Pastor Pleads Guilty To Felony, Refuses To Step Down
Matthew Queen, a pastor at Friendly Avenue Baptist Church and former Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary professor, recently pleaded guilty to a federal charge of providing false information during a sexual abuse investigation. Although he faces a potential five-year sentence, his attorney anticipates a lesser term when sentencing takes place in February 2025. Since his guilty plea, Queen has been on administrative leave from the church, but he has not resigned. Church leaders have been open with congregants about the situation and plan to review his status thoroughly in an upcoming joint committee meeting set for November 2.
Darin Humbard, the chair of the church’s deacon board, explained that the deacon board had created a special committee to examine Queen’s role within the church after the initial charges emerged. Humbard informed the congregation that church leaders met with Queen to discuss his position but could not come to an agreement on his continued role. This meeting, set for early November, will include the deacons and the personnel committee, who are tasked with making a final recommendation regarding Queen’s status.
Interim pastor Chuck Register addressed the church on Sunday, highlighting the biblical qualifications for pastoral leadership. He pointed out that, according to the New Testament, pastors are held to a standard of both divine calling and moral integrity. Register explained that, in his view, Queen’s guilty plea affects his qualifications for pastoral service due to the expectation of an “unblemished character” for those in leadership.
Friendly Avenue Baptist Church has expressed a commitment to transparency and support for its members during this period. Humbard urged the congregation to pray for wisdom and for both the church and the Queen family as they navigate these developments. The church aims to proceed with integrity, hoping to balance compassion with accountability as they finalize their review of Queen’s role.