Moorehead May Look To Preach Elsewhere

To hear the Rev. Bob Moorehead tell it, his retirement will be very much like his days as a pastor.

But in similar situations where big-name preachers are caught up in scandal, the luster is never quite the same. Though such ministers have resumed preaching, it's been in less-influential venues.

"God is not finished with my life yet. I will continue to minister and continue to win souls and continue to pray and continue to put the devil in his place," Moorehead told the Overlake Christian Church congregation on Sunday, moments after an elder announced Moorehead's resignation.

Moorehead, who led the state's largest evangelical church for 28 years, said accusations by several men that he had touched them inappropriately in the past had eroded his position in the community.

Moorehead has steadfastly denied the allegations against him, leaving open the possibility he will preach again. Though he might not again minister to such a large congregation, he might indeed preach at other churches.

Moorehead has family connections within a small circle of local evangelical churches.

Two of Overlake's eight daughter churches are operated by Moorehead relatives, providing him with a network of presumably sympathetic congregations. His son, Jeff Moorehead, is pastor of Christ's Church of Federal Way; his son-in-law, Steve Walker, is pastor of Canyon Hills Community Church in Bothell.

Well-known in the Northwest

Moorehead, who built the nondenominational Overlake to a membership of about 6,000, could conceivably broaden his circle beyond his family of churches.

He is well-known in evangelical circles, mostly in the Northwest. He has preached here for Promise Keepers, the Christian organization that sponsors large-scale revivals for men. He is close to several nationally known evangelical leaders, including John Maxwell, founder of Injoy Ministries, an Atlanta-based organization, and Bill Hybels, whose Willow Creek Community Church near Chicago has a membership of about 16,000.

It's not unprecedented for a pastor to continue preaching and drawing supporters despite public scandal. Former televangelists Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker have both maintained their ministries after tawdry sexual liaisons became public.

"I know Jim Bakker and I would call him to preach here," said Jim Gwinn, president of Seattle's Crista Ministries. "I've seen him weep over what he's done wrong and ask for forgiveness."

And there are other, less publicized examples of unexpected comebacks. In May 1995, the Rev. Bradley Hoefs, senior pastor of King of Kings Lutheran Church in Omaha, Neb., was arrested for masturbating outside a public bathroom.

Six months later, the denomination asked Hoefs to step down as head of the 3,700-member congregation. Although Hoefs' conviction was overturned on a technicality, he eventually pleaded no contest and paid a $75 fine.

Hoefs went on to found a nondenominational church called Community of Grace, with about 140 members.

Several pastors may fill in

Although there are no pending charges against Moorehead, the church will announce May 27 a summary of its investigation into his past. His farewell sermon at Overlake is scheduled for June 14.

For Overlake's 13 elders, the next few months will be critical. They refused yesterday to answer questions about Moorehead's resignation.

Whether Moorehead will get severance pay or a pension are "strictly between Bob and the church," said Susanne Rosenkranz, a church spokeswoman. "And the elders feel it's really nobody's business."

Initial plans call for several pastors to fill in until a permanent replacement is found.

Overlake will probably hire a new pastor from another big congregation, said former executive pastor Tim Avery in an earlier interview. It's a job that will likely have considerable challenges.

"What you're doing is asking someone to come in under the most difficult conditions imaginable. There is increased cynicism. Some people are angry, and some people will stand by him (Moorehead)," said Sam Rima, pastor of Eagle Heights Church in Omaha.

Observers from local churches said yesterday they think Moorehead resigned out of concern for his church. Nevertheless, the impact of his resignation is being felt throughout the Christian community.

"All of our jobs got a little harder because of this," said the Rev. Don Ross of North Seattle Christian Church, an Assembly of God church. "We are in a post-Christian society, and this just raises questions about churches, about what they want to accomplish. It raises suspicion about everyone who works in the church."

Doug Murren, a church consultant, cautioned Moorehead's congregation against giving way to bitterness.

"I advise churches in this kind of position to remember they are Christians," Murren said. "To be understanding toward Bob and toward the people who've come forward. For that many incidents to be reported, it's hard to believe there's not some truth there. It's hard to get that many people to conspire. To vilify the people who came forward would be un-Christian and would just make it harder on them."