A controversial Montana pastor who founded a conservative Christian polemics website has admitted to publishing a false story about a trans activist.
Jordan “J.D.” Hall, best known as the voice of the Pulpit&Pen, which was later renamed Protestia, was sued last year for libel after another one of his publications, the Montana Gazette, published a story about Adrian Jawort, a Native American activist. In that story, Hall had called Jawort a “transvestite Goth” and accused Jawort of threatening a state senator.
As part of a settlement, Hall admitted the story was fabricated and apologized, according to the Great Falls Tribune. The libel suit was dismissed, with the agreement Jawort will be able to make a claim of $250,000 against Hall, who is currently in bankruptcy.
Hall also posted a note on the Montana Gazette website.
“I apologize to Adrian Jawort,” he wrote. “The information I published about Adrian was false. Adrian did not threaten or harass Senator Butch Gillespie. I regret the error and sincerely apologize to Adrian for publishing it.”
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Hall, who has spent years warning that liberals were taking over the Southern Baptist Convention and other evangelical churches, was arrested in mid-May on DUI and weapons charges. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges and has claimed he suffers from a vitamin deficiency.
After his arrest, Hall offered to resign as pastor of Fellowship Baptist, according to a statement posted on the church website May 16, for “bringing the stain of rumor upon the church.”
The church rejected his resignation but announced it has put Hall on leave for three months and he cannot return to the pastorate without the approval of his wife.
“The congregation spoke openly to assure Pastor Hall he should not be ashamed, that we do not care what the world thinks, as we know the truth,” the church said in a statement.
Bob Smietana is a national reporter for Religion News Service.
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13 Responses
Wait, the church REJECTED his resignation? I guess since his offence checks the right boxes (against a social justice warrior/activist – check!, against a member of the trans community – check!), it’s ok.
Yet another reason why we are losing our influence in this world. SHAMEFUL.
Marin,
Regarding hypocrisy when church deals with offenses by pastors against out-groups I’m inclined to expect such behavior. However, to be fair -as far as I know- JD’s church’s rejection of his resignation followed his DUI which they maintain is a mistake on the part of law enforcement mistaking a known medical issue for intoxication.
I’m sure there will be more on that front and the main subject of this current article, but I don’t think his church has yet spoken on this particular instance of untruthfulness.
He tendered his resignation over a recent DUI arrest and charges. The church said it was due to vitamin D deficiency, since no alcohol was detected by the breathalyzer. His next court date is in July and other than that there’s no info.
By the way, I’ve got to believe he knew this settlement was coming, including his admission of guilt. When his church rejected his resignation, according to their website, Hall “cautioned [them] solemnly to be ready for what enemies of Christ would do with his situation and to brace themselves.”
I would not count on his church or readers holding him accountable for this.
I’m with you that we don’t embitter those we would seek to reach with the gospel, but ‘trans community’? As a homosexual commentator (Douglas Murray) has said, there is no ‘community’ of transsexuals, or as we should say these days transgenderists. The ‘community’ is a political fabrication for rhetorical purposes. Each person has to be regarded as an individual.
I have to agree. My late brother was a bisexual in 1980s NYC. He told me about the finger-wagging lectures he got from gay men who insisted he was gay, not bisexual. He was just confused, they said. Eventually he died of aids-related cancer at 43. But now the LGBTQ ‘ers have posthumously admitted him to their little club , much like the Pharisees graciously admitted the prophets who their ancestors stoned to death. How nice!
Just more irresponsibility – standard evangelical characteristics – as opposed to “judging those within” – to which we are called (1Cor5:12,13).
Yawn – no surprise – immorality and corruption – especially from those setting themselves up in the throne of God “to judge those without” – contrary to 1Cor5:12,13.
I’m a political conservative, but this guy’s writings are off the wall. Someone commented his blog should be called the poison pen, lol. That would be more appropriate!
This man’s congregation are completely ignorant about the scriptures. Liars do not enter the Kingdom and they are never really Christians:
“Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.” – highlight VERBAL ABUSERS
“But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” – highlight ALL LIARS
This man is a snake and is still being condemned by the likes of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ.
Well…not if they repent. I would hope you are praying for that.
So… if you make up one story your a bad person. I agree. But if you make up a popular book of false stories, the ol ‘ cash register begins to ring, and the Christian publishers chant softly,” Gospel product! Gospel Product! Gospel Product! “. Bad timing to condemn Hall and gush over Young in the same column.
I know little of him but I have started reading some articles on Protestia and have watched some of their (not his) videos on YouTube. My takeaway from this article though is that yet again this website uses misleading and sometimes outright incorrect headlines often undermined by the actual article. He never admitted to fabricating the story! He apologized for being wrong. Vastly different. Both wrong but one shows intent, the other may not. Do better Julieroys.com. Enough with the National Enquirer headlines. Do not do what you accuse others of doing.
J.D. Hall is a Calvinist and preaches Reformed Theology. Calvinism is closer to Catholicism than to Christianity. Catholics tortured and killed Christians during the Inquisition. Martin Luther and John Calvin both started out as Catholic priests and after the Reformation they still held to Catholic doctrines and Augustine who was a Catholic. Martin Luther and John Calvin ended up torturing and killing Christians after the Reformation. Many reformers were Christians who were never a part of Catholicism. As for Calvinism, when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle, John Calvin was only nine years old, though that hasn’t stopped Calvinists from trying to take credit for the Reformation.
Everyone should watch the YouTube video by Robert Breaker: Why I am not a Calvinist!
And watch truthclips YouTube upload: Dave Hunt – What Love is This? (Calvinism’s misrepresentation of God)
I’d agree with your view of Calvinism (the result of a Stoic reading Paul, IMO), but it is no way a Catholic doctrine! Unfortunately the big reformation didn’t happen: removal of the exclusive priesthood of the guy at the front. That’s the problem the church still has, the one man (or woman) as commander.