MIDLAND (MI)
WNEM [Saginaw, MI]
August 30, 2025
By Trae Harris
A Midland County jury has found James Randolph, a former youth pastor at Living Word Church, guilty on all six counts of sexually abusing a girl when she was a child.
The verdict came Friday afternoon after a seven-day trial and two and a half hours of deliberations. Ten men and two women found Randolph, 59, guilty of two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a relationship, three counts of second-degree CSC with a relationship, and one count of second-degree CSC with a child under 13.
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Randolph was immediately taken into custody after Circuit Judge Michael Beale revoked his $500,000 bond. He now faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced Nov. 13.
Randolph served for decades as head of youth ministries at Living Word International Church, led by Pastor Mark Barclay, his father-in-law.
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This is the second time Randolph has been convicted of sexual assault. In 1985, he pleaded guilty to third-degree CSC after raping a 15-year-old girl with developmental disabilities in Jackson.
Assistant Midland County Prosecutor Courtney Driscoll told jurors the victim’s testimony was enough for conviction, even without physical evidence.
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“These types of crimes, criminal sexual conduct cases, are crimes that happen behind closed doors, out of the public eye,” Driscoll said.
Defense attorney Nicole Blank Becker argued the victim’s account was inconsistent and unreliable, telling jurors, “You cannot convict on unreliable testimony.”
Former church members told TV5 they were satisfied with the verdict and raised questions about why Randolph was allowed to remain in leadership despite his criminal history.
“I think there was a ball dropped there,” said former members Dan and Dana Stahl. “That’s definitely negligence.”
Others pointed directly to church leadership.
“Mark Barclay, the person that ordained and promoted and elevated James Randolph,” Dana Stahl said. “He was aware of his past crimes.”
The victim testified, stating she came forward to protect others from experiencing the same trauma.
“It enables other people that may have been abused, to come forward,” Dana Stahl said.