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A Fort Worth youth pastor was among 46 men arrested in a massive undercover prostitution sting in Texas, local and federal authorities announced this weekend.
Lamarcus Strickland, who was ordained a pastor at Compass Church in Sept. 2018, was part of a dragnet that hauled in a teacher and high school football coach, a volunteer firefighter, a semi-professional hockey player and the director of operations for a large hospital network in Texas, Fox News reported. As a pastor, Strickland worked with the First Priority of America, a youth organization that supports student-initiated, student-led Christian clubs on middle school and high school campuses.
A father of three, Strickland, 35, and 22 other men were arrested at the Hilton at Southlake Town Square in Southlake, Texas, on Jan. 12. He and the others were charged with solicitation of prostitution.
The Bible says church leaders must lead with integrity. First Timothy 4:12 reads, “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith and in purity.”
Proverbs 11:3 reads, “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. And, Proverbs 12:22 reads, “The Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in people who are trustworthy.”
The men arrested had allegedly arranged online to meet at the hotels where they intended to pay for sex, authorities said. In Texas, the solicitation of prostitution is considered a felony and is punishable with up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Cecil Morrison, a teacher at Marcus High School and the football team’s offensive coordinator, resigned after his arrest for solicitation of a prostitute, the Lewisville Independent School District announced. Lewisville’s ISD Chief of Communications Officer, Amanda Brim, said earlier this week that Morrison was placed on administrative leave when the district was made aware of his arrest, but last week he submitted his resignation.
Fox News reported that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Dallas officials said the undercover operation coincides with the Department of Homeland Security’s Blue Campaign to highlight Human Trafficking Awareness Month.
Check out this article from HungryGen’s Vladimir Savchuk titled, “Why Integrity Can Only Grow Through Intimacy with God,” and be blessed to know how to live out a life of purity.
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Shawn A. Akers is the online editor at Charisma Media.
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