The leadership landscape at Friendly Avenue Baptist Church in Greensboro, North Carolina, has changed following the resignation of Pastor Matthew Queen. This decision comes on the heels of his guilty plea for making a false statement to federal authorities during a sexual abuse investigation. The church is now navigating the future without their former lead pastor.
The church released a statement on Friday, announcing that 49-year-old Queen’s resignation is “effective immediately.” Church officials expressed their intent to “trust in God’s sovereignty” as they continue their mission. They urged the congregation to focus on “Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.”
Queen had been on administrative leave as church elders deliberated over his future role following his unexpected guilty plea. Darin Humbard, chairman of the deacon board, noted discussions with Queen prior to his plea but mentioned no resolution was reached. Despite his resignation, the church has not disclosed specifics on what prompted this decision.
Queen’s legal troubles began when he pleaded guilty to charges related to a Justice Department investigation into the Southern Baptist Convention. This involved a false statement he made denying knowledge of a directive to destroy a document related to the investigation.
The charges against Queen are linked to a larger investigation by the DOJ and FBI into the Southern Baptist Convention and its entities. The investigation was prompted by a Guidepost Solutions report highlighting failures to protect abuse victims within the organization. Queen faces a potential prison sentence of up to five years, although his lawyer, Sam Schmidt, anticipates a recommendation for a shorter term.
The focus of this investigation is a November 2022 sexual abuse report involving a student at Texas Baptist College, as outlined in a statement by Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The seminary disclosed that an employee, identified as Terri Stovall, noted the allegation and reported it to campus police, but the U.S. Attorney’s Office was not informed.
During a January 2023 meeting, Stovall documented the seminary’s inadequate response, and it was during this meeting that another employee allegedly instructed her to destroy the report. Although Stovall complied, Queen denied any knowledge of this directive during a later FBI interview in May 2023, leading to his guilty plea.
As Friendly Avenue Baptist Church seeks to navigate this transition, the leadership and congregation are focused on healing and persevering through this challenging period.
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
