregation and has been sentenced to 20 years in prison on charges of rape, sodomy and traveling to meet a child for the purpose of unlawful sexual conduct. According to Henry County Sheriff’s investigator, Keith Cauthen, Mills befriended the victim on the pretense of teaching her piano lessons (Source dated 11 January 2018).

Case 8: Fayetteville pastor facing 142 charges in connection with sexual abuse of four children
A former Fayetteville pastor, Glen Collins, was arrested in connection with multiple sex crimes over the last two decades. Police had received a report that he had sexually abused four children repeatedly from 1996 to 2008. At the time of the offenses, Collins knew the victims as he was a pastor of a church in east Fayettevill (Source dated 9 Jan 2018). 

Case 9:  Former Deerfield pastor pleads guilty, receives probation in sex abuse case
A former Deerfield pastor, Samuel Kee, was charged with criminal sexual abuse of a 16-year-old girl and has been sentenced to two years of sex offender probation in exchange for his guilty plea. Kee was a pastor at North Suburban Free Evangelical Church and his victim was a member of his congregation (Source dated 28 December 2017).

Case 10: Former Belton pastor charged with statutory rape of girl, 14, he met at church
A former associate pastor at the Belton Assembly of God, Wesley Ian Lamb, has been charged with two counts of statutory rape for allegedly having sex with a 14-year-old girl who attended the church. Lamb had two sexual encounters with the victim. In the first encounter, they had sex in a van. A week later,  Lamb picked her up from school, guided her to his bedroom, took off her clothes and had sex with her (Source dated 19 Dec 2017).

Case 11: Pastor guilty of coercing parishioners to have sex for 'spiritual' purposes
A Toronto pastor, Wayne Jones, has been found guilty of sexually assaulting three female parishioners and stealing $20,000, jewelry and a car belonging to one of the victims' boyfriend. He was also convicted of aggravated assault for biting and kicking one of the victims and slicing her breast with a razor blade in an exorcism ritual. The three women testified that Jones extorted sex from them under the pretext that it was required for a “spiritual purpose” (Source dated 14 Dec 2017).


Case 12:  Bond denied for Quincy pastor facing sex abuse charges in Virginia
A Quincy pastor and former Marine colonel, Todd Shane Tomko, was arrested for three counts of aggravated sexual battery, three counts of indecent liberties with a child, and one count of felony cruelty to children. According to prosecutors,Tomko made children learn about sex through porn when they were as young as 4 years old and then carried out sexual acts when they were older (Source dated 14 Dec 2017).

Case 13: What we know about pastor, founder of Christian rock festival accused of sexual assault

Pastor at Come Alive Church in Medford, Harry L. Thomas, is accused of sexually assaulting four minors over a 16-year period. The charges against him include aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child. The Come Alive Church in Medford was founded by Thomas in 1983. He is also the founder of Creation Festival, the largest Christian music Festival in the country (Source dated 13 Dec 2017). 


Case 14:  Another pastor ‘rapes’ teenage congregant
A MARRIED Christ Wonders Ministries Church pastor in Bulawayo, Busani Dube, allegedly raped and impregnated a 17-year-old congregant who went to his house in the belief that she could be delivered from evil spirits. Dube allegedly told the girl that her problems would end if they had sex. He also warned her that she would die if she divulged this information to anyone. When the girl discovered that she was pregnant, Dube promised to give her some money to terminate her pregnancy but did not fulfill his promise until the baby was born (Source dated 7 Dec 2017).


Case 15: Former Boone pastor sentenced to 4 years in prison for sexual relationship with minor
A former Boone youth pastor, Joel Mark Waltz, pleaded guilty to having inappropriate contact with a now 20-year-old woman off-and-on since she was 16 and was sentenced to four years in prison. The woman met Waltz when she was 11 and they met regularly until she was 18. He has been a father figure to her before he confessed his love for her when she was 16. The two then began a sexual relationship (Source dated 6 Dec 2017).

