Jack Schaap Pleads Guilty in Teen Sex Case, Denies Knowing Act Was Crime

This is truly disturbing, if the clergy can't be trusted; who can!

Jack Schaap, the former pastor of First Baptist Church in Hammond, Ind., pleaded guilty in federal court on Wednesday in a case stemming from his sexual involvement with a teen girl, but has denied knowing that taking her across state lines for sex was illegal.
"I was not aware of the law," Schaap said before the court in Hammond, but said that he knew that his actions were "sinful and wrong."
The former pastor of the 15,000-member church, which he served for 11 years, stood accused of having sexual relations with the girl, a parish member who is now 17, and taking her across state lines to Illinois and western Michigan for the sexual encounters. Schaap and the girl started the affair when she was 16.
U.S. District Judge Rudy Lozano scheduled the sentencing for Jan. 15, although Schaap, 54, has already signed a plea agreement stating that he faces at least 10 years in prison for taking a person under 18 across state lines for sex, although the maximum sentence for such a crime could be life imprisonment.
The former pastor, described by the Southtown Star as wearing an orange prison garb while standing before the court, admitted to taking three trips with the teen across state lines for sexual activity, and said someone else actually drove the girl to the destinations.
The married father of two was removed from his position at First Baptist Church last month after a deacon apparently found a text message on his cell phone that showed the pastor and the girl kissing. Schaap had even been counseling the girl, it was revealed.

The investigation against Schaap by the FBI and the Lake County Sheriff's office also noted that the girl, who has not been named, had been taking classes at Hyles-Anderson College, where the former pastor once served as vice president.
The Indiana church is still looking for a new senior pastor to replace Schaap full time, but a spokesman for the church previously told CP that the congregation was handling the situation well and agreed with senior staff who dismissed the former pastor as soon as the allegations came to light.
"The church is actually more unified today than it ever has been," said Eddie Wilson, spokesperson and public relations director. "There's a sense of commitment on the member part to see that the church goes forward. We are 125 years old, a big congregation, and they are all very committed to making sure that the church succeeds. You get a real sense of unity, commitment, hope – it's not all doom and gloom. The past two Sunday services have been exciting, they have been powerful."

By Stoyan Zaimov , Christian Post Reporter

Posted by Breaking Bread

Losing it's Way

The church is as the title say's, losing it's way. I thought the church is suppose to be in the Ministry of helps not put downs. Pastors are running around espousing all kinds of facts that aren't true, they try an act sincere while hiding behind the Bible. Terry Jones actually hangs an Obama effigy because of his controversial stance on marriage equality. David Barton says people are on welfare because they don't read the Bible. Creflo Dollar gets arrested for beating his daughter. How do these incidences lead people to the Messiah; they don't. They make people scratch there heads and wonder. Terry Jones must be an ignorant man or is starved for attention to bring people into his fellowship. How offensive is it to hang something like that of the President, but was to much of a coward to burn the Koran. He claims it's because of the gay thing. Get over it sir, believe in your constitution that talks about equal protection under the law. If you treat people like dogs, how can you minister to them? With these types of antics I wonder if these people really study the scripture. What can I say about David Barton, except another bone head statement. It's easy to pick on the poor, what about the rich. Have you ever heard of corporate welfare. So in other words rich people did it all themselves without government interference. If you believe that you are delusional. What are you doing to combat the issue? Are you simply preaching at them? Have you walked a mile in their shoes? Barton is another fellow I wonder about, if he actually studies the scriptures for understanding. He say's a lot ignorant things. Lest we forget, Creflo Dollar; what a fitting last name. A prosperity preacher, who preaches the good news of riches. He is going to have some explaining to do on Sunday. I have children, we disagree often, but to put hands and physically cause them harm is way overboard, especially a young girl. Parenting is a difficult job in it self. I wont go to hard at him, we as parents have to choose our battles. However his doctrine is something I do question. The church is in the wilderness trying to find a way out, until then we are going to continually be lost. It's time to start from the bottom up, it is time for a cleansing.The church is to divided, to racist, to be effective as a collective. The church needs to get back to God, not politics, but what God's word says. 1Jn 3:4 is a good start, if we follow that and the church works as a whole doing different things while working for the same result, it will be a force to reckon with. I'm not a fatalist, I just don't see the kind of unity any time soon.