By Scott Harrison
KRDO
May 4, 2009
http://www.krdo.com/Global/story.asp?S=10294930
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COLORADO SPRINGS - Last week's complaints by parents against a local church apparently aren't the first. NEWSCHANNEL 13 has found evidence of accusations regarding Cornerstone Baptist Church, going back to 1993.
According to one news report, the accusations include baptizing kids without parents' permission; deceiving kids; forcing a child to disrobe before baptizing her; and sexual assaults of teenagers by a pastor's son. Church leaders did not respond to a request for comment from NEWSCHANNEL 13 Sunday, but in a statement Friday denied any wrongdoing.
NEWSCHANNEL 13's Marshall Zelinger first told you Friday that according to some parents, church members frightened kids by aggressively approaching kids going to and from school, preaching to them, and asking them to attend the church. In one case, a church member allegedly asked a child to enter a van. In the Friday statement, church leaders denied knowing the driver of the van.
Stories of such behavior don't surprise the Tubac family on Mesa Mountain Way. They say their 8th grade daughter Alisia (now a high school freshman) and a friend were approached by a church member a year ago. "He stopped us, and we were like, do you know him? He just asked our names, and started preaching to us, and made us pray. It was weird."
Alisia's mother, Virginia, says she called the church to complain, but never received a response. "After that, we never let them walk home from school ever again. I didn't appreciate them doing this."
According to the report mentioned above, Charles Miller, Jr. was the church's music director and pastor's son when he received a 10-year prison sentence. He pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual abuse of a child by a person in a position of trust. He was released a year ago, and now lives in Oklahoma.
Contact: s.harrison@krdo.com
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