1. Doggone it – The pastor and the pooch
Russell Grenning
The Windermere BaptistConferenceCenterinthe USA State of Missouri islookingfora new CEO.
The formerCEO, Jerald(Jerry) Hill,56,hasbeenfiredafterbeingarrestedonasex charge whichis
nothingparticularlynew –there hasbeena longlistof American fundamentalistpreachersarrested
and chargedfor whatmightbe calleddelicately“inappropriate”extra-marital affairs.Butthisis
rather different–Hill wasarrestedbecause he wasseekingsex withadog.
Yes,a dog– although,tobe fair,we shouldassume thatit wasactuallya bitchhe waswantingand
not a male of the speciesbecause Hill andhisChurchstronglycondemnhomosexual relationships.
For more than one reason,Hill – a formerlawyer– isnot sharpestknife inthe drawer.
It has emergedthathislocal Sheriff’sDepartmentwastippedoff thataman had advertisedonthe
Craigslist website thathe waslookingfortwotypesof animalsforsex. Earlierthismonth,an
undercoverdetective contactedHillbyemail offeringadog – presumablythe genderof the animal
was leftopengiventhatthe advertiserhadn’tspecifiedwhichgender he wanted –and they
arrangedto meet. Itis reasonable toassume whateverthe genderof the canine,Hill hadinmindthe
doggyposition.
Justwhy he didn’tvisitthe local poundremainsamysteryalthoughperhapsfromhisperspective
that couldbe regardedas a brothel.Andmaybe he wantedavirgin.
So keenwasHill,he drove more than160 kmfor the meeting.He waspromptlyarrested –couldyou
say “collared’? - chargedandbailedtoappearin court at a yet tobe determineddate. I’mnotsure
whatthe penaltyisinMissouri isforhavingor justtryingto arrange sex withandog but itseems
that Hill couldhardlybe describedasa Bible-believingChristiangiventhatExodus22.19 states
unequivocally, “Whosoeverliethwitha beastshall surely be put to death”.
The Chairmanof the Board of Windermere,ArthurMallory,wasquicktospringintoactionsaying
that, “The Board is very supportive of (Hill)and gratefulforhisworkat Windermere.We are
concerned forthe well-being of Jerry ...and we are also concerned with the well-being of
Windermere.Windermere will continueto function in a good way ...it is a significantpart of God’s
work.”
Windermere,foundedin1957, is a lavishandever-growingresortwithastrongfundamentalist
theme offeringaccommodationfromfive-starroomstocampingfacilities.Itboastsmore thanone
millionhave stayedtheresince itsfoundationandthatitisa “Christ-centered resortand conference
center” where visitorscan“experiencethe beauty of God’screation”. I couldn’tsee onthe website if
guestscouldbringtheirpetsor notwhich,inretrospect,wasprobablya wise move.
Its website boaststhatitis “surrounded by morethan 1,500 acres of pristine forestfilled with deer,
wild turkey,eaglesand a hostof other wildlife” which,againpresumably,heldnoromantic
attractionfor Hill.The arrestingpolice saidthatHill wasseekingtwotypesof animal forhis
anticipatedtrystalthoughtheydeclinedtoidentifythe secondspecies.

2. What is plain – well apparently plain–isthat deer,wildturkey,eaglesandothernative American
wildlife weren’tamongthe unidentifiedspecies.Inanycase,itwouldhave beenagrossabuse of
trust to try andseduce one of those,wouldn’tit? Youhave to draw the line somewhere.
The website hasbeencleansedof all mentionof Hill whowasappointedCEOinJanuary,2013
althoughhiswife Janet,whoislistedasVice Presidentincharge of “ministry programming”still has
herblog.She wrote most recently, “2014 hasbeen an exciting summeratWindermere ...thousands
of men,women,teensand children havecomethrough ourgatesexcited to be at Windermere...
whateverthey expected ornot they left here with their lives changed.”
Certainlyherhusband’slife haschangedwithhisdeparture. There isnonewsasto whetherMrs Hill
will standbyherman or not or whetherornot she will be askedtoleave the Center.
In May last year,JenniferLeClaire,editorof the right-leaningChristiannewssite Charisma wasso
troubledbythe seeminglyendlesslistof fundamentalistpastors – the happyclapperbrigade –
gettingintounholystrife thatshe wrote thattheirimmoralitycouldbe attributedtothe “spirit of
seduction”of the Biblical characterJezebel who“woospeopleinto sexualimmorality and idolatry”.
“Sadly,the spirit of Jezebel is picking off pastorsoneby oneas they succumb to the evil desiresin
their own hearts.Too few recognisethe sinister workingsof Jezebel’scovertseduction,” she wrote.
Ms LeClaire knowswhatshe iswritingabout–afterall,she is the authorof the snappilytitled
“Spiritual Warrior’sGuide to Defeating Jezebel.”
Ms LeClaire hadbeenparticularly,oratleastmost immediately,concernedwiththe plightof the
appropriatelynamedPastorDavidLoveless,the leadpastorof Florida’sDiscoveryChurch.Thisman
of God,marriedfor thirty-sevenyears,hadbeencaughtinanextramarital affair.
The listgoeson and onas Ms LeClaire sadlynoted.
One of the higherprofile fallsfromgrace wasPastorTed Haggard, founderof Colorado’s New Life
Church,a founderof the Association of Life-Giving Churches anda formerleaderof the National
Association of Evangelicals.Thismarriedfire-breathingwarriorof Godrailedagainstsame-sex
relationshipsandhomosexuality ingeneral untilacall-boyblew the whistleandrevealedthatPastor
Tedhad beenpayinghimforsex forthree yearsand had alsopurchasedandsupplied
methamphetamines. The supremeironyisthatthe call boyrecognisedhisclientwhenhe saw him
on TV denouncingthe verythoughtof same sex marriage andpontificatingagainsthomosexualityin
general.
Initially,he stridentlydeniedthe allegationsbut,afterproof surfaced,he admittedhisguilt.He has
reportedly embracedanewmore worldlyfaithandis sellinginsurance.
Say whatyou like aboutJezebel,butshe couldhardlybe blamedforseducingPastorTed.
In anycase, I ratherthinkthat Jezebel hasbeengettingundeservedbadpress.Yes,she apparently
didcommitterrible crimesagainstGodandthe people of Israel,butthere isnothinginthe Bible that
supportsthe charge thatshe was a wantonseductress.Ifeel itisimportanttohave that known.She
meta grislydeathbybeingthrownoutof a window andstraydogsate hercorpse.

3. Perhapsgoodold JerryHill wasrememberingthatwhenhe launchedhisfutilequestandwhathe
reallywantedwastopunish – or is that praise? - dogsfor theirterrible treatment.
I’mglad that Ms LeClaire didn’twrite herseminal tome backinthe 1930s – itmighthave stopped
Bette Davisforwinningthe BestActressOscar in1938 for herleadingrole inthe movie, “Jezebel”.
It’snot too late to make arrangementsfora suitable celebrationof the FeastDay – August16 - of
SaintRoch, the PatronSaintof Dogs.Perhapsthe disgracedJerryHill will be makinghisownearnest
supplicationformercy.