Rhone: Sex offender no longer attends First Church of the Nazarene
Pastor David Rhone of First Church of the Nazarene called to emphasize the sex offender who is at the center of the current church-city controversy no longer attends the church and has moved to another community.
On Tuesday, City Attorney James F. Penman sent investigators to the church to pass out fliers headlined "Notification of convicted and registered sex offender in your area."
Rhone maintains that not only was the sex offender repentant and no longer dangerous, but no longer performs work at nor attends services at First Church of the Nazarene.
"They may as well be handing out a picture of a sex offender in New Jersey," Rhone said.
The offender according to the state's Megan's Law Web site, was convicted of incest and lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14.
First Church of the Nazarene hosts the city's central area Operation Phoenix youth center, which was managed by Mike Miller until Miller's arrest on suspicion of child molestation in July 2008. Miller has pleaded not guilty and his case is pending through the local court system.
Police say an investigation determined the sex offender did not pose a danger to children when he performed work at the church, which is also the site of a preschool and a charter school. Nevertheless, the City Council voted Monday to demand that the church ban registered sex offenders from its property or stop receiving rent to host the Operation Phoenix center.
Rhone said the church does not technically receive rent payments, but does receive city assistance in its utility payments in exchange for allowing the center on its property. Rhone said those payments range from $300 to $1,200 per month.
He said that instead of collecting rent, the church accepted assistance from the nonprofit Operation Phoenix foundation to convert old sanctuary space into a gymnasium.
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Andrew Edwards. E-mail Andrew here.
The only cure for a pedophile is a bullet through the head. Rhone needs to ban all sexual predators from his church if he's going to have children there.
BTW, is the cross there made out of legos? Pedophiles keep popping up around Morris' spiffy little project. Maybe he doesn't need to be mayor if he feels it's okay for sexual predators to hang out at his children's centers...but only if they say they're really, really sorry.
on 09-25-07, this church got $1,300.00 from the mayor's "Community Foundation" charity.
Also, "the community foundation" gave $8,150.00 to the "Office of the Mayor" on 03-21-07.
Who said he was a charitable man, again? Suuure, he doesn't get paid for his "non-profits." How many other kickbacks does he get?
Once again Mayor Morris has demonstrated he is clueless as to just what is ongoing at HIS Phoenix Centers. These Centers are his idea and can be measured by the unbelievable sequence of events (criminal and embarrassing) that have taken place inside and by the hand selected individuals he put in place to run and oversee the day-to day events. Convicted sex offenders (parolee’s??) fit the Mayors game plan on saving the world.
This parallels the way the City has been run and where the priorities have been placed over the last 4 LONG years. November promises a CHANGE, let’s hope it happens!
If anyone with half a brain goes out to Meagan's Law website you will find the map of San Bernardino looks like the worst case of chicken pox in the history of mankind.........each red dot indicates a sex offender. Penman is raising a fit over one "red dot" that hasn't lived here if 2 months? Oh wait it is election year and he has to try and make the Mayor look bad! What Penman hasn't figured out is that it only makes himself look bad.
Well said "Here we go again".
The pedulum swings both ways. If you all want registered sex offenders around your Sunday school kids, your pre-school kids and your elementary school kids, then maybe there oughta be a dot where you live. You cannot be serious that you think this is an election stunt. Law Enforcement isn't done with this dude yet, nor with Rhone for hiring him and allowing him free roam on the campus. I guess if Penman NEVER considered this a public safety issue in past years, you might have a point, but that per the record, is NOT the case. There are multiple events where Penman felt so strongly that the public should be notified, he has gone and made it happen, election year or not. But Penman critics will spin anything to be what it is not. Beware, more hype is coming. But both sides better beware of rumors seeming like the truth. Court clerks/reporters unite against harrassing judges.
KEEP OUR CHILDREN SAFE!
When Governor Schwarzenegger proposed the toughest SEX OFFENDER LAWS IN THE HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA...what does that tell you about SEX AGANIST OUR CHILDREN it is getting out of hand! We as parents, teacher, police and PASTORS need to be responsable, and start opening our eyes and do something about this sick crime, that are HURTING OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURE. Keep MEAGAN'S LAW WEBSITES ON YOUR BOOKMARKS, and ever so offend look at it.
Please check it for your children or grandchildren, Take care and God bless.