Atlanta church pastor fired after child cruelty arrest

A pastor at an Atlanta church was recently fired after being arrested for child cruelty, officials said.

Kenneth McFarland, a pastor at 2819 Church on Greenbriar Parkway in southwest Atlanta, was arrested Nov. 10 by Stockbridge police on a charge of second-degree cruelty to children. Jail records show he was given a bond of $2,500.

In an online statement, church leaders said they “immediately” suspended McFarland after learning of the charge and that he “agreed to step down.” By Tuesday, leaders said McFarland, 42, was dismissed from the church staff.

“There were several steps we took to make sure that this situation was considered without haste and the wellbeing of everyone involved was considered,” the statement reads.

“Every person on our staff must align with scripture and a standard of conduct that inspires others to draw closer to Jesus. We determined that the standard of conduct we have as a church, especially for those involved in pastoral ministry, was violated.”

According to a police incident report acquired Saturday by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the investigation began at Creekside Christian Academy, a private school in Henry County.

A responding officer spoke with an assistant principal, who said a 15-year-old boy asked him “if there was blood on the back of his pants.” The assistant principal confirmed he observed a stain and asked about it.

He shared with law enforcement that the student told him, “My dad called himself disciplining me,” according to the report.

The teenager told the assistant principal that the incident happened in a Stockbridge neighborhood about 20 minutes northeast of the school.

The Henry County fire department, which also responded to the scene, showed the officer pictures of bruising on the right thigh and lower buttocks, the report states.

The report states the boy told police he was struck with a power cord from his gaming system before coming to school. The victim also said that he received in-school suspension, which led to him being disciplined, according to the report.

Church leaders said the accusations McFarland is facing don’t reflect the values and culture of the community.