Update: BEREAN BAPTIST PASTOR TOM NEAL INSISTS “PEEPING PASTOR” SON INNOCENT

As spiritual darkness grows and 1 Peter 4:17 judgments sent by Jesus continue to rain upon the visible Christian church Apprising Ministries functions with other soldiers against error in the mission field of online apologetics and discernment along the Internet Front of this Truth War.

One major root of this expanding apostasy can be traced back to the Church Growth Movement vomited out of Fuller Theological Seminary circa late 60′s. As such, part of my labor is to expose and document the New Downgrade No-Controversy happening within evangelicalism.

Sad stories like Florida Megachurch Prosperity Pastor Zachery Tims Found Dead and The Pastor And The Honey-Soaked Naked Girls really aren’t new; however, things like will be revealed by the Lord with  increasing rapidity. The following concerning pastor Greg Neal is a case in point.

Neal is co-pastor of Berean Baptist Church in Fleming Island, FL. along with his dad Dr. Tom Neal. But there’s trouble in paradise as WAWS FOX30 out of Jacksonville tells us yesterday in Pastor will not face charges of video voyeurism:

Bill Cochran was a member of Berean Baptist Church for 23 years, a deacon since 1994. But when he learned that his pastor, Greg Neal, may have secretly videotaped women changing clothes inside the church, he says he had to say something.

“Finally, I had enough information that I could no longer just sit there and listen to all the lies and the manipulation that was going on,” he said.

According to the reports, that video was found by a former church member in a old box of church basketball tapes. Police say it shows Neal set up the camera, hide it, then come back to get it after the women left. The video was turned over to police earlier this year, too late to charge Neal with a crime.

Assistant State Attorney James Colaw, “And while the evidence of his guilt of voyeurism is clear, it’s overwhelming, unfortunately the statute of limitations on the crime that existed in 2001 ran out after two years.” (Online source)

You may recall that the statute had run out in the case of the other peeping pastor as well. MSNBC Jacksonville also informs us:

An investigation into the secret videotaping of women changing clothes in the office of a church pastor 10 years ago found a crime did occur, but the case was closed last week because the statute of limitations had expired.

According to a report obtained from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Dr. Greg Neal was accused of hiding a camcorder in his office at Berean Baptist Church in the spring of 2001 and videotaping while two women changed clothes…

 “While the evidence of his crimes of voyeurism in 2001 is overwhelming, unfortunately, the Statute of Limitations has expired,” Assistant State Attorney James Colaw wrote. “Consequently, there is no way to legally pursue a prosecution for these acts.” (Online source)

That law enforcement says the evidence “is overwhelming” is a key point as you’ll see in a moment; so is the information that “the tape was rumored to exist” for years before it was given to police in “April 2011.” Again we’re told:

While investigators said the tape does show Neal handling the camera before and after two women are seen undressing “in an area where they had a reasonable expectation of privacy,” the state’s ability to prosecute a case of video voyeurism expired one year after the offense. (Online source)

It seems that this “VHS tape was discovered in 2002” by “church employee Brent Bartlett” in a group of “tapes of basketball games” that Bartlett insists “was given to him by Neal.” Then we find out that: 

The report said Bartlett took the tape to Neal’s father and the senior pastor of the church, Tom Neal, and he was told “the matter would be dealt with in the appropriate manner.” Investigators were told that both Gregory Neal and Tom Neal denied to the victims and to church members that the videotape existed.

Both Neals refused several attempts to be interviewed by investigators or provide statements. They continue to be co-pastors of the church. (Online source)

If this is so, no wonder there were rumors about the existence of this homemade soft-core porn tape. Dan Scanlon also fills us in little bit more in his Clay pastor secretly videotaped women undressing; authorities say case too old to prosecute.

Scanlon brings out the fact that Brent Bartlett:

confirmed the details when detective Heather Lanier called him April 26 at his new home in Mississippi. He said he told Neal and his father about the tape, and Greg Neal later “asked for forgiveness and told him it was the only time this incident ever happened,” according to the investigation report.

Bartlett offered to resign in 2008, then was dismissed. He sent a video copy to Lanier, who showed it to two of the women on it.

One woman said she had heard rumors of the video since 2009, but Neal denied it and threatened her by asking “where would her family go to church and school if this was made public,” the report said.

Both women also confirmed they and Neal were on the tape. Lanier’s requests to interview Neal were denied by his attorneys. (Online source) 

As we look into what has been confirmed a cover-up appears to be emerging and FBC Jax Watchdog adds another angle that needs to be seen in “Peeping Pastor” – Jacksonville Baptist Pastor Accused of Secretly Videotaping Girls Changing – Church Member Kicked Out for Telling the Truth:

instead of the church leaders taking action against their peeping pastor, guess what they did? Yep, they turned the tables on the man who alerted the church members of the evidence against the pastor.

They escorted the “evil doer” off church property and according to the man he and others were vilified from the pulpit for wanting to destroy the church. (Online source)

The “evil doer” in this case being former long-time deacon—in most Baptist circles deacon=elder—Bill Cochran who was correctly seeking justice for the two women who were violated. And further:

One other side note to this story is how the Fox-30 news reporter Catherine Varnum was rudely confronted by the burly church bully shown [below].

If you watch the August 15th news report [top video] below, you’ll see the news reporter at the church asking questions about the allegations against their pastor. The bully came through the front door of the church and got in her face and was extremely aggressive.

(Online source)

You may be wondering why I went into such depth; the answer is, today BBC pastor Tom Neal is denying his son did anything wrong. Jeff Marcu of First Coast News is reporting in his exclusive FirstPastor Said His Son, Co-Pastor Greg Neal Did Not Videotape Women Getting Undressed:

The founder of the church, Pastor Tom Neal, responded to the allegations against his son exclusively with First Coast News. He said, “I think the evidence that has been seen is not all correct, I think it is tainted somewhat and we are really at a puzzle in our own minds.”

The pastor said other people had access to the camera and his son’s office during that time period in 2001, so he said it could have been someone else who recorded the woman undressing.

“The individual I know that has seen the video said that she hasn’t seen anything like that. And it sounds pretty illogical to me. My son is pretty smart, that sounds pretty illogical.” (Online source)

Wow, all pastor Tom Neal can say is “the evidence that has been seen is not all correct” and he thinks it’s “tainted somewhat”? Sounds like shades of the infamous O.J. Simpson trial where Simpson was shown a picture of him wearing a certain type of shoe and his response was, “those aren’t my pants.”

It also appears that in all this time dad hasn’t bothered to look at the tape himself because notice he says, “The individual I know that has seen the video said that she hasn’t seen anything like that.” And the plots thickens as former BBC deacon Cochran told Marcu:

“Girls changed clothes in his office frequently, and my personal opinion, I don’t believe that was the only videotape.” (Online source)

Unfortunately, way too often in cases like this what Cochran just said turns out to be the case. Stay tuned.

See also:

TONY JONES ARGUES FOR OPEN MARRIAGE AND POLYAMORY

STEVEN FURTICK DOCUMENTARY

ERIK DYKSTRA AND THE CROSSING CHURCH