Atlanta, USA - A former megachurch leader who rose to fame with a progressive evangelical ministry only to have it crumble after a series of sex scandals will be honored in the church he helped build in suburban Atlanta.
Archbishop Earl Paulk of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit at Chapel Hill Harvester Church died Sunday, March 29, after a battle with cancer. He was 81.
For years the church was at the forefront of many social movements - admitting black members in the 1960s, ordaining women and opening its doors to gays. But Paulk was dogged for decades by scandal.
The most shocking revelation came in October 2007 when a court-ordered paternity test showed he was the biological father of his brother's son, D.E. Paulk, who had become head pastor of the church after the archbishop retired the previous year.
Earl Paulk had sworn in an affidavit he'd never had sex with anyone but his wife, which led to him pleading guilty to a felony charge of lying under oath. He was placed on 10 years' probation and assessed a $1,000 fine.
Earlier, in 1992, the church made headlines when six female members said they were brainwashed into having sexual relationships with Earl Paulk and Don Paulk and other ministers at the church. A decade later, a former church member accused Earl Paulk of molesting her when she was a child and teenager in a lawsuit that was settled out of court. Earl Paulk consistently denied nearly every allegation against him.