A few Sundays ago, a now-former Montgomery, Alabama Pastor, Juan
Demetrius McFarland, who had led his church for 23 years, walked up to
the pulpit and told his congregation that he has full-blown AIDS and
that he had slept with church members who never knew his health status.
“He confessed to the entire membership and then to the city of
Montgomery, because as soon as he got done confessing, it went all over
Montgomery anyway,” Deacon Nathan Williams Jr. told WSFA 12 News. “So it’s nothing we [are] making up. It’s coming out of his mouth.”
According to the news station, McFarland’s announcement has continued
to shake the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church to its foundation.
Church members told the news station that they were stunned to learn, from McFarland’s admission, that he found out he was HIV-positive in 2003 and has had AIDS since 2008. But that wasn’t all.
According to the news station, McFarland also acknowledged that he had used drugs and misused church funds.
Church members told the news station that they were stunned to learn, from McFarland’s admission, that he found out he was HIV-positive in 2003 and has had AIDS since 2008. But that wasn’t all.
According to the news station, McFarland also acknowledged that he had used drugs and misused church funds.
“He concealed from the church that he had knowingly engaged in
adultery in the church building with female members of Shiloh Missionary
Baptist Church while knowingly having AIDS,” Williams told the news
station. According to WSFA, “McFarland was removed as church pastor on
Oct. 5.”
Several members of the church told the news station that the
revelation not only has stunned the church but also has several women
concerned for their safety.
“I know a young lady who is a member of the church who says she has
slept with him and that she didn’t want this to go public, and she
running out now trying to find out if there is anything wrong with her,”
a church member, who didn’t want to be named, told the news station.
“And my heart goes out to her because she’s been a wonderful church
member, and then for something like this to happen. The fact that he
didn’t tell them at all, that’s a crime in itself.”And some members of the church believe that if McFarland committed a
crime (and in Alabama, transmitting a sexual disease is a Class C
misdemeanor), he should be brought to justice.
“I believe that he should be put on trial,” another unnamed church
member told WSFA. “Go to court and let the judge decide if he should go
to jail or not. We tend to sweep things under the rug, especially if
they’re the leader. It’s like, ‘Oh no, please, let’s not get this out,’
but I think after this that they will have more discussions on HIV and
AIDS.”
At the time of this post, no charges had been filed against McFarland.
Source: theroot.com
Source: theroot.com