Case 16:  Baptist pastor charged with child abuse, criminal sexual conduct
Pastor of Living Lighthouse Church, Renato Capili Bosi, was arrested and faces multiple criminal sexual conduct and child abuse charges. The alleged victim is a 14-year-old parishioner who lived with the pastor while her mother was away and her father became too sick to look after her. The pastor allegedly touched the girl's butt and genitals several times, kissed her on the lips, sent her sexually suggestive messages, and told her to break up with her boyfriend. The victim got stressed out and became suicidal and reported the incidents to her parents  (Source dated 5 Dec 2017).

Case 17:  Charleston Pastor charged of Sexual Conduct with a Minor
Charleston pastor, Gregory "Kevin" Richardson was arrested and charged with criminal sexual conduct with a minor. The sexual assault occurred on several occasions over a five month period inside his vehicle while he was teaching his victim how to drive. During these driving lessons, Richardson would tell his victim that he needed to touch her private parts and begged her to have sex with him. At that time, Richardson knew that the girl was his girlfriend's daughter and that she was between 11-12 years old (Source dated 2 Dec 2017).


Case 18:  Sex Scandal: Church Worker Threatens To Drag Christ Embassy, Pastor To Court
Mrs. Brenda Nwanguma, a worker with Inner City Mission for Children (ICM4C), a subsidiary of Christ Embassy Church, has threatened to drag her boss, Pastor Kenechukwu Kanu aka Kaycee to court for alleged persistent sexual harassment. According to her, Kenechukwu had pestered her for sex on many occasions but she did not give in to his demands which led to her being victimized (Source dated 1 Dec 2017).


Case 19:  Moravian 'Sex Pastor' pleads guilty
Pastor of the Nazareth Moravian Church in Manchester, Rupert Clarke, pleaded guilty to having had sex with two sisters under the age of consent. He was allegedly seen in a "compromising position" with a 15-year-old girl in his car. Further investigations revealed that he also had a sexual relationship with the child's sister when she was under 16.


Case 20: Pastor in sex scandal; beaten to pulp by angry youth
Head Pastor of the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E) Zion Church, Anyinam district, Reverend Kwasi Awiakye,  was reportedly caught in the room of a married woman virtually naked in his attempt to sleep with her. He was subjected to severe beatings by some youth of the area. The woman had some problems with her husband and was staying alone.  The pastor claimed the problems she was encountering in her relationship were spiritual and the only way to overcome them was for him to give her a bath. After the bath, the pastor proposed love to her and kept pestering her until Wednesday night when he visited her. When she let him in, he  removed all his clothes and tried to pounce on her (Source dated 24 Nov 2017).

Case 21: Ex-Youth Pastor Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse Charges

A former youth pastor and school volunteer, Joseph Niemeyer, has admitted to sexually abusing a girl younger than 12 years old. During the four years she was in his custody, he raped her, sodomized her, and sexually abused her. Niemeyer and his wife worked as youth pastors at the church in Walton (Source dated 21 November 2017).

Case 22: Three Pastors Charged With Sex Trafficking of Children in Ohio

Three pastors, Kenneth Butler, Anthony J. Haynes, and Cordell Jenkins were charged with conspiracy for child sex trafficking. Prosecutors say all the three of them worked together to entice underage girls to engage in sex acts in exchange for money (Source dated 16 November 2017).

Case 23: Canby pastor charged with 9 counts sex abuse of minor

Pastor of Canby First Baptist Church, Lee Philip Wiegand, is out of jail on bail after being arrested on charges of sex abuse involving a minor for alleged crimes that happened between October 2011 and October 2012. Prosecutors alleged his victim did not consent to the sexual contact (Source dated 16 November 2017).


Case 24: Founder of Florida's Biggest Megachurch Accused of Molesting a 4-Year-Old
A woman told Coral Springs Police that a South Florida man had molested her 17-year-old daughter for years. It all started when the girl was only 4 years old. According to the victim, the man forced her to perform oral sex, inappropriately touched her and made her touch his penis. The abuse lasted until she was a teenager. The accused was no ordinary suspect. His name was Bob Coy, founder of Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale in Florida. He had been the most famous Evangelical pastor in Florida (Source dated 14 November 2017).


