Youth Pastor Suspended for Handing Out ‘I Heart Hot Youth Pastors’ Stickers Returns from Administrative Leave
A Southern Baptist youth pastor who was previously placed on administrative leave for giving teens “I ♥ Hot Youth Pastors” stickers has returned from suspension.
As Christian Headlines previously reported, Cory Wall, the student pastor at Fairview Baptist Church of Greer, South Carolina, was put on administrative leave last October for giving teens the stickers.
At the time, the church said Wall made “a poor decision and a mistake by making a sticker available that was offensive to some.”
According to The Roys Report, Wall is still listed as Fairview Greer’s student pastor. This week, he even posted information about the church’s student ministry.
Meanwhile, Fairview Greer’s former children’s, families and administrative pastor quit in December. The church’s former lead pastor retired in January.
Shipes, the now former children’s/families pastor and administrator, resigned on Dec. 18 without specifying what events caused him to step away.
“The events that have happened are in conflict with my convictions, and now I have conflict in leadership,” Shipes wrote in a letter to the church. “Therefore, as with Abraham and Lot, I have to separate myself to allow God to continue to use me by removing myself out of the conflict.”
He had served at Fairview Greer since 2017.
In January, Eddie Leopard retired as Fairview Greer’s lead pastor after nearly 10 years.
“However, I do not feel that I can continue to effectively lead this Church or our Church staff,” he wrote to the church. “I feel that Fairview needs new and vibrant leadership to steer her toward the future.”
Before returning, he considered waiting to retire until a succession plan was made and remaining on an interim basis post-retirement.
Wall was appointed Fairview Greer’s student pastor in January 2022. Before that, he worked at Northbrook Baptist Church in Boiling Springs, South Carolina, since 2015.
Last Wednesday, Fairview Greer announced that it had appointed an interim children’s director and an interim administrative pastor.
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Brian A. Jackson
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for Christian Headlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
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