Russell Tusing Is Another in Long Line of Sexually Perverse Leaders in Sovereign Grace Churches. Sarah Tusing Gets Protective Order & Files for Divorce.
Saturday, April 6, 2024 at 11:47PM Russell Tusing, lead pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in LaGrange, Georgia was arrested, booked, and jailed without bond on March 15 for sexual battery and child molestation of his 13 year old daughter. This is public knowledge.
On March 4 (11 days earlier), his wife, Sarah got a Family Violence Protective Order against him from Judge Markette Baker. That’s because the alleged crimes were reported to the LaGrange Police Department on February 24.
The restraining order was to protect her and her two minor children. There is no doubt Sarah and the molest victim were cooperating with law enforcement and at risk of harm or violence.
Six days after his arrest, Sarah filed for divorce on March 21. That is something she seriously considered nine years earlier. Back then she made plans to divorce Russell and a Standing Order Regarding Domestic Relations was issued. She decided not to follow through on the divorce. More later.
Contrary to the image they have put forward, their marriage has been in a bad way for a long time.
RUSSELL TUSING | PASTOR
Russell has been married to Sarah since 2002, after meeting at Bible College. They have four children together.
But now Sarah has filed a Complaint for Divorce. She cites three reasons: 1) emotional and physical abuse, 2) reasonable apprehension of bodily harm, and 3) arrest and charge for molestation of their daughter.
COMPLAINT FOR DIVORCE
March 21, 2024
Plaintiff is entitled to a divorce from Defendant upon the ground that the marriage between the parties is irretrievably broken, as contemplated by O.C.G.A. § 19-5-3(13), there being no reasonable hope of reconciliation.
a. Plaintiff is additionally entitled to a divorce from Defendant, on the grounds that Defendant has caused emotional and physical abuse such that Plaintiff and the parties’ minor children are in reasonable apprehension of bodily harm.
b. Defendant has been arrested and charged with Child Molestation O.C.G.A 16-6-4 for acts that occurred to the parties’ minor female child.
I’ve written about Tusing before. The church is part of the Sovereign Grace Churches denomination. Below is an excerpt from an email I sent the LaGrange chief of police and a lieutenant.
Russell Tusing, Lead Pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in LaGrange, GA, Arrested for Sexual Battery & Child Molestation
Saturday, March 23, 2024 at 5:32PM
I was one of its founders, served on the Board of Directors for 25 years, and was the #2 leader most of those years. I left as a matter of conscience and have been exposing the organization the past 13 years. It has been a national story all that time. The latest with Russell Tusing comes as no surprise.
Scores of pastors, leaders, and people in the organization have been accused, charged, and found guilty of sex crimes. Those crimes were covered up on a systemic basis. Top Christian leaders like Rachael Denhollander and Dr. Albert Mohler Jr. have spoken out about these atrocities.
Pastors have also been exposed for adultery, voyeurism, sexual assault, and solicitation of prostitution.
I think of John Loftness. He is one of nine regional leaders in Sovereign Grace Churches (SGC) and yet he continues under investigation for his alleged crimes. Three different victims have accused him of sadism and sexual abuse. He is best friends with C.J. Mahaney.
Or Matthew Wassink. He was one of Mahaney’s favorites. He was the senior pastor of Providence Community Church in Lenexa, Kansas. He was also on the SGC Theology Committee and SGC Polity Committee with Mahaney. He was sexually involved with multiple women over a 4 year period that he found on “hook up” sites. His wife caught him. They had two young children.
Then there is Gene Emerson. He was on Mahaney’s apostolic team. He was arrested for the solicitation of prostitution and found guilty. He lyingly claimed he was entrapped by the police. I talked to the arresting officer and the lieutenant who headed up the vice squad. They told me about their video evidence and emphatically said it was “not his first rodeo.”
I could also talk about Nathaniel Morales. He was on Mahaney’s staff for nine months and headed up the International Student Ministry at the University of Maryland. He abused multiple boys in the Covenant Life Church and was sentenced to 40 years. Mahaney and his staff knew about the crimes but did not report them.
You also have men like Jason Reyes. He was senior pastor of Covenant of Grace Church in Copley, OH. His son repeatedly sodomized the younger son of the associate pastor. Mahaney and Mark Prater silenced the victim’s family by using a “hush fund” to pay them monies if they signed a non-disclosure agreement which they did. Mahaney and Prater also moved the family from church to church but never warned people in harm’s way. Reyes’ son assaulted again.
Or a man like Jeff Truesdale. He was a friend of Mahaney and Loftness and one of the most prominent members in the 4,000 person Covenant Life Church. He sexually abused his oldest daughter who sexually abused her younger sister. This was known to Mahaney and Loftness but covered up.
And then there is another friend of Mahaney who was a wealthy business man. His name is Charlie Llewellyn. He and his wife physically and sexually abused their nine children. Mahaney and his staff covered it up.
I could continue with numerous other stories of incest, abuse, infidelity, and perversion in Sovereign Grace Churches. Russell Tusing is just the latest in a long line of perverse hypocrites and deceptive con artists.
