PRESS RELEASE
Just before Dr. Bob Gray, former pastor of Jacksonville’s Trinity Baptist Church was arrested and charged with capital sexual battery in May of 2006, an associate pastor and counselor, Tony Denton resigned or was fired from the Trinity staff. Gray and his successor Dr. Tom Messer had been warned of Denton’s sordid past in North Carolina, but they hired him anyway! Trinity Church critics consisting of former and present members want to know how the cavalier, even reckless, disregard for innocent youth can be justified by ministers of the Gospel. Church leaders are to protect the sheep from preying wolves not pay wolves to ravage the sheep. Sexual predators should be in prison, not the pulpit.
Gray denied all charges; however, he admitted during his arrest that he had “French kissed” little girls in his church office. He was scheduled for trial in December but died last week of a heart attack. Was he so blind to think his actions did not constitute child molestation? Did he (and his defenders) declare that French kissing little girls is a pastoral perk? How could any Bible-believing Christian remain associated with him or his defending church? Until Trinity officials confess their mishandling of Gray’s discipline, I would not sell them a package of potato chips. So, of course, I would not be a member of the church, send students to their college, give them any money, receive a gift from them, or preach for them. However, I don’t consider them my enemy, only erring friends who need biblical correction.
Tony Denton is an impressive man who has had numerous accusations against him going back to 1977 in Fayetteville, NC where he was the music director in an independent Baptist church pastored by a longtime friend of mine. Tony was very talented and loved by all and was asked to also handle the young people. According to my reports, that is what he did--especially the girls! After he left the Fayetteville church in 1985 to pastor his own church in another NC city, it was revealed that, while in Fayetteville, he reportedly abused two 14-year-old girls, a 12-year-old girl, two 15-year-old girls, and an 18-year-old and was sexually involved with two adult women! Tony was very busy, what with running the youth department, his musical tasks, and his “extracurricular activities.”
While serving at the Fayetteville, NC church, Denton reportedly molested his victims in the church baptistery dressing room, church busses, his home, his office, and other places. It is said that he practiced with a pianist/victim in his office and fondled her breasts while practicing for a church service! On the night he was ordained, one of his victims said to Denton, “I guess this will have to end.” But Denton replied, “No it doesn’t have to end.” He was then immediately ordained! None of the Fayetteville victims knew others were being abused and all were lifetime friends except the two married women. All the alleged abuse took place simultaneously during a nine-year period
When Denton left the Fayetteville church to become pastor of his own church nearby, he continued to molest girls from the Fayetteville church. When two of the victims put their heads together and discussed their molestation, they went to the Fayetteville pastor and dropped their bomb. The pastor then faced Denton about the accusations and he resigned and landed at Trinity Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida where he was hired eventually as a counselor!.......
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