Pastor Greg Varney, the founding pastor of Light of the Word Christian Center in Topeka, Kansas, does not seem to be doing well these days.
He was arrested twice last week after displaying erratic behaviour, and close family and friends believe it is being triggered by his continuous struggle with his kidney disease.
Varney was arrested on Wednesday after an encounter with the Topeka police who were conducting a "welfare check," according to The Topeka Capital-Journal. Varney reportedly left an area hospital behaving strangely. He was then cornered by the police at an address on S.W. 10th.
Because the pastor "was resistive to assistance," the police were forced to take him into custody. He was booked in the Shawnee County Jail on charges of disorderly conduct, and his bond was set at $1,000.
Before that, Varney was already arrested for using a vehicle in an assault against his daughter. A churchgoer told local news station KSNT that Varney was arrested after he rammed into another car while desperately trying to leave the scene of the assault.
Police refused to comment regarding the incident.
The Light of the Word Christian Center pointed out on their Facebook page that Varney never sought to harm anyone, and said he was only acting out because of his kidney disease.
"Light of the World Christian Center is aware of the recent charges against our church founder, Pastor Greg Varney, and his family has given the church permission to relay details about Pastor Greg's medical condition, which is directly responsible for the actions leading to these charges. We also feel it is important to tell the community that Pastor Greg did not harm or attempt to harm any person in the incident leading to his arrest," the church said in its statement.
"In the last few years, Pastor Greg has had health concerns resulting in kidney failure. He took a sabbatical from the church to focus on his health, and he is receiving dialysis. During treatment, however, Pastor Greg's family began to notice unexplained cognitive and behavioral changes they believe were caused by the toxins released in his body when his kidneys were not functioning," it said.
The church also said that Varney and his family have been working with multiple doctors to find a solution to his health problems. They are asking people to pray for Varney's wellbeing.
