ALABAMA
AL.com
By Greg Garrison | ggarrison@al.com
on July 02, 2014
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – The Rev. Mike McLemore, executive director of the Birmingham Baptist Assocation since 2007 and pastor of Lakeside Baptist Church from 1983-2007, knew about and covered up allegations of sexual abuse by the church’s youth minister, according to one of the victims.
McLemore, reached on Tuesday, denied the accusation, although he acknowledged dealing with the situation privately, which included forcing a youth pastor to retire early.
“It was a private matter with the family,” McLemore said. “The family involved had asked me to keep the situation confidential. I advised them what they had the right to do.”
Mack Allen Davis, a former youth pastor at Lakeside Baptist Church from 1977-99, faces sex abuse charges in Jefferson, Cherokee and St. Clair counties after two men stepped forward to say Allen molested them 30 years ago.
Davis, 73, whose last address was in Athens, faces 15 charges from the three counties, according to court records.
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