Fellowship Baptist Church in Sidney, Montana, said it stands behind its pastor, who was arrested on a driving under the influence charge, and will not accept his resignation.
According to The Christian Post, Pastor Jordan Daniel “J.D.” Hall had asked to resign from the church after he was arrested by Sidney Police on suspicion of carrying a concealed weapon and driving while under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
His arrest came just hours after he tweeted a threat to “control the mics” at the upcoming Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Anaheim, California.
“Dear #SBC2022, me and my boys will control the mics, and rebuke is on the agenda,” he tweeted. “My attorney will be with me in person, and any attempt to silence us will swiftly (be) handled with immediate litigation.”
Dear #SBC2022, me and my boys will control the mics, and rebuke is on the agenda.
— Jordan Hall | The Boot Wearing Preacher (@GideonKnox2) May 11, 2022
My attorney will be with me in person and any attempt to silence us will swiftly handled with immediate litigation.#changethedirection
Hall is a longtime critic of the SBC, previously authoring a blog called Pulpit & Pen.
According to the police report, Hall spoke slowly and slurred as he talked with officers on the night of his arrest. Police said he stumbled, displayed poor balance and performed poorly on a field sobriety test.
A blood alcohol test, however, found no trace of alcohol in his system.
Here's the initial report from the Sidney Police Department's arrest of far-right Montana pastor JD Hall for DUI and carrying a concealed weapon while intoxicated. I have received no charging document yet from the local prosecutor. pic.twitter.com/cj0fPdwwIZ
— Hunter Pauli (@paulimeth) May 16, 2022
According to the police report, Hall also had a handgun under his coat in a holster at the time of the arrest.
But Fellowship Baptist Church said in a statement that they believe Hall is innocent. He offered his resignation willingly “for bringing the stain of rumor upon the church.”
“Pastor Hall tenured his resignation to the church Thursday after being charged with DUI on Wednesday evening,” the church said. “There was no alcohol in his system.
“Pastor Hall has suffered from documented vitamin D deficiency, which can result in poor coordination, slurred speech, word displacement, etc. This medical issue has been discussed openly for some time and has been the subject of our church’s prayers.”
The church has asked Hall to take at least three months off from work.
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Caspar Benson
Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner.
