FORT ATKINSON WI - William J. Smith sparked the curiosity of his neighbors almost from the day he moved to Jefferson County last fall. It had been years since anyone had tried to start a church in Fort Atkinson, and Smith's effort was particularly unusual. He installed an altar in his apartment and invited people for daily morning Mass and evening prayers, calling his undertaking "A Vatican-Free Monastic Community." There would be more surprises for neighbors. Smith, 55, was convicted in 1989 of two counts of second- degree sexual assault in Door County for having sex with a 15-year-old boy. Smith was pastor of Christ the King Episcopal Church in Sturgeon Bay at the time. The victim was an altar boy with a learning disability. For the rest of his life, Smith must notify the state of his whereabouts and activities so he can be listed on Wisconsin's sex offender registry ( widocoffenders.org ). State officials say Smith failed to do so, and it is this allegation that no...

Former Pastor Lewis Lee met Elizabeth Thomsen when she was just 12-years old. Cops say that as a true predator, Lee singled her out from the beginning. Elizabeth was the third of six children who worked on the family's dairy farm in Chenango County, in New York. The work load was demanding, so the Thomsen kids were home-schooled by their parents. Marsha and Michael Thomsen also wanted to instill Christian values in their children. So they looked to the Christian Baptist Church for spiritual guidance. Lee was the leader of the small congregation of about 50 members for three years. He conducted the Sunday services with amazing charisma. Lee developed a reputation as a smooth talker, and was known for his dynamic personality, especially with women. He provided spiritual guidance to the community and the members deeply trusted him. Cops say that no one would have guessed that he would eventually lead one their most beloved astray. Cops say Lee manipulated Elizabeth by convincing her...

Roelke to spend 3 years in prison for child sex crimes In a charged hearing, Russell Roelke, a 45-year-old former West Bend youth ministry director originally charged with four counts of child sex crimes, was sentenced Monday to a 14-year prison term by Washington County Circuit Judge Annette Ziegler. Under sentencing guidelines, Roelke will serve three years in the state prison system and the remainder under extended supervision. After the sentence was passed, with audible moans emanating from the large contingent of his supporters, Roelke’s mother collapsed inside the courtroom and was attended to by West Bend paramedics. She was able to walk out of the courtroom later with assistance. Roelke had earlier entered guilty pleas to two counts, one of use of a computer to facilitate a sex crime and one of possession of child pornography. A former youth ministry director at Fifth Avenue Methodist Church in West Bend, Roelke had also been charged with child enticement and exposing a child ...

Noblesville IN -- A former Noblesville minister has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to a felony charge of sexual misconduct with a minor. Bradley Storer, 37, the former youth pastor at Faith Community Church, must serve a two-year prison term imposed by Hamilton Superior Court Judge William Hughes. Under terms of a court order signed Tuesday, Hughes also sentenced Storer to six years of probation and four years of work-release supervision by Hamilton County Community Corrections. Storer was accused of five counts of sexual misconduct with a minor for a sexual relationship he maintained with a teenager in his church youth group. He pleaded guilty to two counts; three were dropped. Evidence of the relationship emerged last year when Storer's wife found computer messages between Storer and his victim, now a 21-year-old woman. She was 14 when the relationship began, authorities said. Noblesville police said the relationship ended when she was 19. Storer was asked to re...

WASHINGTON - The latest fossil unearthed from a human ancestral hot spot in Africa allows scientists to link together the most complete chain of human evolution so far. The 4.2 million-year-old fossil discovered in northeastern Ethiopia helps scientists fill in the gaps of how human ancestors made the giant leap from one species to another. That’s because the newest fossil, the species Australopithecus anamensis, was found in the region of the Middle Awash — where seven other human-like species spanning nearly 6 million years and three major phases of human development were previously discovered. “We just found the chain of evolution, the continuity through time,” study co-author and Ethiopian anthropologist Berhane Asfaw said in a phone interview from Addis Ababa. “One form evolved to another. This is evidence of evolution in one place through time.” The findings were reported Thursday in the scientific journal Nature. The species anamensis is not new, but its location is what helps e...

