MINISTER ADMITS TO ADULTERY; SONRISE SENIOR PASTOR QUITS AFTER REVEALING 2-YEAR AFFAIR.Byline: Sylvia L. Oliande Daily News Staff Writer The founding and senior pastor of Sonrise Christian Fellowship has resigned as spiritual leader of the congregation after confessing to having a two-year extramarital ex·tra·mar·i·tal adj. Being in violation of marriage vows; adulterous: an extramarital affair. extramarital Adjective affair. At a series of meetings with church officials last week, Pastor Ken Craft, 34, confessed to having an intermittent intermittent /in·ter·mit·tent/ (-mit´ent) marked by alternating periods of activity and inactivity. in·ter·mit·tent adj. 1. Stopping and starting at intervals. 2. affair with an unidentified woman over the past two years. The pastor first told his wife of the affair Dec. 5, then informed the church's executive board Sunday. At a Thursday night meeting of about 600 parishioners, Craft revealed his secret to a surprised congregation. ``The reason he came forward now was because he no longer wanted to live a lie,'' said Sonrise Pastor David Wilkinson David Wilkinson may refer to:
``It became unbearable and he felt like he needed to make it right, even if that meant losing everything.'' Church officials said Craft resigned voluntarily. An announcement about his departure to the remaining congregants - the church has more than 4,000 - is expected to be made during services Sunday. Craft would not comment when reached at home Friday, but released a letter he'd read to church members the day before. ``My heart grieves, as I am about to walk away from the position I held so dearly,'' the letter reads. ``Sometimes you do not know what you have until it is gone. ``I stand before you in disgrace DISGRACE. Ignominy, shame, dishonor. No witness is required to disgrace himself. 13 How. St. Tr. 17, 334; 16 How. St. Tr. 161. Vide Crimination; To Degrade. and humility Humility See also Modesty. Humorousness (See WITTINESS.) Bernadette Soubirous, St. humble girl to whom Virgin Mary appeared. [Christian Hagiog.: Attwater, 65–66] Bonaventura, St. washes dishes even though a cardinal. regretting everything I have done. I want you to know that I love you. I had considered my greatest privilege and honor to serve you as pastor.'' The letter stated his confusion during the affair and his resolve finally to reveal it. ``Ken Craft was living a lie and (was) too afraid to tell the truth,'' he wrote. Wilkinson said Craft, who helped establish the church on Shasta Way about nine years ago, will receive a severance package A severance package is pay and benefits an employee receives when they leave employment at a company. In addition to the employee's remaining regular pay, it may include some of the following:
The stated value found on financial instruments. Notes: This term applies to most financial instruments with monetary values. The denomination for bonds and securities would be face value or par value. to work out his problems and heal his relationship. Craft's wife, Jill, has committed to staying with the pastor and will attend counseling sessions with him. The couple has three young children. Wilkinson said Craft's duties will be absorbed by other pastors and the support staff, but his absence will be felt most during Sunday services. ``Down the road we will take a look at what it means as far as the ministry,'' Wilkinson said. ``We do feel that at some point, if he stays with this process, he will be able to serve God in some capacity, and that may or may not be at Sonrise.'' Wilkinson said that while the church never took an official stance on impeachment impeachment, formal accusation issued by a legislature against a public official charged with crime or other serious misconduct. In a looser sense the term is sometimes applied also to the trial by the legislature that may follow. proceedings against President Clinton that charge he lied under oath Under oath could refer to:
Sexual relations between a married person and someone other than his or her spouse. Prohibitions against adultery are found in virtually every society; Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions all condemn it, and in some Islamic countries it is still punishable by was wrong and would not be tolerated easily. ``It reflects a nation's attitudes towards sexuality, so we're taking a very strong stance,'' Wilkinson said. ``What happened with our senior pastor was wrong and it has its justifications to remove him from his ministry. We're not just slapping him on the hand. We're taking strong steps for his own sake and his family's and for our own church.'' CAPTION(S): box Box: Paster Ken Craft in a letter to church members |
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