SGC-LaGrange was adopted by SGC in 2014. Mark Prater, the top official in the denomination, said this at the time.
“I am deeply honored to announce that Sovereign Grace Church of LaGrange, Georgia is now part of Sovereign Grace Churches! They have pursued a relationship and affiliation with Sovereign Grace for the past several years. After much prayer, discussion, and assessment, the Southeast Region voted unanimously to adopt Sovereign Grace Church of LaGrange a couple of weeks ago. … I’m so glad Russell, his pastoral team, and their church are now a part of the Sovereign Grace family.”
Why was there much prayer and discussion – six years’ worth according to Tusing. And what kind of “assessment” was done? For example of their marriage? At that very time Sarah filed, or planned to file, for divorce and six judges on the Superior Court issued a Standing Order Regarding Domestic Relations Actions.
The Tusing marriage was falling apart when it was adopted in September 2014. Did Sarah back off under pressure? Was it covered up by Mark Prater, Keith Collins, and the local leaders?
Russell was a demanding and heavy handed leader. One member told me, “He was a spiritual Pol Pot with his advisory committee as the Khmer Rouge.” He was the same way at home. It affected all four of his children including his sons who are both in college. There is more I could say but refrain.
The small church also had an unusually high number of people committing adultery and getting divorces. It began with Clay Williams, the founding pastor. He stepped down for adultery the very year the church began in 2010. He was replaced by Tusing.
In addition, the church had a convicted child molester as a deacon. This was known to everyone. He was approved by the pastoral advisory committee and known to Prater and Collins.
Four years after the adoption, this deacon, who was a friend of Tusing, was arrested for the most heinous crimes imaginable. The District Attorney gave notice they would press for life in prison. I will cover that heart wrenching story in my next article.
Mark Prater was a pharmaceutical salesman. While claiming to be a Christian, he sold abortion inducing implants for Norplant and trained abortionists (doctors) how to use them. It was unconscionable. Then he became a pastor.
Now he is Sovereign Grace’s top salesman, I mean top spokesman. Read here. He spends much of his time covering up evil and putting out deceptive spin. For example, he said this about five of the 11 plaintiffs/victims in the 46 page lawsuit against Mahaney, Loftness, Sovereign Grace and others.
“Another five of the plaintiffs made allegations of abuse that were purported to have occurred years earlier. These allegations were sensational.…We strongly believe these allegations to be false.” (Feb. 13, 2018)
Rather than allowing for an independent investigation he just called them liars. More churches left SGC.
After SGC-LaGrange was adopted, Prater made a visit in 2016. Here are his introductory comments. He gives a kind of “look you in the eye” chat in all the churches he visits. There is nothing original. Just “Thanks for sharing the gospel. Thanks for praying. You’re the best. We’re a family.”
Nor is there anything specific except that LaGrange is in southeast Georgia. Wait a minute. LaGrange is in west George on the border of Alabama 300 miles away. That really made me laugh!
Oh, one more thing. “You are a strong individual member” and “God is going to use this church to plant other churches in this part of the United States.” A decade later, they have planted no churches. Rather, they have struggled to survive. So much for hearing from God. Add false prophet to the list.
The Power of the Gospel
Mark Prater
October 9, 2016
Listen, it is really good to be with you this morning. I wanted to come and not only get some time with Russell, but I wanted to come and tell you, as a church, how grateful I am that you are a part of our family of churches. In fact, the primary reason I came here was to tell you personally, to look you in the eye, and say thank you for being part of Sovereign Grace.
You know this, any family is only as strong as its individual members and you are a strong individual member of our family of churches. And so you strengthen us. And I don’t just want to say that generally and I want to give you some specific examples of how you strengthen us.
Just the fact that there is a gospel preaching church here. I’m sure you’re not the only one but one I know who is preaching the gospel faithfully here in the LaGrange area in southeast Georgia.
As I’ve been here, I’ve just had a sense that God is going to use this church to plant other churches in this part of the United States. I believe the Lord is going to use you that way. So that would happen without you being here. Without you loving Christ and his gospel and being willing to tell others about him. So thank you for that.
And then just the prayers were so meaningful. And thanks for praying for Florida and the Bahamas. That’s what families do. They pray for one another. It is another example of how you strengthen us as a family of churches. So thank you for being a part of Sovereign Grace.
Keith Collins is like Prater. He is the lead pastor of Lakeview Christian Center in New Orleans. He also oversees the 12 SGC churches in GA, LA, FL, Bahamas, and Jamaica (there used to be a lot more). He too promoted a high view of Tusing. These men have no discernment. He was even put on the Adjudication Committee for the region.
This is from his introductory remarks before a sermon in 2018.
Encounters with God / Psalm 73
Keith Collins
March 4, 2018
Well, it is great to be back with you guys. Greetings from New Orleans. I was chastised that I didn’t bring any New Orleans food. I’m really sorry about that. I’ll try to work on that the next time.
Greetings from the rest of the region. If you are new to the church here, we are a family of churches, and I get the privilege of connecting with all of our churches in the southeast region which includes southeast United Sates heading down into the Bahamas and then we are about to plant a church in Jamaica as well. So the southeast thing keeps getting farer and farer south and farer and farer east but I do bring you greetings.
