Arkansas pastor who mishandled abuse claims announces resignation
Steven Smith apologized in December for not telling his church about an accusation that a former staffer had sexually abused a child, but says tensions in the church continuing to rise.
Lead Pastor Steven Smith, whose handling of child sex abuse accusations had drawn sharp criticism from some of the members of his Little Rock, Ark., church, announced late Wednesday night that he is resigning, effective April 7, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported today (March 28).
Smith acknowledged deep divisions within the congregation of the historic Immanuel Baptist Church, which he has led since January 2017, the newspaper reports.
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