Third Church Leader Associated With Mark Barclay Ministries Charged with Crimes Against Children
The felony accusations come against a father, son, and Mark Barclay’s son-in-law
Authorities have separately charged three church leaders at Living Word Church in Midland, Michigan, with numerous criminal sex charges.
Randy Saylor / Photo courtesy of Midland County Jail
The most recent accusations come against Randy Saylor, 71, an associate pastor at Living Word. Last month, authorities charged Saylor with two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct—one involving a minor and another involving a relative.
During a court hearing on June 4, the judge added three additional second-degree criminal sexual conduct charges to Saylor’s record. His charges, now a total of five, will be tried in two separate cases.
Saylor pleaded not guilty on all charges. His next court date is set for June 25, 2024.
Saylor is the third church leader from Living Word to face charges related to child sex crimes. His son was the first.
In July 2023, church elder and volunteer Brandon Saylor, 44, faced nine felony sex crime charges, several of which also involved minors under 13 and children related by blood.
According to WNEM TV5, a longtime former church member said Brandon Saylor worked in the nursery. “At one point, he and his wife were heads of the nursery wing,” the former member said.
Six months later, Brandon pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a child under 13. As part of the plea agreement, the judge dropped six other charges.
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In April 2024, a Midland County Court sentenced Brandon to 5 to 15 years in prison on three counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Living Word Church is part of Mark Barclay Ministries, headed by “Preacher of Righteousness” Mark T. Barclay. MinistryWatch has reported before on Barclay’s frequent domestic flights via his private jet. Barclay is widely known for once requesting a donation of $78,000 to give his Cessna Citation III a fresh coat of paint.
In February, authorities charged Barclay’s son-in-law, James Randolph, 57—who was also a minister at Living Word International—with six first- and second-degree sex-related felonies against children. Randolph’s arrest was the second of three involving Living Word Church within the last year. His next hearing will commence July 16, 2024.
Josh Barclay, Mark Barclay’s son, informed TV5 in separate statements that the church immediately removed the three individuals from their positions.
In a statement following the charges against Randy Saylor, Josh Barclay said, “This is not the first time our church has faced such a situation, and we acknowledge the pain and trauma this causes to those directly affected, as well as our entire community. We take this matter and the safety and well-being of everyone in the church very seriously.
“An independent investigator recently reviewed our internal safety and protective practices, and the results were positive,” he said. “We continue to follow our legal counsel’s advice to make certain we are doing everything possible to ensure the safety of our congregation, especially our children, and are praying earnestly for guidance.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: Why does MinistryWatch report on sex crimes? These stories are tough to read and sometimes even tougher to report, but we think they are vital to our mission to bring transparency, accountability, and credibility to the evangelical church. To read more about why and how we report these stories, read “Why MinistryWatch Reports On Sex Crimes.” You can find that story here.
