Jack Schaap dismissed.

[Jkdbuck76]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/01/jack-schaap-pastor-fired-_n_1728302.html?utm_hp_ref=chicago

Wow. And I wonder what it means if the FBI is called in? This is why we must always be on guard against temptation. No matter what you think about First Baptist Church of Hammond (and its past leadership), this kind of thing is always sad.

:-(

 

[Scarlett O.]

Wow. And I wonder what it means if the FBI is called in? This is why we must always be on guard against temptation. No matter what you think about First Baptist Church of Hammond (and its past leadership), this kind of thing is always sad.

:-(

The First Baptist Church of Hammond, a Chicago-area megachurch, fired its pastor on Tuesday saying he had committed "a sin that has caused him to forfeit his right to be our pastor,"

Eddie Wilson, director of public relations for the church, declined to disclose the nature of Schaap's "sin," but told the Chicago Sun-Times that adultery is grounds for dismissal in the church bylaws....

So, only allegedly (alleged in the article but not proven of her being underage) having sex with an underage girl is ground for dismissal from being a pastor at Hammond FBC?

Hmmm ..... must be true, because speaking lies and idiocy from the pulpit surely isn't.

I'm sorry. I might feel bad for them all tomorrow, but today - by my own confession - I can't work up any sympathy for that church.

 

[ccrobinson]

So, only allegedly (alleged in the article but not proven of her being underage) having sex with an underage girl is ground for dismissal from being a pastor at Hammond FBC?

Having sex with a person who isn't your wife is grounds for dismissal at every church. Adultery isn't alleged if he admitted it.

Hmmm ..... must be true, because speaking lies and idiocy from the pulpit surely isn't.

:laugh:

 

[Brutus]

The FBI would be called in if he took her across the state line into Illinois. Transporting a minor across the state line.

 

[dh1948]

The most God-like thing we can do is pray for the church, Jack, and his wife. It's a sad day when a pastor falls, be he IFB, SBC, or whatever banner he flies under. We should be reminded that no matter how godly we are, we still suffer from the Adamic malady. Satan scored a gold medal win on this one.

 

[Jkdbuck76]

It is all very sad. Apparently someone picked up his cell phone that he left on the pulpit and a picture of him making out with the girl JUST got texted to the phone.

I think I heard that he was counseling her. If so....bad move on his part.

Oh well. At least we showed the same-s3x marriage crowd a thing or two yesterday at Chick-Fil-A.

 

[Don]

The most God-like thing we can do is pray for the church, Jack, and his wife. It's a sad day when a pastor falls, be he IFB, SBC, or whatever banner he flies under. We should be reminded that no matter how godly we are, we still suffer from the Adamic malady. Satan scored a gold medal win on this one.

I humbly disagree. Satan would have scored a gold medal if Schaap's indiscretion had been discovered, and then was covered up by the leadership of the church.

Showing that IFBers can and will do the right thing isn't a clear-cut win for Satan.

 

[freeatlast]

The most God-like thing we can do is pray for the church, Jack, and his wife. It's a sad day when a pastor falls, be he IFB, SBC, or whatever banner he flies under. We should be reminded that no matter how godly we are, we still suffer from the Adamic malady. Satan scored a gold medal win on this one.

Yes I agree. Prayers all around first for the healing this young girl, of the church, and this man's relationship with his wife and family. satan has certainly won a battle here, but the war is going to turn out differently. My only hope is that this man is wise enough to never hold another Pastorate, elder position, or deacon position as he is now disqualified and always will be. Hopefully the church rescinds his ordination and the healing begins for all involved including the young girl.
1Thess 5:22
Abstain from all appearance of evil.

May none of us think we are above any sin and learn that even if the appearance of sin is present, RUN!

 

[Gina B]

Indiana law changed to sixteen for age of consent, but there's an exception if the child is under 18 and the person they are with is five or more years older than the child.

If the child is under the authority/care of the person, this also makes it illegal.

To have the photo he had of her and him depicting them in any type of illegal contact appears to mean he was also in possession of child porn.

