Charlotte’s Calvary pastor Munro put on paid leave pending investigation
By Tim Funk, The Charlotte Observer | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
Bailey did not disclose the nature of the Human Resources complaint, presumably filed by a fellow church employee. But he did reveal that "Back to the Bible," a worldwide radio ministry, contacted Calvary last week to say that that it was terminating its contract with Munro -- one of its on-air Bible teachers -- for misconduct after investigating a "similar complaint" against him.
Calvary, meanwhile, has hired an "outside investigator," Bailey said, to independently look into the internal complaint against Munro, who is in his mid-60s.
"Because we, as elders, are charged with protecting our flock and seeking truth," Bailey said, "we retained an outside investigator to assist us in gathering facts and information from all involved to insure impartiality and neutrality."
Munro did not respond to phone messages from the Observer.
Last Wednesday, a letter signed by Bailey, the church's clerk of session, was emailed to members of the non-denominational evangelical church in south
The letter offered no details about the allegation against Munro, though it said that "the church takes these matters extremely seriously." Bailey added in the letter that the church intended to protect the privacy of those involved.
"Situations such as these can bring tremendous stress and heartache to all concerned," Bailey said in the letter. "Speculation and gossip can exacerbate these already difficult circumstances."
On Sunday, Bailey called the investigator hired by the church "a neutral third party" with no ties to Calvary.
Bailey added that, in sending the letter, elders wanted "our church family" to know that, so far, the church has "not made any determination as to the merits of the complaint and has not, and would not, rush to judgment. ...We remain committed to the pursuit of truth."
After Sunday's service, Bailey declined any further comment on the case.
The news about Munro comes just weeks after the church was thrust into an international news story:
After Sunday's service, members of Calvary asked about the news regarding Munro expressed a range of reactions, from shock to support for Munro to backing of the elders.
"We love the people involved and we're just going to wait and trust our elders," said
One man who wouldn't give his name said simply: "I'm still shocked. I don't know anything and I'm still in shock."
"Back to the Bible" -- a 75-year-old ministry based in
As an elder at Calvary, Gentry would not comment on the allegation made against Munro at the church. "We're asking people to pray for everyone involved," he said.
Gentry did say there was no timetable for the investigation that's being done for Calvary. "It'll work through the process," he said. "It'll take whatever time it takes."
Calvary has a storied history in
Calvary began in 1939 as a Presbyterian church at
The Rev.
Ambitious building plans left Calvary in deep debt for years. The jumbo bank loan was finally paid off, under Munro's leadership, in 2008.
This new controversy surrounding Munro is only the latest for a church whose original builder, affiliated with the then-scandalous PTL ministry, was fired after months and millions of dollars in delays.
Munro arrived from
Attendance, which had been dipping then, increased under Munro.
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