Denver, NC church fires lead pastor for sexual misconduct
WBTV Investigates: Former pastor speaks; Sheriff’s office ‘not aware of any crimes’ A large Denver, NC church has fired its lead pastor, Jordan Green, for violating workplace policies regarding sexual misconduct and harassment. The church announced the dismissal in a detailed public letter, which has received over 1,000 comments both supporting and opposing. The letter detailed the allegations, including that Green committed acts of sexual misconduct that deeply wounded his victims and the church leadership. The timing of the letter's release also caused confusion in a Facebook post. The Lincoln County Sheriff's spokesperson stated that his agency was not aware of any crimes involving Green at this time. The congregation, founded in 2005, has a large following online, with over 55,000 followers on TikTok and nearly 15,000 on Instagram.
Published : a month ago by Naomi Kowles in General
DENVER, N.C. -- A large Denver church fired its lead pastor for violating workplace policies regarding sexual misconduct and harassment, church leaders announced in a detailed public letter this week.
In his first public statement on the matter, Green spoke to WBTV via text saying he was deeply heartbroken over the pain he had brought the church but disputed some of the statements made both in the public letter and in online discourse.
“Although I do believe there are things being said that are twisted versions of the truth or aren’t true at all, at the foundation of this is my genuine grievous sin against God and the church,” he said (his full statement is posted at the bottom of this article).
Pursuit Church posted the letter to their website on April 1, the timing of which also prompted confusion in a Facebook post. To date, the post has received more than 1,000 comments both supporting and opposing the church’s letter explaining their decision in detail.
“We want to be clear, Jordan Green committed acts of sexual misconduct which has deeply wounded his victims, the people who call Pursuit Church home and this leadership team,” leadership stated in the letter.
The letter provided a timeline of when church leadership discovered the misconduct, including details about several meetings that took place between Green and other church leaders. The letter accuses Green of telling partial truths and manipulating his telling of events.
“Brave souls began to share their personal stories of how Jordan had harmed them during their employment at Pursuit Church,” the letter continued. “It was raw. It was angry. It was real.”
Leadership did not respond as of publishing time to a WBTV email asking if any incidents had been reported to law enforcement.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s spokesperson Larry Seagle told WBTV Wednesday night that his agency was not aware of any crimes involving Green at this time.
Founded in 2005, the church has a large following online with its 2022 annual report listing viewers in fifty countries and 220,000 streams on YouTube.
Much of that online popularity can be linked to Jordan Green himself, who as of this week has more than 55,000 followers on TikTok and nearly 15,000 followers on Instagram where he posts short clips from his sermons.
In 2022, the church had more than $7,000,000 in total assets and received more than $2.7 million in donor cash, a 36% increase from the previous year. Online financial filings, including 990T forms with the IRS, did not list Green’s salary.
I am deeply heartbroken over the pain I’ve brought to the church and the shame I’ve brought on the name of Christ. Although I do believe there are things being said that are twisted versions of the truth or aren’t true at all at the foundation of this is my genuine grievous sin against God and his church. The Lord brought judgment and discipline down on my life which I am extremely thankful for. When God disciplines us it is always to deliver and never to destroy. I have and will continue to repent before the Lord and seek him through this season of discipline. I am deeply sorry for the pain I’ve caused to those involved and to the whole church. I love Pursuit Church and the whole church family and my hope and prayer is God will continue to immensely bless it now and in the future.
Topics: Crime, Christianity