Being a mandatory reporter only makes it worse.

So even though the age of consent is sixteen, he was over five years older than her, in a position of authority, and if he didn't report any abuse she reported to him (and it sounds as if she was receiving counseling from him for sexual abuse) then he really isn't going to have an easy time trying to come up with a defense.

Then again, they did change the laws somewhat in 2012, and that may be to his benefit as far as defense for prior issues.

It'll be interesting to see how it plays out...from a legal perspective. From a human and Christian one, it's just sickening.

 

[michael-acts17:11]

This situation reveals the true ungodly heart within Schaap. He has been preaching "in the flesh" from a perverse heart. I would contend that the unquestionable authority given to him as a sole-authority pastor was a corrupting power. For how long have thousands hung on his every word as spiritual food given directly from God while this man has been alienated from the power of the Spirit? Honestly, I am never surprised when men who are worshiped like popish cult-leaders & put in the place of Christ as our mediator begin behaving like power-drunken cultists. Why would we be surprised when this occurs?

 

[abcgrad94]

There's a couple of things that really bother me about all this.

One: He was confronted and now say's he's sorry. If he was truly sorry HE would have come clean without having to be found out and confronted.

Two: If this girl was going to him for counseling, one has to wonder if this isn't the first time he's abused his authority with a minor.

I have been very hard on IFB's because of these types of issues in the churches, but to be fair, I'm very glad the men of the church did the right thing and confronted the pastor and turned him in. I can only hope they FINISH what they started by making sure the girl gets adequate professional counsel (OUTSIDE the church) and by enforcing better policies/safeguards against this happening in the future. With the history of this place, that should have been implemented a long time ago.

 

[Bronconagurski]

Where were the safeguards?

There's a couple of things that really bother me about all this.

One: He was confronted and now say's he's sorry. If he was truly sorry HE would have come clean without having to be found out and confronted.

Two: If this girl was going to him for counseling, one has to wonder if this isn't the first time he's abused his authority with a minor.

I have been very hard on IFB's because of these types of issues in the churches, but to be fair, I'm very glad the men of the church did the right thing and confronted the pastor and turned him in. I can only hope they FINISH what they started by making sure the girl gets adequate professional counsel (OUTSIDE the church) and by enforcing better policies/safeguards against this happening in the future. With the history of this place, that should have been implemented a long time ago.

First, a man doesn't need to be counseling an abused girl or woman. Period. It never should have happened. Second, a man should not counsel a girl or woman by himself. Someone should have confronted Schaap about this. Now they will probably close the barn door after the horse has got out.

The thing I can't understand about IFB's, and I am one, is the sorry preaching that some congregations will put up with. Our church would have sent Schaap packing long ago. If IFB's don't get back to expository preaching and quit preaching pet peeves and legalistic do's and don'ts with topical sermons, then the future is very bleak. Topical preaching, while it has a place sometimes, sounds good, but usually takes scripture out of context. It gets a lot of amens, but it doesn't feed the sheep.

 

[michael-acts17:11]

God's Word has aptly described Jack Schaap and all others of his ilk. Tens of thousands of his followers could or would not discern the heart of this pedophile because they have been kept in the spiritual darkness of Pharisaism.

Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. (Matthew 23:24-28)

 

[Jerome]

I can only hope they FINISH what they started by. . .enforcing better policies/safeguards against this happening in the future. With the history of this place, that should have been implemented a long time ago.

First, a man doesn't need to be counseling an abused girl or woman. Period. It never should have happened. Second, a man should not counsel a girl or woman by himself. Someone should have confronted Schaap about this. Now they will probably close the barn door after the horse has got out.

There were policies/safeguards implemented according to the Hyles Church Manual:

http://books.google.com/books?id=CEXdgNo37q4C&pg=PA261

It is usually best not to counsel alone with a lady in her home. The pastor may take his wife with him or, in some rare cases, (very rare, indeed) he may simply send his wife.

Be very careful with your relationship with the opposite sex. Do not place yourself in positions where temptations will arise or criticism could be given.