Case 25: Guyana: Pastor allegedly drinks Guinness before having sex with rape victim
A 37-year-old Parfaite Harmony pastor was arrested following an accusation made against him. A female member of his congregation  alleged that he raped her at his Diamond home. According to the victim, the pastor invited her to his house, pushed her onto the bed, stripped her, and then forced her to have sex with him. He drank a Guinness and performed a ritual before raping her (Source dated 10 November 2017).


Case 26: Muscoy United Methodist Church pastor convicted on 32 counts of sexual child abuse
The pastor of the Muscoy United Methodist Church, Stephen James Howard, was charged with multiple counts of child molestation involving boys who attended the church. His conviction involved four boys. He was the pastor, mentor, and father figure to all his victims. Howard was found guilty by a San Bernardino County jury and was convicted of 32 counts of sexual abuse (Source dated 31 October 2017).

Case 27: Thornton church pastor gets prison for sexual assault of 13-year-old girl
Assistant pastor at Agape Bible Church in Thornton, Robert Duane Wyatt, was sentenced to 13 years in prison after he was found guilty for repeatedly sexually assaulting an underage congregant who was home-schooled at his place of residence. The female victim, now 15, told the police that Wyatt began inappropriately touching her when she was 12. In March 2016, when she was 13, he invited her on a field trip but instead took her to a hotel where he sexually assaulted her (Source dated 31 October 2017).

Case 28:  Two Limpopo pastors accused of two minors' rapes
Two Limpopo pastors have been arrested for the alleged rape of two underage girls in separate incidents in the Phalaborwa area. In Lulekani, police arrested a 52-year-old pastor for allegedly raping his 14-year-old half-sister. It is alleged that the pastor started raping her when she was 11 years old. In another incident, a 46-year-old pastor was arrested in Namakgale. It is alleged that he had raped his 14-year-old stepdaughter on several occasions until the victim's mother lodged a police report (Source dated 22 October 2017).

Case 29: Senior pastor, assistant jailed for drugging, raping women in the church
Assistant pastor at the Liberty Pentecostal Church in Keighley, Laurence Peterson, has been jailed for more than 8 years for helping a church minister, Reverend. John Wilson, to sexually assault six female parishioners. On several occasions, Peterson blocked doors and in the church and held victims down while Reverend John Wilson performed “grotesque” exorcisms on them. Reverend Wilson was jailed for 21 years. His wife, Mary Wilson, was also found guilty of aiding and abetting him (Source dated 21 Oct 2017).


Case 30: Pastor claims trial to sexual assault, carnal intercourse on adopted daughter

A 49-year-old self-proclaimed pastor is alleged to have performed carnal intercourse against the order of nature by forcing his 11-year-old adopted daughter to perform oral sex on him. He was also charged with committing physical sexual assault on her. The victim was in his care for eight years until a police report was made. He was accused of committing the offences at a house in Petaling Jaya. According to his lawyer, the pastor is a respected member of his community and a family man. Sources claimed that the suspect was based in a church in Puchong (Source dated 25 Oct 2017).

Case 31: Unholy abuse: Well-known minister guilty in teen sex case
One of Chicago's most well-known churchmen, Reverend George Waddles Sr., former president of the National Baptist Congress and ex-pastor of Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a 15 year-old-girl. He has known the girl since she was a toddler and started counseling her when she was 13. Prosecutors said that the girl and her mother confronted Waddles and secretly recorded his admissions to the inappropriate touching on the cellphone. Waddles, however, asked them not to go to the police. He was sentenced to 30 months' probation and must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. The prominent pastor is married with children and grandchildren (Source dated 20 October 2017).


Case 32: Indiana pastor accused of molesting young girls
Rushville Police arrested the pastor of the Rushville Baptist Temple Church, Garry Evans, on child molestation charges. The investigation began after a 3-year-old girl alleged that Evans took her to his office to get candy but once she was there, he pulled down his pants and made her touch his penis. One pair of sisters (5 and 7 years old) had similar allegations involving him. The 5-year-old girl alleged Evans put his hands in her pants and touched her when she was alone with him in his office. Her 7-year-old sister alleged that Evans touched her "nearly every time she went to church (Source dated 19 October 2017).


