Deep Thoughts: Pastor Robert Dando arrested

Friday, August 13, 2010

Pastor Robert Dando arrested

Baptist pastor Robert Dando was arrested in Oakton, Va, on child molestation charges. His wife is vice president of the Boy’s Brigade. Um… I don’t like where this is heading.

He is charged with four counts of aggravated sexual battery of a victim under 13. A spokesman for the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office said Dando is being held without bond in the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. His next court date is Sept. 23 at the Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

Amanda Allchorn, head of communications for the Baptist Union of Great Britain, said in a statement on behalf of the congregation that Dando "has tendered his resignation from Worcester Park Baptist Church with immediate effect." She said the church and Dando's family "would welcome some space at this difficult time."

Read more…

This is a first, Dando is a British Baptist. I thought Baptists were an American thing. We export them to other industrialized nations too?

Technorati Tags: Pedophiles,Baptists,Clergy Sexual Abuse

Comments (19)

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Terry · 766 weeks ago

Who exported the Baptist Church to whom?

"Historians trace the earliest Baptist church back to 1609 in Amsterdam, with English Separatist John Smyth as its pastor. In accordance with his reading of the New Testament, he rejected baptism of infants and instituted baptism only of believing adults. Baptist practice spread to England. Here, the General Baptists considered Christ's atonement to extend to all people, while the Particular Baptists believed that it extended only to the elect. In 1639, Roger Williams established the first Baptist congregation in the American colonies. In the mid-1700s, the Great Awakening increased Baptist growth. Baptist missionaries have spread their church to every continent." - See Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baptists

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Alex · 765 weeks ago

If you are going to call your blog Deep Thoughts you could take the trouble to find out that Baptists - and most else for that matter - did not begin in the colonies.

No Thought comes to mind.

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Mojoey 107p · 765 weeks ago

wow - a zinger. I've already admitted my ignorance. But I guess a pile on is on order.

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Mojoey 107p · 765 weeks ago

wow - a zinger. I've already admitted my ignorance. But I guess a pile on is on order.

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PassingBy · 765 weeks ago

If you're admitting that you're ignorant on the topic, then why do you feel the need to comment? You've probably heard the term "Baptist" in pop media connected with some outrageous behavior in America by people who've chosen to refer to themselves as Baptists (I will not lend them any credibility by naming them here). Please note that at its core, the Baptist church is grass-roots driven. As for the accused - whatever his faith, he deserves to be punished.

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Owen Mitchell · 765 weeks ago

Im 14 and he was my primary school govenor and now hes being arrested i think he should go to prison

3 replies · active 416 weeks ago

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Mojoey 107p · 765 weeks ago

I'm sure he will.

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Andrew Willetts · 630 weeks ago

Wow, you knew Robert? I was the oldest of the two brothers that wore a wire to put him away three years ago. Civil court case is still looming like a dark cloud through our family because of the amount meeting with lawyers etc. we constantly have, as well as that I jumped a train and loss my leg but not my life. My parents themselves both pastors, and this has been extremely tough for all of us (like our family changed, grew dark). I grew up thinking they were "in on it:. Ruined a lot of my childhood. And still haunts me nearly every day. He was such a pompous prick, always buying presents and openly exclaiming things like, "You could go shopping on your daddy's credit card which has a 1,000 dollar limit, or you could come with me, which has no limit". It still sticks in my head today as something that really messed with my head, having to hear this jackass saying that he was better than my dad and my dad didn't say a thing being the good man he is, and because was Rob was my mothers childhood friend from Youth Group. Right now I'm at a loss at what to do. First time I've started looking things up online in 3 years.

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Sue · 416 weeks ago

Oh Andrew, message me. I was his girlfriend.

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Friend · 764 weeks ago

What separates those of us who call themselves followers of Christ from those who claim there is no God is not any innate capacity to be more holy than anyone else. Nor can Atheists claim any higher moral ground for not having assumed any religious conviction, as if that made them somehow more enlightened, and therefore better human beings. The difference is that in calling ourselves followers of Christ we take on the repsonsbility of displaying a greater sense of morality and ethics, and when we fail we have to accept a greater sense of revolt coming from those around us. Atheists do not have that responsbility. The law they have to face is only the same judiciary which fortunately both Christians and Atheists have to face. Popular revolt is rightly reserved for those who should be faithful to the Christ they follow, but fail.
However, there is a strange twist of logic that allows the humanist ideology to use the existence of evil to disprove the existence of God, whereas the immense ammount of good which is done by humans of all religious persuasions is rarely used by the same theorists to prove the existence of a higher moral being or force which powers humans in those moments of doing good.
I am deeply disrurbed by child abuse, especially when perpetuated by those whom society has trusted. But it doesn´t really make any difference to the existence of God debate whether it´s done by Christians or not. It´s just wrong. As the Bible itself teaches us.

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RufusHS · 764 weeks ago

I always thought it was 'Innocent till proven guilty'. Let's wait and see the outcome of the trial before condemning him to hell in advance of justice being done.

3 replies · active 416 weeks ago

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Mojoey 107p · 764 weeks ago

Innocent until proven guilty it the eyes of he law. In the court of public opinion, we get to make up our own minds.

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Andrew Willetts · 630 weeks ago

He did it to me. He is guilty as hell.

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Sue · 416 weeks ago

Oh Andrew! message me! X

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Paul Addison · 761 weeks ago

anyone got any update from the court?

3 replies · active 592 weeks ago

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guest · 718 weeks ago

he got 8 years not long enough. He also abused children in UK but has not been charged for this. Churches need to get tighter on who they allow to be ministers and train to be ministers and I know someone else who is training and has been involved in this situation and could have stopped a lot of the abuse had they listened to their own children. Not a good sign of being a minister or a christian is it!

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Andrew Willetts · 630 weeks ago

I'm the oldest of the two brothers who put Robert away. Would you mind e-mailing me at andrew.willettts@hotmail.com. I and my whole family are curious as to who could have stopped this. We are now in a serious civil suit which has shown A LOT of covering up. Thank you.

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Sue · 592 weeks ago

Hi Andrew, hav tried to email, but won't send. Is your mom Beth? Who was a student with Robert in Cardiff? Sue

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Sue · 416 weeks ago

andrew, please message me

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