Oakland Pastor Arrested During Prostitution Sting

(AP) OAKLAND An Oakland pastor was among 68 people arrested in a prostitution sting by Oakland police this week.

Police say the Reverend Craig Ward, of the Brookins African Methodist Episcopal Church, flagged over a female undercover officer to his church-issued B-M-W just after 10:30 p-m Thursday and tried negotiating a 20-dollar oral sex act.

It was Ward's third arrest for soliciting a prostitute. Police say he also has served time for burglary and weapons convictions.

Church leaders could not be reached for comment.

A total of 34 prostitutes, two pimps and 32 johns were arrested during Thursday's sting. Oakland police say they've made several hundred arrests since they began weekly stings last year.

Contra Costa authorities also arrested nine people at a San Ramon motel in a separate prostitution sting Thursday.

About Brookins A.M.E. and Bishop Richard Franklin Norris, Presiding Prelate

Rev. Craig Ward is the assistant to Bishop Richard Franklin Norris.

Interestingly enough, after some research, I came upon this.

I couldn't have said it better myself and indeed they will.

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Then Bishop Norris launched into a fiery sermon titled "Everybody  Will Know," drawn from John 13:35

Bishop Norris built slowly and surely on the theme, explaining that often times, people, especially those in power or aspiring to positions of power, do not want all of their "warts and moles on display."  That they try to cover up their past. "But everything done in secret will come to light,"  Bishop Norris exclaimed. "Everybody Will Know."

About the African Methodist Episcopal Church on gays

Since 2003, leaders of the 2.5 million-member African Methodist Episcopal Church have made several public statements declaring the denomination’s opposition to the ordination of openly gay clergy members and marriage rights for same-sex couples. It has, to date, remained silent on transgender members.

Openly gay clergy. In August 2003, after an article in USA Today incorrectly stated that the African Methodist Episcopal Church ordained gay ministers, Bishop Richard Franklin Norris issued this statement refuting that position and instructed all AME pastors to read it to their congregations:

“The official position of the African Methodist Episcopal Church is not in favor of the ordination of openly gay persons to the ranks of clergy in our church. This position reaffirms our published position papers, public statements and prior rulings, all of which indicate that we do not support the ordination of openly gay persons.”

Marriage rights. At the AME national convention in July 2004, delegates voted to forbid ministers from performing marriage or civil union ceremonies for same-sex couples. The vote was unanimous, and there was no debate on the topic. The decision marked the first vote on the issue of marriage rights for same-sex couples by a predominantly African-American denomination.

Earlier in the year, before marriage became legal for same-sex couples in Massachusetts, the Rev. Gregory G. Groover Sr., an AME pastor in Boston, explained why AME preachers opposed the move. He was quoted in the Boston Globe on Feb. 10, 2004, as saying:

“As black preachers, we are progressive in our social consciousness, and in our political ideology as an oppressed people we will often be against the status quo, but our first call is to hear the voice of God in our Scriptures, and where an issue clearly contradicts our understanding of Scripture, we have to apply that understanding.”

Comments

You guys really need Jesus up in here talking all this mess about other folks. Here's an idea, worry about yourself and what yourself is doing because on Judgement Day, U will be giving an account of your life. Not you and whomever u down here running your mouth negatively about, but U, all by your lonesome. Pray for those who struggle. How about trying to be CHRIST-like and practicing the love factor? God bless those of who are saying and in this case, typing things, you ought not.

You guys really need Jesus up in here talking all this mess about other folks. Here's an idea, worry about yourself and what yourself is doing because on Judgement Day, U will be giving an account of your life. Not you and whomever u down here running your mouth negatively about, but U, all by your lonesome. Pray for those who struggle. How about trying to be CHRIST-like and practicing the love factor? God bless those of who are saying and in this case, typing things, you ought not.

I just want to say for the record that I am an African American preacher: 26 years old, and going to Seminary to obtain my Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Homiletics and Bible Scholarship. I wanted to point out that even in my strong stance against homosexuality, it is still a sin that God is able to forgive once repentance is enacted. I do not struggle with homosexuality; I am married and am heterosexual to the core. But I also have friends who are wrestling with homosexuality or are homosexuals. I'm not going to get into cliches' about sockets and plugs and all of that, but I do know that God forgives sins if we are willing to repent and change our wicked ways...that's whether you're homosexual, a car jacker, a liar, a gossip...whatever is not in line with the will and Word of God. People have to understand that we all have faults...I read one post that said that preachers and Christians "can't be hypocrites and 'we' allow them to get away with it." Well, if you check your lifestyle with a grain of honesty and self discernment, I'm sure that you will find that everyone is guilty of saying some things that they regretted - guilty of acting in a way that they were ashamed of later...and since preachers are still human, we have to hold them to the same accountability that we hold other non - clergy to. However, we should not condemn the preacher, the deacon, the choir member...any Christian who just so happens to struggle with any sin...because as long as we are alive in this mortal body, we will continue to sin. The blood of Jesus Christ makes it possible for us to NOT INCUR the penalties of sin now, if we follow the prescription for forgiveness. So I want everybody to encourage each other instead of bashing each other. I preach on some areas that I still struggle with - like debt...when God gives you the message, it's intended to help you as well as the people you're preaching to.

[CCG]

I'm just wondering if you all have checked into the Grand Ole Church of God in Christ? I say this because there are deep roots in homosexuality running throughout the church. There are rumors of Bishop Blake of West Angeles being a homosexual.

Further, as a seminary graduate, I was told by my preaching professor to watch what I preach, because what we preach is the main thing that we struggle with.

[D]

This happens so often and the church will just sweep it under the rug. These occurrences are more justification for calling them out for who they are! They're human, just like us, but they can't be hypocrites and get away with it!