Case 33: Former Omaha youth pastor jailed for sexual assault of a child
A former youth pastor at Omaha's Christ Community Church, Klint Bitter, is accused of having sex with a 15-year old human trafficking victim. The pastor of kids and student ministry allegedly answered an online classified ad posted by a sex trafficking suspect in Bellevue. Church officials said Bitter has been fired from that position after the church learned of the criminal charges against him (Source dated 17 October 2017).


Case 34: Hunter Pentecostal Christian pleads guilty to sexually abusing boys
He was the committed Pentecostal Christian youth pastor who praised Jesus during Assemblies of God church services during the day and a sexual predator at night. Former Assemblies of God Youth Pastor, Christopher Laban Bridge of Yarramalong, has entered guilty pleas to sexually abusing four boys at Assemblies of God churches in Dubbo and the Hunter in the 1970s and 1980s while in a position of trust. There was no record of any child sexual abuse allegations against Bridge until 2014 even though one of the victim's mother said she told a senior church pastor about Bridge's sexual assaults in the early 1980s (Source dated 18 October 2017).

Case 35: East Palestine pastor facing sex charge involving minor
Pastor at the New Life Outreach Church in East Palestine, Rodney McManus, is accused of having sexual contact with an underage girl for nearly three years. According to the criminal complaint filed by East Palestine police, McManus became involved with an underage female member of his congregation when she was 13. The police say that between January 2014 and August 2017, McManus had touched the girl inappropriately on multiple occasions (Source dated 14 October 2017).

Case 36: Lexington pastor accused of sexual abuse
A former pastor at St Luke's United Methodist Church, Reid Buchanan, is accused of sexually abusing two juveniles. The minors accused him of touching them inappropriately on multiple occasions. One of the victims told the police that the abuse started when she was 12. Another victim testified that she had been abused from the time she was in third grade and one of the incidents happened when she and Buchanan were on a mission trip to Nicaragua (Source dated 13 October 2017).

Case 37: Pastor and his wife in Canada face 28 sexual offense charges
A Canadian evangelical pastor and his wife have been charged with a total of 28 counts of sexual offense cases. Samuel Emerson of the Cloverdale Christian Fellowship Church and his wife Madelaine, are both facing several accusations made against them involving sexual assault and molestation (Source dated 5 October 2017).


Case 38: Pastor sentenced to 15 years for sexual abuse of teen girls
A Texarkana pastor, David Wayne Farren, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the sexual abuse of two teenage girls and must register as a sex offender upon release from prison. The girls were members of youth ministry groups he led at several churches. At the time of his arrest, Farren was the lead pastor of Anchor Church in Texarkana (Source dated 3 October 2017).


Case 39: Oregon Court of Appeals upholds pastor's child sex abuse conviction
In 1997, seven girls complained that co-founder of the North Clackamas Bible Community, Mike Sperou, had molested them but no charges were brought. In 2013, the girls brought their complaints to the police again. However, the statute of limitations had expired on all the complainants except those raised by one woman. A Multnomah County jury convicted Sperou in 2015 and he was sentenced to 20 years in prison. The Oregon Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction (Source dated 3 October 2017). 


Case 40: Pastor rapes girl, 10, infects her with HIV
A 50-year-old Pastor is in police custody in Ntcheu for raping a ten year old girl and infecting her with HIV. Ntcheu police publicist, Hastings Chigalu, identified the suspect as Pastor Philip Palibe Ndipo of New Covenant Assemblies of God based at Kalindira village in Ntcheu. According to Chigalu, the victim was alone at home when the pastor, who lived nearby, raped her. When the mother returned home, she found the girl crying uncontrollably. When the girl revealed that the pastor had raped her, her mother reported the matter to Kandewu police. The victim was later referred to the Kandewu Health Centre where tests confirmed that she had been raped. The victim was also treated for sexually transmitted diseases (Source dated 2 October 2017).


If you like this article, you may also like to read Beware of Greedy, Selfish and Money-Hungry Pastors & If You Want to Get Rich Quick, Start a Church. To view the contents of this blog, please click here. For further reading, you can refer to Jeri Massi's Big Book of Bad Baptist Preachers: 100 cases of Sex Abuse of Children and Exploitation of the Innocent.