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Excerpt:
HERALD-LEADER Retired pastor admits 'moral failure'
ASBURY SEMINARY PROFESSOR EMERITUS SAYS HE'S ACCUSED OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT
By Frank E. Lockwood
After hearing a sermon on "Forgiveness and Restoration," worshippers Sunday
at Wilmore United Methodist Church sent their children out of the sanctuary
then waited while their 83-year-old former pastor walked slowly to the
front.
The Rev. David A. Seamands, who is also a nationally known best-selling
author and Asbury Seminary professor emeritus, told the congregation he had
been accused of "sexual misconduct with an adult female occurring over a
number of years."
Reading from a prepared statement, he admitted to a "breach of trust and
moral failure."
"I deeply regret the pain and suffering I have caused to the victim, to my
family, friends and the church." he said. Seamands said he had agreed to
follow a "redemptive plan of accountability" which complies with Methodist
church law.
For the next year, he said, "I will refrain from all ministerial functions
and actions and will use this year as a time of penitential prayer and
discernment."
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