November 20, 2007
80-Year-Old Pastor Of Megachurch Exposed By Sex Scandal
Bishop Faulk (Left); His son, D.E. Paulk and wife (Right)
DECATUR, Ga. (AP) - The 80-year-old patriarch of a suburban Atlanta megachurch has admitted that he slept with his brother's wife in the early 1970s and fathered a child by her.That child is now the head pastor of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit at Chapel Hill Harvester Church.
Members of Archbishop Earl Paulk's family stood at the pulpit of his independent charismatic church a few Sundays ago and revealed the secret exposed by a recent court-ordered paternity test.
This isn't the first sex scandal to engulf Paulk and his church. But this time, he could be in trouble with the law for allegedly lying under oath about the affair.
Pastor D.E. Paulk, who is 34, was known publicly for years as Earl Paulk's nephew. The younger Paulk became head pastor a year and a half ago. He says he was surprised and disappointed by the parentage discovery.
At its peak in the early 1990s, it claimed about 10,000 members and 24 pastors and was a media powerhouse. By soliciting tithes of 10 percent from each member's income, the church was able to build a Bible college, two schools, a worldwide TV ministry and a $12 million sanctuary the size of a fortress.
Today, though, membership is down to about 1,500, the church has 18 pastors, most of them volunteers, and the Bible college and TV ministry have shuttered — a downturn blamed largely on complaints about the alleged sexual transgressions of the elder Paulks.
The rest of the story is here.
Fellas, this is really bad news. I wonder what non-church-going people think when they read stories like this? Thoughts?
"I am so very sorry for the collateral damage it's caused our family and the families hurt by the removing of the veil that hid our humanity and our sinfulness," said D.E. Paulk, who received the mantle of head pastor a year and a half ago.D.E. Paulk said he did not learn the secret of his parentage until the paternity test. "I was disappointed, and I was surprised," he said.
Wow, what's it like find out that man you thought was your uncle is actually your father?
Posted by anthony at November 20, 2007 07:45 AM | TrackBackTo find that out would feel so gross if it happened to me. There's a saying that comes to my mind when I read this story..."You're as sick as your secrets." Some big, glaring questions come to mind for this church: 1) Accountability..where is it? 2)discipleship of the memebers - if that was happening they wouldn't be so easily led astray by their own pastors. 3)Anthony, this kinda relates to your post about Grassley investigating the ministry's you listed/linked to: I'm really against the government sticking their noses in the church's business. This example, the church in Atlanta, do you think there should be some sort of calling out of, accountability for, or statement made by biblically solid, evangelical churches/denominations towards these kind of ministries and churches, instead of the government or media doing it? Or, would that create uneeded divisions in the Body of Christ?
Posted by: t.smith at November 20, 2007 09:51 AMPastors are not CEOs, they are shepherds. Furthermore, they are just as sinful as the people they take care of. Consequently, pastors need the same things that normal Christians do - friends, open and honest relationships, accountability, and such. This is the primarily the job of the friends of the pastor. If they don't do it, then the congregation has to step in. I have a suspicion that this congregation treated its pastor as if he was some sort of superman, who didn't need to be cared for or held accountable by his congregation.
This also demonstrates the fact that a big ministry is not necessarily a godly ministry. They kept this secret for literally decades, and repentance might have required public repentance. I'm not sure, but maybe.
Posted by: tusc0n raider at November 20, 2007 10:16 AMRead the article closely; as appalling as this is, it's only the tip of the iceberg of problems with this particular church. As others have noted, where are the deacons to put out this wolf from the fold? Where were the students of the Bible college, and the 20-odd copastors, to point out to Mr. Paulk that "Archbishop" isn't exactly a Biblical title?
And your question, Anthony? I just thank God that I don't know.
Posted by: Robert Perry at November 20, 2007 04:45 PMseems all pretty biblical to me Anthony. Is this a surprise or am I missing something? I think OT/NT/Christian history tells the stories of priests who sinned sexually before the Lord. Christians sin. We are broken, fallen, and unable to manage some areas in our lives. It's hard to believe that in our best efforts, and with all our will power and discipline even Christians aren't able to overcome the sin that dwells within.
I struggle with the doctrine of sanctification, because I wonder how much we are actually sanctified? And if I'm honest with myself I wonder why I don't sin more than I do save the grace of God.
I do find hope in the following quotes from Alister Mc Grath "Christianity proclaims the reality of sin, not the perfectability of human nature" and GK Chesterton "When the world goes wrong, it proves that the church is right. The church is justified, not because her children do not sin, but because they do."
Rather than proclaiming a wish fulfillment that fellow Christians would be less prone to sinning, apologist like us need to be exploring that Christians are forgiven sinners delivered from the penalty of sin, being delivered from the power of sin, and someday delivered from the presence of sin (more McGrath, Intellectuals Don't Need God & other Modern Myths, pg. 139)
Posted by: berkeleyrican at November 21, 2007 12:39 AMTuscan Raider, excellent point. As though we didn't know it already, "big ministry is not necessarily godly ministry." Charge on, smalltime pastors and love your flocks with all your heart. You are saving us by your integrity, your deep love, your tireless hope.
The blessing of our new generation: Exposing the faulty leadership that deceives us to think the real Christian leaders are forever happy, always growing, enormously self-sufficient, and perfect.
The curse: deep disdain for authority.