The Sidney church announced that it has rejected the pastor's offer to resign after he was arrested on weapons and DUI charges.
On Monday, Fellowship Baptist Church said that it refuses to accept an offer from Pastor Jordan Daniel "J.D." Hall to resign after his recent arrest for charges involving carrying a concealed weapon and several traffic violations while driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. The church attributed the pastor's actions to a vitamin D deficiency.
Hall previously founded the now defunct website Pulpit & Pen and more recently, Protestia, and is a vocal critic of the Southern Baptist Convention and high profile church leaders. According to a Sidney Police Department report reported on by the Sidney Herald, the 40 year old pastor was arrested on May 11 at about 11 p.m. weapons and DUI charges. His DUI arrest came just hours after he issued a threat to "control the mics" and denounced the upcoming Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Anaheim, California in June.
"Dear #SBC2022, me and my boys will control the mics, and rebuke is on the agenda," Hall declared on Twitter. "My attorney will be with me in person and any attempt to silence us will swiftly [be] handled with immediate litigation."
Also Read:Southern Baptist Convention Cuts Ties With Several Churches Over Abuse, LGBT Stance
Pastor Arrested After Performing Poorly in a Sobriety Test and Carrying a Gun
Upon approaching Hall on Wednesday night, police officers who filed the report said that the pastor spoke slowly and exhibited watery eyes, the Christian Post reported. He also closed his eyes slowly and deliberately, while his speech was slurred and mumbled. Hall had also stumbled and displayed poor balance. While no alcohol was found in his system after a blood alcohol test was administered, Hall performed poorly on a field sobriety test.
A Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0 Shield handgun was also found under Hall's coat in an inside-the-waistband holster on the night of his arrest. The pastor is set to appear in the Sidney City Court on June 6 at 9 a.m.
Fellowship Baptist Church Reject Hall's Offer to Resign
The Montana church confirmed that Hall had offered to resign from his position on May 12 "for bringing the stain of rumor upon the church," when news of his DUI arrest made the rounds on social media. However, Fellowship Baptist Church rejected his resignation because they believed he did nothing wrong.
In a statement issued on Monday, Fellowship Baptist Church said that the pastor "tenured his resignation to the church" on Thursday after being charged with DUI the day before. However, there was "no alcohol in his system and he blew 0.0 on the administered breathalyzer." The Montana church added that the police "insisted Pastor Hall failed the administered field sobriety test."
The Montana church continued to explain that Hall suffered from "documented vitamin D deficiency," symptoms of which included "poor coordination, slurred speech, word displacement." Fellowship Baptist Church said that the pastor's struggles with vitamin D deficiency has been known for a time now. Nonetheless, the pastor offered to resign to save the church from further controversy. After a discussion between "three well-respected and Godly pastors of other churches," the Montana church decided to reject the resignation.
Related Article:SBC Mulling Whether Removing Saddleback From Denomination For Ordaining Women Pastors
