UNITED STATES
Christian Post
Following Colleague’s Admission of Sex Abuse Cover-Up, Pastor of Former Sovereign Grace Ministries Church Denied Leave of Absence
BY MORGAN LEE , CHRISTIAN POST REPORTER
June 3, 2014
Following Covenant Life Church Lead Pastor Josh Harris’ announcement two weeks ago that he had asked for a leave of absence, a church leader announced on Sunday that Harris would remain on staff.
Harris’ first told the congregation he was considering stepping down on May 18, following former CLC pastor Grant Layman’s confession that he (Layman) had withheld allegations from police that church volunteer Nathaniel Morales had been sexually abusing children. The former pastor’s confession came while he was under oath and testifying at Morales’ court case, where the volunteer was later convicted of sexually abusing three young boys between 1983 and 1991.
Layman stepped down from his position as a pastor at CLC in March 2014.
According to a Washington Post story, a church leader on Sunday “speaking on behalf of two church groups said each had weighed whether Harris and other ministers should be placed on leaves of absence — and decided such action was not warranted.” The Christian Post reached out to CLC to learn the identity of the speaker and requested comment but did not hear back by press time.
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