Original Article Kent Hovind, erstwhile known as "Dr. Dino," has received a bit of bad news. A judge has ruled that he, and the other owners of the Pensacola creationism-themed park called "Dinosaur Adventure Land," are in contempt of court for refusing to recognize the necessity to file building permits for their park. The park has now been closed, and may be torn down if Hovind and his associates continue to refuse to comply with the law. Hovind and associates protested this decision by citing their religious values, but the county commisioners weren't terribly sympathetic. "Scripture also says 'Render unto Caesar what Caesar demands.' And right now, Caesar demands a building permit," County Commission Chairman Mike Whitehead said. Related stories: Did T-rex graze in the Garden of Eden? My Visit to the Cabazon Dinosaurs Second Visit to Cabazon Dinosaurs Videos: Dr. Ken Hovind of the Creation Science Institute vs. Dr. Matthew Rainbow, Profes...

The following is an excerpt of a recent Christianity Today editorial Lonnie Latham , a member of the Southern Baptist Convention executive committee and pastor of a large Tulsa, Oklahoma, church, resigned from both positions in January after police arrested him for allegedly attempting to solicit a male undercover officer for oral sex. Earl Paulk , pastor of an Atlanta-area mega-church, has dodged allegations of sexual impropriety for years. But in August 2005, a female employee sued him, alleging he arranged for his brother and visiting pastors to have sex with her. The International Communion of Charismatic Churches (ICCC)—an association Paulk developed—forced him to resign as archbishop in October. ...stories abound of pastors snared by sexual transgression. The problems transcend theology and ecclesiology. A pervasive culture of sensuality and disregard for communal accountability guarantees that some pastors will struggle with all sorts of sexual temptation. Toss into this mix the...

An early Christian manuscript, including the only known text of what is known as the Gospel of Judas, has surfaced after 1,700 years. The text gives new insights into the relationship of Jesus and the disciple who betrayed him, scholars reported today. In this version, Jesus asked Judas, as a close friend, to sell him out to the authorities, telling Judas he will "exceed" the other disciples by doing so. Though some theologians have hypothesized this, scholars who have studied the new-found text said, this is the first time an ancient document defends the idea. The discovery in the desert of Egypt of the leather-bound papyrus manuscript, and now its translation, was announced by the National Geographic Society at a news conference in Washington. The 26-page Judas text is said to be a copy in Coptic, made around A. D. 300, of the original Gospel of Judas, written in Greek the century before. Terry Garcia, an executive vice president of the geographic society, said the manuscri...

CENTREVILLE, Ala. (AP) — A retired Bibb County pastor charged with murdering his wife six months ago remained jailed on a $1 million bond Tuesday after a judge reduced the amount. Earnie Stokes, 53, had told police that an intruder struck him in the head with a brick and doused him with gasoline before shooting his wife, Syble Stokes, 53, at their home on Sept. 20. Stokes had dialed 911 on a mobile phone while sitting in his truck outside his home. He was arrested and charged with murder Friday and initially was held on a $2 million bond, but it was reduced to $1 million at a Tuesday hearing. "It has been an ongoing investigation since September, and now we have enough evidence to arrest Mr. Stokes," said Cpl. Chris Ellis, a spokesman for the Alabama Department of Public Safety. Neither Ellis nor Centreville police Chief Mike Nichols would discuss the evidence that led to the arrest. Nichols said investigators have not found the gun that was used in the shooting. "We...

Thousands of Christian couples plan to celebrate the occasion of their savior's creation by attending 'conception parties' this weekend, intimate gatherings where the conception of the world's most famous baby is lovingly reenacted. Fans of the pro-life parties say that theirs is a way of livening up the culture of life. But some Christians say that they're uncomfortable celebrating the pregnancy of a teenage girl, even if the father was a heavenly one. Let's party like it's 4 BC By Cole Walters FORT WORTH, TX—While the vast majority of Christians in the US will spend this weekend marking a tragedy—the crucifixion of Jesus Christ upon the cross on Easter Sunday—a small but determined minority plans to celebrate their savior with a bang. Against a backdrop of farmland, city streets, even mountain vistas, this merry band will spend tonight marking not Christ's death, but his conception. They're called 'conception parties,' intimate gatherings w...