A pastor who barred church officials
from using Facebook, saying it can lead to adultery, will take a 90-day
sabbatical and return to his post, a church elder announced Sunday. The
decision follows the pastor's admission that he engaged in a three-way
sexual relationship a decade ago.
Leaders at the Living Word Christian Fellowship
Church in Neptune gave the Rev. Cedric Miller a vote of confidence as
the church's spiritual leader during a meeting Monday, Associate
Reverend Linda Parreott said during church services.
The unanimous decision came after "prayer and
thoughtful consideration" by the church's board of elders, along with
recommendations from other local pastors, she said.
Miller announced earlier this week that he would be
"taking some time off" and planned to return to his post at a later
date. He offered to step down after the Asbury Park Press reported on
court testimony he gave in April 2003. In it, he admitted having a
threesome with his wife and a male church assistant and said the
encounters sometimes took place during Thursday Bible study meetings and
Sundays after church.
Church leaders had not commented publicly on his status until Sunday.
"We are confident that Pastor Cedric Miller is the
man that God has chosen to lead this church into our destiny," Parreott
said. "After 90 days, Pastor Cedric Miller will resume his goal to be
senior pastor of this church."
Miller first made headlines earlier this month when
he urged congregants to drop their Facebook accounts because he believes
the social networking site facilitates affairs.
He recently ordered about 50 married church officials to delete their Facebook accounts or resign from their leadership positions. He also suggested that married members of the congregation do the same and said he was deleting his own account.
Miller said he made the request because 20 couples
among the 1,100 members of his flock had run into marital trouble over
the last six months after a spouse connected with an ex-flame over
Facebook.
While addressing his congregation during Sunday's
service, Miller said he has no intention of relinquishing his crusade
against the purported evils of Facebook.
"You want to log on? Log onto God's words," Miller said while holding up the Bible. "Get your face in this book."
Facebook has not commented on Miller's statements about the social networking site.