OHIO
Gospel Herald
By SUZETTE GUTIERREZ-CACHILA (NEWS@GOSPELHERALD.COM) Jun 09, 2015
Seth Oiler, pastor of First United Methodist Church in Newark, Ohio, committed suicide last month after confessing that he had an adulterous affair with a church staff. He took his own life in the parsonage where he lived with his wife and children.
Oiler reportedly met with Bishop Gregory Palmer and “confessed to a sexual misconduct with an adult in the congregation.” The pastor then requested for a voluntary leave of absence.
“He agreed with the bishop that stepping aside from his current appointment at First United Methodist Church was best in order to provide a time of counseling for himself and his family,” said Lisa Streight, communications director for the West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church, in a statement published in the Newark Advocate.
After Oiler’s confession, the church decided to extend support to him by continuing to give his salary and letting him and his family stay in the parsonage temporarily. The news of his suicide came as a shock to the church and the community.
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