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Probe clears Concord pastor of wrongdoingCONCORD — The Rev. Frederick Drummond, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Concordville, has been cleared of any wrongdoing.A three-month investigation of Mr. Drummond by the State Police and Delaware County detectives have not turned up any evidence of criminal activities. Mr. Drummond has been accused by former church members of running his church as a cult. Children were beaten, the former members said, and funds donated were improperly spent.Also, they said male members engaged in homosexual acts with Mr. Drummond.According to a 150-page report prepared by State Police and county Criminal Investigation Division (CID) detectives, however, the for-merchurch members' allegations of criminal activities could not be confirmed.District Attorney Frank T. Hazel said Tuesday that he coulc not comment on the report, which has not been released publicly, because the church investigation had not been completed and had been assigned to an assistant district attorney for a follow-up investigation.Howerver, a detective who helped in the investigation said that no information about church activities had been uncovered so far that could lead to criminal charges.We investigated all the complaints that weremade publicly and those we received also, said the detective. It turned out to be a lot of paperwork.Mr. Drummond, the detective said, Buffers himself pretty well against anything that could lead to criminal complaints.The detective said that youths who had allegedly been beaten had been interrogated and that no outward signs of abuse on any of the kids had been found. They have the Baptist fundamentalist belief that if you spare the rod, you spoil the child, and so far we haven't found anything that went beyond that.The investigator added that the death in February of a church member, Kimberly Hughes, 20, had no connection with the church. He said that a complaint that a young girl had been chained in a cellar as punishment was untrue.The detective said the investigation had established that Mr. Drummond had had homosexual relationships with church members but that they involved consenting adults and did not constitute a crime.Parents of church members were continuing to complain about the church, the detective siad, but a lot of the complaints are unconfirmed and concern adult, married children, some kids of their own.The Daily Times ran a six-part series last week on the First Baptist Church of Concordville.
Newspaper Details
Delaware County Daily Times
Chester, Pennsylvania, US
Wed, Apr 25, 1979
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Kaeli B.
NA, 10 Mar 2025
Other Publications Near Chester, Pennsylvania
Chester Reporter
Chester Evening Times
Delaware County Daily Times
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