Former Music Minister David Pierce Convicted of Child Sex Abuse

Former music minister David Pierce was convicted of child sex abuse on Aug. 27. Pierce, minister of music for 29 years at First Baptist Church in Benton, AR, was originally charged with 54 counts. He accepted a plea agreement to four counts of sexual indecency with a child and will serve 10 years in prison. After his release he will have to register as a sex offender and will be listed as a habitual offender.

In the linked article I found it interesting that a statement made by Pierce includes his minimization of his crimes. It is very important for the body of Christ to understand that there are no “shades” to sexual sin or violation. What Pierce did was not somehow “not so bad” because he never “had sex” with any of the many boys he victimized over the years. Pierce is a convicted serial predator and pedophile. There is no way to soften that reality with delicate words.

If we start grading sin and crime in the church we have gone seriously amiss of the truth. The violation to the body of Christ, in having such an individual in a position of leadership, and to the specific victims who have been harmed beyond words, is astronomical. The minimization of these facts by Pierce and by the senior pastor of Benton’s First Baptist Church, Dr. Rick Grant (who called serial sexual predation and pedophelia against his church members a “circumstance”) is both telling and alarming. Pierce expressed greater concern for his family than for his victims and promptly started talking about the need of others to forgive him, in a prepared statement read by his attorney after his conviction. He also said it was never his intention to harm anyone. Really? Does that make it OK? Over at least a 20-year period he systematically sexually abused children but didn’t mean to hurt anyone? There are a small host of revelations in such a statement – and none of them are good.

An additional sad commentary is that Greg Kirksey, the former pastor of the church and previous president of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention wrote a letter asking the judge for leniency, specifically requesting that Pierce be given no jail time. Kirksey expressed concern for Pierce’s life in prison due to health issues. I find it difficult to grasp why a denominational leader would ask a judge to bypass the reasonable (even minimized under the plea agreement) legal and natural consequences of Pierce’s actions. The Word plainly teaches the law of sowing and reaping. Why is it appropriate to beg for crop failure, especially in light of Pierce’s continued minimization of his actions and his responsibility for them?

It is my hope that if anyone affected by this case should find this blog, you can find some help and additional insight about the issue in the articles in the right sidebar of this site and under the Church Abuse tab. God has hope and help, but it will never be found through denial and minimization.