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Pastor To Admit Porn Addiction

KELVIN MA/Tampa Tribune

Congregants at St. James United Methodist Church in New Tampa leave the 9:30 a.m. service, where Pastor Brian James spoke about his pornography habit on Dec. 16, 2007. James is stepping down from his post as a result.

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By GEORGE WILKENS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 16, 2007

Updated: 12/15/2007 11:56 pm

NEW TAMPA - The Rev. Brian James will deliver a message this morning unlike any other during his seven years as pastor of one of New Tampa's oldest and largest churches.

James is scheduled to tell his congregation at St. James United Methodist Church of his addiction to online pornography and immediate plans for an indefinite voluntary leave of absence.

"As far as I know there was no suspicion of anything criminal," said Erik Alsgaard, director of communications for the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church.

"The pornography has all been adult in nature, so that is not a criminal offense," Alsgaard said Saturday. "But the church looks at that as a moral issue. And we certainly expect our clergy to uphold the highest moral standards in all issues in their personal, financial and other areas."

James is scheduled to address the 1,400-member congregation during each of today's three services, said Alsgaard. The superintendent in charge of the 89 churches in the district that includes St. James, the Rev. Bert Blomquist, also will speak at the services, outlining "what happened and what will be happening in the future," Alsgaard said.

The company that has the church's computer service contract is examining the one used by the pastor, Alsgaard said.

No child pornography is involved "as far as we know," Alsgaard said. "The Rev. James has been very cooperative with church leadership in coming forward about this and cooperating fully with everything that the church has been asking him to do in the last several days."

The matter came to light Monday night when James informed the Staff Parish Relations Committee, Alsgaard said. The committee notified Blomquist, the bishop's representative to 89 churches, including St. James. "He then immediately went to the bishop and discussed any possible course of action," Alsgaard said.

Blomquist and the parish committee met Wednesday night, a session also attended by James and his wife, Alsgaard said.

James, 45, a Tampa Palms resident, and his wife, Dustin, have four children, according to the church Web site.

Alsgaard did not know what prompted James to make the revelation. "I don't know the circumstances around that. I don't know the details," Alsgaard said, adding that the parish committee notified the district.

Alsgaard did not discount the possibility James can someday resume pastoral duties, though not at St. James.

"He has to do certain things that will be required of him," Alsgaard said. "Until he gets the help he needs - and that's what he will be doing during the voluntary leave of absence - the church says you should not pastor a church.

"He could be in pastoral ministry with another congregation in another place. He would not be returning to St. James United Methodist Church ever again," Alsgaard said.

James, who came to the church in June 2000 after seven years as pastor of Pine Island United Methodist Church near Fort Myers, could not be reached for comment Saturday. Alsgaard said the pastor planned no statements before this morning's services.

No one answered the phone or the door Saturday evening at James' home in the Tampa Palms village of Mayfair, a short distance from the church.

Church members contacted Saturday were especially tight-lipped. Church members staffing the Metropolitan Ministries donation tent at St. James declined to answer questions. "We love and support our pastor," said one holiday-drive volunteer who did not give her name.

Alsgaard said church conference superintendents that he questioned cannot recall a similar incident among the district's 750 churches.

"The church has had a long-running opposition in regards to the issue of pornography, the fact that it demeans women especially; it doesn't uphold the value that we see in God's creations," Alsgaard said. "We exhort our members to abstain from the use of pornography," including the type that permeates the Internet and deemed legal for adults.

"We understand there are times - and they're tragic like this - where someone can become addicted to it. And so the church needs to reach out in ministry and love and compassion for that person," he said.

"But when it's a pastor ...until he gets the help he needs, the church says you should not pastor a church."

Reporter George Wilkens can be reached at (813) 865-4847 or gwilkens@tampatrib.com.

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