OKLAHOMA
KSWO
[with video]
By Ivanna Williams, Reporter
ALTUS, Okla._A church in Altus is reeling following the news that their former pastor has been charged with sexually abusing a young girl over a period of seven years.
Tommy Lynn Bailey was arrested Tuesday at his home, and is already free on bond. Bailey was the pastor of the “Elm and Hudson Church of Christ’ for 14 years. He resigned two weeks ago, but didn’t give a reason. Now, the congregation is trying to come to grips with the accusations.
Daniel Ingram, interim minister, said he got a call before the Sunday morning service on November 30 that Bailey had stepped down and he would need to step in and preach. The rumors began to fly shortly after, but it wasn’t until the news broke Tuesday that they began to understand the seriousness of the situation.
“When it went on the news, we weren’t exactly expecting that. But we’re coping with the loss of a minister,” said Ingram.
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