BREAKING – Longtime Youth Minister under cloud of suspicion for alleged sexual misconduct

If there were rumors about Brazelle for years in Sheffield that he was a pedophile, church members/officals had to of heard them at one time or another over 2 decades. Someone's head should roll for not investigating this man in the last 20 years. I suppose if that group of 6 people hadn't taken it on themselve's to investigate, this man would still be part of that church doing

what he does?

A sad business.  When will the Times Daily provide its report?

I tend to agree. Somebody probably knew or at least had an idea about what was going on. What is it about a church/ religious setting that makes pedophiles want to join and do their dirty business/ work among them? I've wondered this for years. I am no longer surprised when another one of these stories breaks. It's becoming an every week type thing. 

Probably if and when it becomes news and not gossip.

Time will certainly tell. Stay tuned. 

_______

So it's gossip if reported somewhere else, but it's news if it's reported in the Times Daily?

Presumably the TD has creditability and journalistic standards.

Originally Posted by Seven:

Can you name any organization that would want that kind of publicity?

The Quad Cities people would chance being sued for printing a story that's not true?

I get what you are saying and it applies to many other organizations as well. Look at Penn State. It's painfully obvious they didn't want or need this type of publicity either but looking the other way is not going to make stuff like this go away. It only prolongs the inevitable. 

As Barney Fife used to say "Nip it in the bud"!

________

I didn't say they would want the publicity but if you know or hear that a pedofile is in your church, much less an employee, you do whatever it takes to protect the children.

I think I'll contact the church tomorrow & ask if it's true.

It would make good fodder some fake indignation in your daily railings against the church.  Has anyone considered that the people allegedly molested might not want the publicity either?

Not sure what you are saying with the "It would make good fodder some fake indignation in your daily railings against the church." I will assume that that statement was meant for semi. I have no idea what it means anyway. 

I am sorry Chuck but once it hits the news whether it be internet or tv or newspaper then it is fair game and public knowledge. People have a right to know. Again just want to say time will tell. If the man is innocent we will see. If he is not we will eventually see that too. Calm down! You have to give these things time. 

Leaving room for the possibility that Oliver is innocent, I must say that I am highly disappointed.

Not because Oliver was a Man of God, I have no faith in them, but because I've known him all my life.  He was my Youth Minister.  I loved and respected him.  For the record, he never touched me or showed me any sort of impropriety.

What does it say about Christianity that people steeped in its influence, such as the evil army of Catholic priests who prey on children, are, to say the least, no less resistant to perverse temptations than non-Christians?  Is Christianity that feeble in its attempts to form moral lives?

I'm a member of a large, and growing, atheist community.  We seem to be somewhat obsessed with morality.  My atheist family is not perfect; we are human, after all.  Still, prison populations are about 2% atheist, while the country at large is 20% atheist.

I'm not saying that Christianity leads to immorality, but it dammm sure seems to have nothing to prevent it.

DF

Sorry to hear that DF. I'm sure it is indeed disappointing. 

 Longtime Youth Minister under cloud of suspicion for alleged sexual misconduct

*Yawn*

"Told ya so."

Next.

Just shows the hyprocacy among thoes that would draw a bias line through human behavior...all of us on "god's" side are good, and we'll do everything possible to hide any dirty laundry. When you base everything on a lie, what's one more to maintaim the image.

The important thing is we can all use these kids misfortune to advance our own agendas.

The REASON there are pedophiles in churches is the same reason there are pedophiles in schools and Scouting, and yes, in other organiazations like Sandusky's. It is because they have easy access to lots of KIDS. Religion didn't make these people into pedophiles any more than the schools or the Scouts did.

If you want food, you go to the grocery store because that is where the food is. If you want to abuse kids, you go to where the kids are. QED.

And the coverups happen in all of these organizations, not just the churches. In every case, those coverups are wrong, but to say one group is more wrong than another is silly. Anyone who hurts kids is a monster, and anyone who covers it up is complicit.

And what agenda would that be? 

I agree with everything you've said here. I never said that religion turns people into pedophiles. I'm sorry if you got that impression from me because I certainly wasn't saying that. Of course it happens everywhere. You are spot on that they go where the kids are. I guess like seeweed was saying when it happens in a church it is just so much more sickening. 

Well said.

Apparently today.

http://timesdaily.com/stories/...-allegations-,193586

It's hard to believe that only one person on this blog has admitted to even knowing Oliver.  I grew up in Nashville, and I knew him in the early 1960's from visiting cousins in Sheffield.  Oliver's been the premier choir director in the Shoals for many, many years.   He was Boy Scout troop leader to about every scout that ever came out of Sheffield. 

Oliver's expected to have a large number of supporters.  This will be an interesting legal proceeding.

Maybe we blocked it out!

If the evidence exonerates Oliver, I'll be the first man in his camp.  Let's let the investigations answer the allegations.

DF

Going to be a interesting small town case if it goes to trial.  Do you think someone locally would defend him?

Never saw this behavior in their youth choir in the late 50s. Sad story, whether true, or not. Ruined lives, the same. 

Another side to this is what if he is found to be innocent? What the impact of being accused of being a pedophile will be like for him, his re p u t a tion and life in general after the dust settles. There are always 2 or 3 sides to every story. 

Everyone in this world has a natural lifespan.  Every person working in their job has a time to "go to the house."  For many people, retirement age is 65 years old.  For many in uncertain economic times, you're sent "to the house" at age 55 by companies wanting less expensive, less experienced employees.

Oliver has always been the most youthful man for his age I've ever seen.  But he didn't need to keep on working until he was 78 years old.   Old, conservative congregations need new blood every few years to shake'em up and bring new life.

I hate that Oliver's going to have to face these charges in the twilight of his life.  I just hope they're not true.

I also hope First Methodist Sheffield can weather such circumstances.  Churches in Sheffield are not exactly overflowing with members right now--with poor economic times and a vastly changing society moving into this city's sub-prime housing.

_______________

Very difficult to show malicious intent.

__________

Deep, I'm sorry that this happened to your friend. I know a person is innocent until proven guilty, but I just assumed that if the church would go so far as to fire him before his guilt was proven, then the church had something that they knew to be a sure thing. 
If he is proven to be innocent, the church should give a public apology on the front page of the paper, & even that may not be enough.

The national leadership of the Boy Scouts of America recently voted down an initiative by some of its members that would have allowed known homosexuals to be scout leaders.  They had very good reason to do this.

I also grew up in Sheffield FUMC and Oliver was my youth minister.  DF and I are the same age, and I also have known Oliver all my life.  I'll reiterate what DF said: that I loved and respected Oliver and that he never displayed any impropriety of any kind around me or anyone else that I ever heard of.  I was very disappointed and sickened to hear this news as well.  And I still have several family members that are active there that are quite disturbed by this.  But now that he, apparently, has admitted to at least one "inappropriate relationship", I say let the chips fall where they may. 

This is a helll of a mess and it'll get worse before it gets better.

Why in the world would that Church’s bishop just restrict Brazelle from choir directorship with young people after he was accused of inappropriate sexual contact in the 1970's?

1970's? Knowing of his inappropriate sexual behavior, they only restricted him??

Does anyone see anything wrong with that picture?

I suspect the reason is there was no actual victim identified, only rumor.  

The second most heinous piece of this story is that the bishop knew of these allegations years ago. He chose to move him to a ministry that didn't involve kids. Very typical of the church, sadly.

That bishop, assuming the allegations are true, should also do hard time.