A Minnesota jury has convicted a former, longtime Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) pastor of sexual misconduct but spared him on the other three sexually related charges.
Bruce Douglas Konold, 63, of Eagan, Minnesota, was convicted on Sept. 9 of criminal sexual conduct in the 4th degree (clergy). He is to return to court on Nov. 22 for sentencing where he faces up to a 10-year sentence and between a $6,000 to $20,000 fine.
The jury acquitted Konold on two charges of criminal sexual conduct in the third and fourth degree, and the judge declared a mistrial on a fourth charge of criminal sexual conduct in the third degree. Online records show 11 of the jurors agreed with one hold-out juror on the charges that were acquitted.
As reported previously in The Roys Report (TRR), Konold was charged with criminal sexual conduct against two women in his former church, Eagan Hills Church.
Konold pastored the C&MA church from 1997 until February 2022. An attorney for Eagan Hills Church, Eric Nystrom, previously told TRR that Konold resigned and retired from ministry in February 2022. The allegations against him became known in March 2022, and he was charged five months later, online records show.
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Clergy sexual abuse experts say any sexualized behavior that happens in a church context, where one person has more power than the other, is abuse. This, compounded with Minnesota’s law prohibiting clergy from having sexual contact with people they are counseling, laid the foundation for Konold’s arrest and subsequent charges.
In the court’s queja, Konold described his relationships with the women as “adulterous.” He also expressed concerns to law enforcement about the church supporting one of the victim’s current mission works, saying, “(I)t was not right that they continue to support an adulteress” and quoting Scripture regarding adulterous women being “stoned.”
Konold admitted having sex with one woman over 100 times and with the second victim 19 times. This occurred at the house of both victims, hotels, vehicles, and on a hunting trip, the complaint states.
He also admitted one of the victims “thought of him as a father figure” and explained that “his conversations are spiritual given that he is considered one of the foremost experts in world religions,” the complaint states.
When the women challenged Konold, he began making suicidal comments and sending the women photos of him holding his gun.
Konold’s wife approached one of the victims, telling her to never show her face again at the church and to disappear completely, according to the criminal complaint.
On March 1, 2022, his wife reportedly sent the victim a message, stating, “Bruce told me everything. I already knew lots of it. His phone is shut off and he will no longer respond to you. I suggest you find someone to help you through this. Do not contact me or my husband.”
Court records show Konold and his wife are now divorced.
Sheila Stogsdill is a freelance print journalist and digital reporter, primarily covering crime issues for KSN/KODE.
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3 Responses
After reading the criminal complaint linked in the article, his behavior seems practiced. Spiked alcoholic drinks to an under-age young woman? Using his pastoral status and church employment as pretenses for isolating the victims? Using threats of sui**** as a manipulation technique? None of that is spontaneous behavior for a 60-something-year-old perpetrator. A person of that age, with that education level, and in that position of trust doesn’t just wake up one morning and suddenly start doing stuff like this two or three years ago.
Good grief. What is it with these Christian leaders?! Well, thinking back over decades in…they tend to be supremely charismatic, self-confident, self-absorbed, malignant narcissists (look it up for a bullet list of traits); they have a divine “call”; they “hear from god” and tell you what was said; they ascribe to a higher law than civil law and don’t have to obey the laws of “men”; they get to counsel you even while sexually abusing you (your fault, not theirs); and they have an interesting take on the truth when it comes to all of their actions and even their use of church funds. Enough said?
So glad to be out. Forever.
Stories too common stun. But each one adds to the heartache. So sad.