We’ve had some great meetings together as a region. Thank you for lending your pastor to us to serve in our region. He does. He serves on our Adjudication Committee. That just tries to help churches navigate through complicated situations that can sometimes arise. All the elders were together in our region in Orlando just about a week and a half ago. So we got some good time together.
“Complicated situations” like pastors who abuse children. The Book of Church Order (BCO) lays out how Sovereign Grace Churches are governed. It is extremely complicated! Nothing like the New Testament.
The Adjudication Committee is now called the Regional Judicial Review Committee. Their responsibilities are found on pages 135-141 in the BCO. Here is an excerpt.
“The Judicial Review Committee will serve as the original adjudicating body for the trial of an accused elder in the case where a local eldership is too small to adequately deal with the matter (cf. BCO-15.1.5).” (p. 136)
This committee should be adjudicating one of their own members: Russell Jon Tusing II. There is no eldership in the church. To adjudicate means to judge the evidence, render a decision about guilt or innocence, and decide punitive measures if guilty.
The BCO also sets down requirements for dealing with sexual abuse by an elder. Tusing is the only elder. He should be under review. But he will never be tried by the Regional Judicial Review Committee though it is required and Prater will never make an announcement regarding his guilt or innocence. Nor will they ever say he was on the elite committee. Silence is golden in SGC. Say as little as possible and never admit fault. Then spin a false narrative.
“In the event that an elder is charged with a crime by civil authorities, the local elders must immediately notify the Chairman of the Regional Judicial Review Committee. The local church’s eldership will appoint one of its member elders as Moderator of Just Cause, or in the case where the local church only has one elder, then the Chairman of the Region’s Judicial Review Committee will appoint one of its members as Moderator of Just Cause. Should the Moderator determine that there is enough evidence to establish just cause for a trial, a corresponding charge must be filed (BCO- 17.3.8) for a local or Regional Panel to evaluate.”
A friend of mine wrote Prater to ask about him making a public statement.
“Reaching out to you to inquire as to when as Executive Director of Sovereign Grace Churches (SGC) and on behalf SGC you will be coming forth publicly to make a statement regarding the sexual battery allegations, arrest and jailing of one of SGC’s Pastors, Russell Jon Tusing II from LaGrange, GA?” (Mar. 27)
Prater responded in pertinent part.
“With the local leaders, we are grieved and shocked by these charges and support their efforts to care for the victim and their family. That is our priority right now. With them, we are also eager to support the efforts of local law enforcement. Additionally, we have communicated the facts of the situation to our pastors so that they can use this information as helpful for their local congregations.” (Mar. 30)
I wrote my friend.
“”Grieved and shocked.” Not a whiff of responsibility. Tusing was a “lead pastor” they vetted and extolled. … I just found out Tusing was on the Regional Judicial Review Committee.” (Mar. 30)
Tusing was lauded and applauded by Prater, Collins and others. Yet he was an arrogant and self-serving leader in his home and church. He also who took great pride in his appearance. He was in love with himself. I am told he worked limited hours a week for the church and spent much of his time in the gym.
But here’s the main point. He was so wickedly selfish he thought it was his perverse prerogative to molest his 13 year old daughter. That reveals a depth of sin and depravity that is going to be evident in other areas of his life.
A few observations.
First, none of the pastors in the southeast region were “paying close attention to his life” which Prater, Collins, et al. boast about all the time.
Second, the local church leaders who did see issues of sin in his life let them go unaddressed, or covered them up, and thereby enabled him. They were evident.
Third, the current leadership team has suspended and restricted Tusing but they have not exercised church disciplined. He has not been rebuked by them, appealed to by the church, excommunicated for not repenting, or turned over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh (see 1 Tim. 5:20-21; Matt. 18:15-17; 1 Cor. 5:1-5). These are public actions not private actions.
Moreover, they referred to his actions as allegations in the only statement they provided to Karli Barnett who is a news anchor and investigative reporter for the Atlanta News First television station. They have given no statement to the LaGrange Daily News or anyone else.
Furthermore, the statement about allegations was made on March 21. That is the same day Sarah filed her Complaint for Divorce saying he “caused emotional and physical abuse” so they “are in reasonable apprehension of bodily harm” in addition to being “arrested and charged with child molestation.”
They’ve had plenty of time to question Tusing in jail, talk to the victim and witnesses, and judge the accusations against him. You don’t postpone church discipline for sins until there is a magisterial conviction for crimes.
Of course, if Tusing was repentant he would plead guilty in court, confess his sin to the church, acknowledge his hypocrisy to the community; and most of all, beg his family’s forgiveness with no expectation of relational restoration.
Instead, he lawyered up and is no doubt working toward a plea deal.
Finally, here are some quotes from Tusing’s sermons just before he was arrested. Good Bible teachers are not necessarily good people. They can be downright evil. That is a hard lesson to learn. They hide behind the appearance of godliness in their public ministry.
Jesus harshest woes of judgement are reserved for Pharisees like Russell Tusing (cf. Matt. 23).
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