Fort Worth church fires pastor over false claim of viewing inappropriate images: lawyer
A pastor was wrongfully let go from his position at a Fort Worth church due to baseless allegations of looking at inappropriate images, his attorney says.
Scott Crenshaw was terminated as senior pastor at Lake Country Church about two weeks ago, his attorney, Mark Lane, confirmed.
Crenshaw “has not looked at any inappropriate images. That is an absolutely baseless claim on behalf of the elders,” Lane said.
“They’ve engaged in nothing but rumor mill and scandalous discussion with employees with malice,” the attorney said.
Crenshaw joined Lake Country’s leadership in 2018 and was instated as its senior pastor two years later. This came after he was let go from serving as a senior pastor at New River Fellowship Church in Parker County in 2016.
In a statement at the time, Crenshaw said he viewed inappropriate images on his church computer at New River Fellowship.
According to a statement issued by New River Fellowship’s elders, Crenshaw agreed to seek counseling, the Star-Telegram reported in 2016.
When asked Wednesday about his termination at New River Fellowship, Lane said, the prior issue “from a church eight years is not relevant to today.”
Lane intends on sending a letter to Lake Country Church and two other individuals possibly involved to seek a public statement of apology from the elders and to restore Crenshaw’s position.
“It’s horrible to destroy a man’s career,” Lane said in a phone interview.
He is also seeking compensation for damages caused by the allegations, according to Lane.
When the elders were first made aware of the allegations, they initially offered for Crenshaw to take a 60-day sabbatical in his support, Lane told the Star-Telegram. The elders then rescinded their offer, offering a 90-day leave of absence. Two days after the offer for him to temporarily step down, Crenshaw was fired, according to Lane.
In response to the Star-Telegram’s email request for a statement, Lake Country replied with, “I have no comment.”
Crenshaw’s release from the church comes after an exodus of North Texas pastors took place throughout the summer of 2024.
Resignations and terminations began when Gateway Church’s founder and senior pastor Robert Morris resigned in June. In a statement to church officials, Morris admitted to sexually abusing a girl decades earlier. The woman, Cindy Clemishire, who is now in her 50s, told media sources that the abuse took place in the ‘80s and ‘90s in Oklahoma and Texas beginning when she was 12 years old and Morris was in his 20s.
This story was originally published September 18, 2024 at 6:45 PM.
