Pastor Jim Bolin, who left Trinity Chapel amid scandal, is set to return to the Powder Spring church as its senior pastor.
Bolin and his wife, Robin, founded the church in an Austell Road storefront in 1983 with a congregation of five families. It grew to be a racially diverse church with about 7,000 members.
Bolin will deliver his first sermon Sunday as the returning senior pastor. The guest speaker is Samuel R. Chand, a leadership expert and a longtime friend of the Bolinses.
“I just know that once he gets back in and sets everything back in order, that the church will build back up and continue to thrive,” said Keiyawna Ward of Smyrna, who joined Trinity Chapel nearly seven years ago. “The church’s model is love, acceptance and forgiveness. And honestly, if you are going to be a family member of Trinity Chapel and if you don’t believe in those three things, then there’s no need to be there. I think he’s paid the price for what went on, and if the church is ready to welcome him back with open arms, why not?”
In a letter to the congregation, Bolin took “full responsibility and blame” for his actions.
A church employee, responding to a reporter’s call, said Bolin would not comment at this time but may speak in a few weeks. She said his son, Jason Bolin, who took over as senior pastor, was also unavailable for comment.
The elder Bolin went through a two-year restoration program, which included counseling and which allows a minister in the Church of God to be restored once he has demonstrated he is worthy of renewed trust. The denomination commissionered him as an ordained bishop in 2011,, and since February 2012 Bolin has pastored The Landing Church in McDonough.
“God has been so good to us & has brought together a wonderful group of people,” Bolin wrote in a February post on his Facebook page. “Young, old & folks of all color & many nationalities…We are looking like heaven!!! We thank all of you who have prayed for us & encouraged us onward! Can’t wait to see what God has in store for us in this next season! Come grow with us! Love-Acceptance-Forgiveness still works!”
The Bolins will also celebrate their 41st anniversary on Sunday.
A statement from the Church of God North Georgia Executive Offices said the return of Bolin to Trinity Chapel “is a positive step for the church and caring congregation to move to its next level of kingdom ministry.” It said the Trinity Chapel leadership requested Bolin return as senior pastor, which was approved by the administrative bishop.
Administrative Bishop Michael L. Baker said in statement that Bolin “fulfilled every facet of the program of restoration more than two years ago and has demonstrated his ministry gifts as pastor of The Landing. His return to Trinity Chapel will continue his vision for ministry in the Atlanta area, continued engagement of his servant leadership, and his passion to share the gospel of Christ. We love Jim and Robin and look forward to their next phase of pastoral ministry!”
It’s unclear what’s ahead for Jason Bolin. In a May 26 announcement on the church’s website, Bolin refers to plans to relocate to Florida with his family. While there are opportunities in ministry, the statement said, “our next step is still uncertain so we go by faith, trusting that God will help us to write each and every page of the next chapter in our lives.”
In the Church of God statement, however, it said the younger Bolin would “transition” his ministry to another church in Florida.
David P. Gushee, a professor of Christian ethics at Mercer University, said clergy sexual misconduct is a serious problem that should not be taken lightly. Ministers are called to a higher standard of character, he said, that includes sexual fidelity. Infidelity not only breaks faith with a minister’s marriage but the church as well.
But “it sounds like this church took some important steps that are worth imitating,” Gushee said. “He was removed from his ministry post for a while and underwent an intentional restoration process and appears to have gotten counseling to work on his issue. Now the church has decided to give him a second chance.”
Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research, a Nashville-based evangelical research organization, said most denominations have some kind of restoration program. What’s unusual about Bolin’s case, he said, is that he is returning to Trinity Chapel.
“Usually the understanding is that you can be restored to ministry but not in the place where you were removed from ministry,” Stetzer said. “The trust was broken there, and it takes a remarkable congregation and a remarkable process to do that. … It’s been a pretty remarkable journey. “
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