MIDLAND (MI)
The Roys Report [Chicago IL]
May 22, 2024
By Liz Lykins
A third leader at televangelist Mark Barclay’s Michigan church is facing charges of sexual assault, according to Midland County Circuit Court records.
Randy Saylor, associate pastor at Living Word International Church in Midland, Michigan, is the second pastor and third person involved with the church to be charged with sex crimes.
Saylor, 71, was arraigned Wednesday on charges of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person under 13, and second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a relationship. His crimes allegedly happened around March 2018.
Living Word has suspended Saylor from all duties “pending the outcome of the investigation,” Living Word Church Administrator William Bailey said in a statement to local media. He added that there are no allegations that the abuse took place at the church or involved the church in any way.
“Living Word International Church is deeply saddened and concerned to address recent allegations of misconduct involving one of our ministers,” Bailey said. “This is not the first time our church has faced such a situation, and we acknowledge the pain and trauma this causes to those directly affected, as well as our entire community.”
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The news comes just months after Randy Saylor’s son, church elder and volunteer Brandon Saylor, was sentenced to five to 15 years in prison for sexual assault crimes, according to court records. He pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with three children under 13, The Roys Report (TRR) previously reported.
On May 10, 44-year-old Saylor was resentenced to add lifetime electronic monitoring for the Sex Offender Registration Act to his verdict.
Then in March, James Randolph, son-in-law of Mark Barclay and a minister at the church, was arrested and charged with sex crimes against children, TRR reported. He is currently on administrative leave at the church.
Randolph’s charges stemmed from incidents that occurred in 2011, according to court records. He is set to appear in court for a status conference hearing this June and is currently out of jail on a $5 million surety bond.
Living Word Administrator William Bailey noted that an independent investigator recently reviewed the church’s internal safety and protective practices. He said the results were positive.
“We continue to follow our legal counsel’s advice to make certain we are doing everything possible to ensure the safety of our congregation, especially our children,” Bailey said. “Our policy has always been to immediately report any misconduct to the appropriate authorities, which we consider a good practice for all parents, churches, and ministries.”
He added that, “Living Word International Church remains steadfast in our mission to serve and support our community with integrity, compassion, and the love of Christ.”
Mark Barclay claims he hacked teens’ social media accounts
While three leaders face charges, messages from lead pastor Mark Barclay raised concerns.
In a 2017 sermon, Barclay seems to boast about hacking into teenagers’ social media accounts to show how unsafe media platforms can be. He also acknowledges that one of the accounts of a teenage girl he hacked into had an inappropriate picture.
In the sermon, shared by YouTube user Ken Mattson, Barclay described how he received a code from a friend high up in investigative law enforcement to gain access to other people’s private social media accounts and messages.
Barclay got access to one girl’s account and then started posting selfies of himself on it. He described when the girl realized a pastor had access to her account.
“I remember (to) one gal I said, ‘This is your pastor, blouse yourself,’” Barclay said. “She was, you know, sharing inappropriate stuff with her boyfriend or maybe the whole youth group.” Barclay gestured to his chest while mentioning the indecent content.
He added, “People are dumb enough to think it’s totally private.”
The audience laughed and he continued, “Keep looking at me like that and I’m using that code on your stuff.”
Barclay said he shared this story to highlight to his church’s youth group how unsafe online content can be.
This isn’t the only time Barclay has had troubling messages.
He has also preached several messages with ominous messages to whistleblowers, TRR previously reported. Barclay has threatened whistleblowers in his sermons, saying they’ve “cursed themselves” and are “evil.”
Freelance journalist Liz Lykins writes for WORLD Magazine, Christianity Today, Ministry Watch, and other publications.