MD Megachurch Revokes Credentials of Two Pastors, Former Pastor Indicted

Greater Grace World Outreach in Baltimore has spent past year investigating sexual abuse allegations.

Greater Grace World Outreach, a megachurch in East Baltimore, Maryland, that has been investigating allegations of child sexual abuse, revoked the credentials of two of its pastors in April. This week, former pastor Eric Anderson was indicted on charges of assault and battery of a child.

Photo via social media @Greater Grace Church Outreach Baltimore

Last summer, MinistryWatch reported that the church agreed to conduct an independent investigation of child sexual abuse allegations that had come to light, based on reporting by the Baltimore Banner. The church hired GRACE to conduct the investigation.

The two pastors are Ghanaian Pastor Henry Nkrumah and a Baltimore-area pastor whose name was withheld due to fear of retaliation. The women who accused the pastors of abuse were not informed the ordinations had been revoked, according to the Banner.

Georgetta Gbumblee, who accused Nkrumah of assault, told the Banner she has been waiting for justice for years and felt relief when she heard the news.

The other accuser, Johanna Veader, said the punishment of the Baltimore-area pastor was “too little, too late.”

“If they truly cared about keeping children safe, they would be shouting these names from the rooftops, rather than doing the bare minimum, years and years too late, behind closed doors,” Veader said.

According to the Banner’s reporting on June 27, former Greater Grace Pastor Eric Anderson, 80, is facing two counts of indecent assault and battery of a child in Massachusetts.

The alleged abuse for which Anderson has been indicted allegedly occurred in 1980 at a time when the organization was known as The Bible Speaks with its headquarters in Western Massachusetts. At one time, Anderson led the church’s Bible college.

Greater Grace posted an update to its website in reaction to Anderson’s indictment, saying it has reviewed documents to see if it had anything relevant to the investigation, but found nothing. The church also said it reached out to law enforcement to emphasize its willingness to cooperate.

“The existing engagement for an independent assessment with GRACE will also allow GRACE to confidentially intake any information related to this case and assess any questions and concerns related to potential mishandling of abuse reports, gaps in policy or structure, or cultural dynamics which existed in Greater Grace, which could impact abuse reporting, prevention, and response. If any relevant information is discovered or submitted related to this case, it will be discussed in the released report,” the update added.

An independent watchdog group called the Millstones reacted to the news. “We hope this sends a strong message to the predators in the pews: abusing children has real world consequences,” the group wrote on social media. “And we hope all victim-survivors will get the justice they deserve.”

The Millstones held a silent vigil for sexual abuse survivors June 27 outside Greater Grace World Outreach during its Missions Night.

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According to an update on the Greater Grace website, the church has five civil lawsuits filed against it based on allegations of sexual abuse that took place in the 1990s. Two involve allegations of sexual abuse between minors, two involve conduct by convicted felon Ray Fernandez, and one alleges sexual abuse by an unnamed adult upon a minor.

Greater Grace is being represented by its insurer in these lawsuits where legal counsel has raised the defense of charitable immunity, which protects the church from liability exceeding its insurance coverage.

On June 8 and 9, Greater Grace invited Brad Hambrick to speak at its services. Hambrick is assistant professor of Biblical Counseling at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and has expertise in how to approach suffering, abuse, and forgiveness.

Pastor Peter Taggart, the church’s chief financial officer, told the congregation recently that enrollment at its three affiliated private schools is down, straining its operating budget.

“We didn’t get the students we expected, and that’s budgeted income that we do not have right now,” Taggart said during a recent service. “Just be aware of it, so we can be praying for enrollment and for students.”

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