MOUNTAIN Watch — The worship director of the Mountain Look at branch of the Menlo Church has been fired after “inappropriate habits online” many years back was introduced to mild, church management stated.
In a letter to congregants Saturday, Transitional Pastor John Crosby and Elder Board Chair David Kim stated they were being contacted before this 7 days by another person who claimed that worship director Michael Bryce Jr. “engaged in inappropriate behavior online” quite a few many years in the past in advance of he joined the church’s team.
In the statement, Crosby and Kim mentioned the church was contacted earlier in the week with the declare about Bryce. He was quickly positioned on leave, the pair mentioned, and the church contacted law enforcement. He was terminated Friday for “demonstrated lousy judgment,” the officials wrote.
The church was contacted by Menlo Park law enforcement on March 16 at about 7:10 p.m. and “a juvenile facts report was taken for documentation,” in accordance to a law enforcement log. Police did not launch any other facts or remark on the allegations Sunday.
Govt Pastor of Ministries Sue Kim-Ahn reported in an emailed statement that “there is an lively law enforcement investigation in progress, and we are unable to disclose even more info at this time.”
The church did not give any aspects of the allegations, but explained they have contacted Zero Abuse, a non-gain aimed at avoiding, recognizing and responding to boy or girl sexual abuse. The organization will act as an outside occasion to acquire in any more stories about Bryce.
Church officers said they did not consider any individual else had been associated at Menlo Church, but have questioned any individual with data to attain out.
“We identify that this information is significant to get,” the church mentioned in the statement. “It may possibly evoke complicated reminiscences or thoughts for numerous of us. This is a tricky reminder that our church buildings, by the grace of God, are gatherings of standard, imperfect people. We hope that you will access out to your church household as you need to have.”
The news of Bryce’s termination came after the church explained pastor John Ortberg — the prolific Christian creator and longtime chief of the 4,000-member church — did not disclose a discussion he had with a church volunteer who reported getting “obsessive sexual feelings” about minors for many years.
Ortberg as a substitute permitted the human being to go on functioning in the community for months, church leaders said. Ortberg resigned in July 2020.