An Alabama pastor who has admitted to taking drugs and sleeping with members of his congregation has refused to step down despite having been ousted by his church's board.
Church leaders voted for his termination by a majority of 80-2 on October 5, but have reportedly been threatened by McFarland and a supporter, Marc Anthoni Peacock, who maintain that the disgraced pastor should continue to lead Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church.
According to former chairman of the board of deacons, Nathan Williams Jr, McFarland, who led in Montgomery for more than 20 years, has changed the locks to the church building and fired an assistant pastor and worship leader.
A lawyer for the deacons, Julian McPhillips, told AL.com that McFarland is "trying to exercise dictatorial powers. He's living in a dream world."
He added: "He's lost any and all semblance of moral leadership. He is a bit of a strong-willed guy. He's refusing to face the reality of what the congregation has voted."
McFarland made the revelations about his controversial behaviour in a series of sermons last month. He told congregants that he had taken cocaine and had sex on church grounds despite knowing that he had been diagnosed with AIDS. At least one female member of Shiloh is said to now be getting checked for HIV.
Though he has alienated much of his 160-strong congregation, McFarland had the support of a modest 50 members of his church on Sunday.
According to the Montgomery Advisor, those "fervent" few "sang loudly and encouraged McFarland throughout his sermon".
"Preach it, reverend," one enthusiastic church-goer apparently shouted during the pastor's address, in which he focused on forgiveness, healing and prayer.
"He's a man of God, but he's a human being," the church's missionary president said on Sunday.
"It's not that we condone what our pastor has done, but we need to have compassion. We're not supposed to assassinate our brothers and sisters. We're not supposed to judge. We do our business at Shiloh. It didn't have to be expressed in the papers or on television."
