OHIO
The Columbus Dispatch
By JoAnne Viviano
The Columbus Dispatch
Thursday July 12, 2012
A Columbus megachurch has welcomed back a former associate pastor who spent about 18 months in counseling and reflection after it came to light that he had a sexual relationship with a woman he was counseling for sex addiction.
Steve Robbins has fully repented and is returning as a church member “who is loved and welcome and restored to fellowship,” Vineyard Columbus’ senior pastor, Rich Nathan, announced in closing his weekend sermon on “Disciplining and Restoring Fallen Leaders.” Robbins will not be on staff.
“We’re going to do something that you have never seen before, and that is a public restoration of someone who walked away and now is coming back home,” the pastor said to applause as he welcomed Robbins on stage and embraced him.
Robbins, 62, was asked to break off contact with the woman and to refrain from worshipping at the evangelical Christian church pending the counseling and reflection, Nathan said when reached by phone on Monday.
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