Questions, concerns over pastor's divorce

AME event may address marital woes of Empowerment Temple leader

Samuels said the pastor seemed to be continuing his good work, recently announcing a new program that will enable single women to take a financial literacy course and receive help on buying a new car.

Others, like Mark Clark, 40, of Ashburton, disagreed. "I love Jamal Bryant. He is a wonderful person," said Clark of the man he calls an old friend. "Unfortunately, I feel that he is a victim of [being] someone that got a whole lot too fast and too soon and truly did not know how to deal with the fame, power and prestige that came his way," he said.

"Any pastor in that position needs to be removed from that position," he added. "I don't think it should be permanent, but I think it should be long enough so that his personal situations are resolved."

There is no punishment for pastors who get divorced, Richardson said, though the conference might require a pastor to apologize to the congregation or not preach for a period of time.

"None of us are exempt from exposure to temptation but we would hope that we would find enough discipline in our own behavior to overcome and to move on and to encourage other people through our example," Richardson said. "So that's what I'm hoping for Dr. Bryant. In the meantime, my plan is to pray for him."

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Sun reporter Liz F. Kay contributed to this article