Pastor of Independent Adventist Church in Atlanta Suburb Arrested for Child Sexual Abuse
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By AT News Team, September 1, 2013
Pastor John Pinkston, the 76-year-old founder of the Congregation Church of God Seventh Day in Kennesaw, Georgia, was arrested last week by Cobb County sheriff's deputies because of an accusation filed by the parents of a six-year-old girl that he allegedly molested at the church between July 17 and August 22 this year. He posted a $35,000 bond as bail and was released pending trial.
The story was reported in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday and on the following day by the NBC Television news and CBS Television news affiliates in Atlanta, as well as the Associated Press. Pinkston spent from noon to 8 p.m. on Wednesday in the county jail.
The congregation's Web site states that it is "a totally independent church and is not affiliated with any other organizations" and "was chartered in October 1990." It is very likely that this congregation has no prior history with the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, but is among the tens of thousands of independent churches around the world that also keep the Sabbath and have a set of beliefs generally classified as "Adventist." A search of the yearbooks from 1883 to 2012 in the online archives of the Seventh-day Adventist Church finds no listing for a John Pinkston or similar name.
The statement of beliefs on the congregation's Web site is in many ways parallel to Adventist theology, but also includes two items that historically were promoted by Herbert W. Armstrong, the founders of the Worldwide Church of God. It observes versions of Old Testament festivals, scheduled in March, May and September in 2013. Also, "we believe America and Britain represent the two tribes of Israel known as Ephraim and Manasseh [and] that the nations of northwestern Europe are identified as the remaining lost tribes of Israel."
Pinkston has radio and television programs that are similar to Armstrong's in their focus on the fulfillment of Bible prophecy in current events. In addition to Sunday broadcasts on Channel 11 in Atlanta and Fox television in Macon, Georgia, his television program is also released in Chattanooga, Tennessee; Louisville, Kentucky; and Salt Lake City, Utah. The radio program is broadcast on a shortwave station in Nashville and AM stations in New Orleans, San Antonio, Las Vegas and Wheeling, West Virginia.
Armstrong died in 1986 and over the next two decades his denomination went through major theological changes. In 2009 it was renamed Grace Communion International and joined the National Association of Evangelicals. During the 1990s many groups that were affiliated with Armstrong in the past created several new denominations or became independent congregations.
In the absence of any confirmed connection with any Adventist church, the title appears to be misleading. Is the Adventist church becoming a broad church, is it seeking to align with those of suspected ill-repute, or is this an attempt to arrest falling or reducing memberships.
This headline is misleading to say the least!
This article should not have been published here. This church was never connected to the Seventh-day Adventist church. This is misleading. I'm very disappointed that the editor of Adventist today would publish such an article that has no relationship to the SDA church..
Nice to know what's going on in other churches. We are not the only one with problems like this. In my town there is a correctional facility. I know at least of one SDA pastor there for this same type of thing but do not know any details. Not sure of where he came from. One little SDA church in the area was allowed to have a Bible study in the facility.
The title of this article is blatently misleading and false. "Independent Adventist" and "Church of God Seventh Day" are terms that could not be confused by anyone with any meaningful knowledge of either Adventist history or contemporary Adventist issues. This error has been pointed out in the previous comments but no action has been taken to correct the title, which makes one wonder if the inaccurate nomenclature is intentional? Sort of like the name "Adventist Today"? I can think of no good reason that a true Adventist (or Adventist organization) would work so hard to stretch the truth, distort the facts, and appear journalistically malfeasant just to find any way possible to associate such tragic abuse with Adventism. I'm appalled beyond words, even though it's the type of slanted reporting I've come to expect from this site.
whats the point of this article other than insinuate bad things about the asda CHURCH
Can the AToday news team please confirm whether this is the same group it has been following, where the professed Pastor went to jail for contempt for refusing to take down a sign with the name 'Seventh day Adventist' in it?
I'm getting really confused with all these small idependent offshoot groups!