And from Mrs. Jack Schaap's book A Wife's Purpose:

http://books.google.com/books?id=r4Xquw0AjbAC&pg=PA118

My husband and I set up some principles for our behavior with the opposite sex before we were married. Let me share a few of them with you.

We do not counsel members of the opposite sex on a regular basis.

We do not counsel members of the opposite sex in a building alone or late at night.

We do not counsel members of the opposite sex about sexual problems. If a lady comes to my husband about a sexual problem, he refers her to me or to some other Christain lady.

 

[abcgrad94]

There were policies/safeguards implemented according to the Hyles Church Manual:

http://books.google.com/books?id=CEXdgNo37q4C&pg=PA261

And from Mrs. Jack Schaap's book A Wife's Purpose:

http://books.google.com/books?id=r4Xquw0AjbAC&pg=PA118

Implemented, yes. And thank you for providing the links. But I have to wonder if those policies were actually enforced. In any case, it seems those policies weren't enough to prevent this tragedy.

 

[jonathan.borland]

For how long have thousands hung on his every word as spiritual food given directly from God while this man has been alienated from the power of the Spirit?

Ok, I've been thinking a lot about this event lately and God led me to The Power of Pentecost (Wheaton: Sword of the Lord, 1949) by John R. Rice. It's convicting. Before we get so judgmental, how many of us are alienated from the pentecostal power of God? You know, the fulness of the Spirit and the power of God that pierces through the spiritual darkness that blinds people and causes them to break down and weep and cry out to God because of your speaking to them in the demonstration of the Spirit's power! Rice says most of us stay in this state of alienation from God's power. I'm telling you it's like he wrote it this year. Was America and the state of the church really that bad 60 years ago? I wasn't alive so I can't say. But one thing I know: I want the breath of God on me like it was on the Wesleys, Moody, Finney, Sunday, and Rice himself. These things wouldn't ever happen if we sought God as he has desired and taught us to. So let us so seek after him, like Jacob, Lord, I will not let go until you bless me!

 

[John of Japan]

Ok, I've been thinking a lot about this event lately and God led me to The Power of Pentecost (Wheaton: Sword of the Lord, 1949) by John R. Rice. It's convicting. Before we get so judgmental, how many of us are alienated from the pentecostal power of God? You know, the fulness of the Spirit and the power of God that pierces through the spiritual darkness that blinds people and causes them to break down and weep and cry out to God because of your speaking to them in the demonstration of the Spirit's power! Rice says most of us stay in this state of alienation from God's power. I'm telling you it's like he wrote it this year. Was America and the state of the church really that bad 60 years ago? I wasn't alive so I can't say. But one thing I know: I want the breath of God on me like it was on the Wesleys, Moody, Finney, Sunday, and Rice himself. These things wouldn't ever happen if we sought God as he has desired and taught us to. So let us so seek after him, like Jacob, Lord, I will not let go until you bless me!

Amen, brother.

 

[Jerome]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...lationship-with-teen-20120918,0,1481697.story

A former northwest Indiana pastor was charged in federal court today with taking a minor across state lines in and has signed a plea agreement, prosecutors announced.

Jack A. Schaap, of Crete, and Dyer, Ind., was charged in a criminal information in U.S. District Court in Hammond, Ind., according a news release from the district’s U.S. attorney’s office.

In his plea agreement, which also was filed in federal court today, Schaap admits that he had s-x with the girl, the girl was under his care or supervision, and he used a computer to persuade the girl to have s-x with him illegally.

Schaap was scheduled to have his initial court appearance Wednesday at 3 p.m.

 

[John of Japan]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...lationship-with-teen-20120918,0,1481697.story

This is very sad. "Be sure your sins will find you out."

 

[Alive in Christ]

It said in the article that Indiana is the only state that does NOT consider 16 to be underage. I didnt know that. Maybe he thought that would render him free from prosecution.

If so, he needed to be more concerned with Gods view of this, and his wife and kids, rather than the states law.

What selfishness and sinfullness