Following on my earlier post regarding the problems of some Southern Baptists with a pastor who was still safely in ministry after sexually abusing several girls, here is a story out of South Dakota about an ELCA case. The local TV report, which you can read here, seems to have some element missing, as one would think the denomination would be somewhat more forthcoming. Yet the "official" statement is not terribly enlightening either. So it goes, as they say...

UPDATE: Amazing...The Sun-Times today has a follow-up on the SBC abuser in Illinois--turns out he invited a friend he'd met in prison to lead a special music service at the church. Jeff Hannah's prison pal is now also his neighbor. The music man, Bryan Buckley, was convicted in 1997 of four counts of criminally assaulting a 14-year-old girl over several months while a youth pastor at another church. The head pastor of the church resigned after the paper started asking questions. But he still sees nothing wrong with having two convicted child molesters in ministry. "We're a church that believes in grace and redemption," said Rev. Charles Hamby.