Jack Schaap: Megachurch pastor fired after picture of him kissing 16-year-old girl is found on his phone

Mike Gallagher

Aug 2, 2012 - 01:50

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Jack Schaap: Megachurch pastor fired after picture of him kissing 16-year-old girl is found on his phone

Long-running: Schaap, pictured preaching from the church's pulpit, had been pastor there since 2001, but was dismissed after a vote from the deacons

A pastor at a mega-church has been dismissed after allegations that he committed a grave ‘sin’ with a 16-year-old female church member.

Dr Jack Schaap, 54, had been pastor of the First Baptist Church of Hammond in Indiana for 11 years, but was let go after a deacon saw a text on Schaap’s phone from the teenager, allegedly with a picture of the two of them kissing.

A board of deacons from the church voted to fire him, according to a public release from the church ‘due to a sin that has caused him to forfeit his right to be our pastor.’

In a sombre meeting at the church on Wednesday night, the Board of Deacons said the shamed father-of-two confessed to having an affair with the young woman - a member of the church - when she was just 16.

Dismissed: Dr Jack Schaap, who was the pastor of First Baptist Church in Hammond for more than a decade, was let go this week

Big city: Shaap's wife, Cindy, second left, is the daughter of famed Baptist Rev Jack Hyles; here, they're pictured in front of Chicago's Buckingham Fountain

Caught: A deacon of First Baptist Church saw a picture on Schaap's phone from a teenage girl; the picture allegedly showed the two kissing

Schaap had been counseling the teenage girl, one former member of First Baptist Trisha Kee told CBS Chicago.

The church did not confirm Ms Kee's statement, but issued a statement explaining why they fired him: ‘Our church grieves the need to take this action and the impact it will have on our people,' the statement read.

'We ask that everyone pray for the families involved, and pray that the situation will be handled in a Christ-honouring manner.’

The legal age of consent in the state of Indiana is 16, the lowest age allowed in any state.

Eddie Wilson, the director of public relations for the church, told the Chicago Sun-Times that the church is in the process of finding a new pastor to lead the congregation.

He added that Schaap and his wife Cindy are currently in seclusion to work out their marital difficulties. Cindy Schaap is the daughter of the late founder of the church, Rev. Jack Hyles. The couple has two children.

The deacons also felt it appropriate to tu Schaap’s case over to the authorities, ‘for the sake of transparency and honesty,’ and not because they believe the former pastor committed a crime.

The Lake County Sheriff’s office is currently investigating along with the FBI.

Place of worship: The First Baptist Church is located in Hammond, Indiana, and is partially housed in the old federal court building; its auditorium sits 7,500

FBI spokesman Robert Ramsey told CBS: ‘It is too early at this point to release any further information.

Typically, mega-churches have more than 2,000 members or regular attendees, with several areas to listen to sermons, often with one or more pastors speaking during a Sunday service.

Many of them feature contemporary worship styles, with live music complete with worship band, and sometimes even an orchestra pit.

Mega-churches have also received a fair amount of criticism, as some say they focus more on entertainment than on worship, and that large numbers detract the amount of time pastors can spend with the congregation.

First Baptist itself is housed in the old federal courthouse building in Hammond, Indiana, and contains an auditorium that seats 7,500.

Mr Wilson said that more than 15,000 people attend services at the weekend.

Members of the mega-church have already expressed their shock at the pastor’s alleged actions.

‘The pastor been good to us,’ said Ronald Winston to WGN-TV. Mr Winston lives at the church’s mission. ‘He take care of the shelter. I don’t have no better opinion of him.’

Another member, Aranda White, said: ‘To me, he was teaching to word from the Bible. I have nothing bad to say about him.’

An informational meeting was held at the church at 7pm tonight to address the dismissal of Schaap, who has led the congregation since 2001.

In the meeting of the congregation Wednesday night, church leaders said that Schaap admitted to having sex with one of the members of First Baptist Church when she was 16.

The Times of Northwest Indiana reported that near the end of the meeting, Pastor Eddie Lapina said that he would serve as interim pastor as the church continues their search for a suitable replacement.

Those filing out of the meeting bore grim faces, and few offered to comment for the paper.

Those who did said that they would continue to pray for the family and for Schaap. More than 1,000 people attended the meeting.

One member, Joseph Flores, said that he was feeling conflicted over the firing. ‘I’m glad to see they’re doing something,’ he told the Times, ‘but I hope they show the good he’s done for us, too. He straightened up this part of the city, and he’s done a lot for this community.’