Despite his opposition to same-sex marriage, Begg’s “grandfatherly” pastoral counsel cost him his place on American Family Radio and at the Shepherds Conference.
Many believers were already avoiding fellowship after warning by ISIS, which claimed responsibility for the killing at a Catholic congregation in Istanbul.
The biblical call to maintain “a good reputation with outsiders” is becoming a bigger challenge in the US as public perception of clergy falls to a record low.
The downfall of a prominent leader of the Conservative Resurgence—a “dangerous predator” whose behavior was hidden for decades—symbolizes a wider failure to deal with sex abuse and coverup.