Alabama Pastor Arrested for “Witness Intimidation” After Defending Registrant Church Volunteer
The recent arrest of Pastor Robert Michael Wagley in Alabama should trouble anyone who believes in fairness, due process, and second chances. Pastor Wagley, senior pastor at St. Elmo Seventh-day Adventist Church, is facing charges of “witness intimidation” after defending a registrant volunteer who had been accused of failing to provide legal notice before serving in the church. Apparently some congregant “karens” were trying to get rid of the volunteer and were stripped of their church duties for cooperating in the prosecution of the volunteer. What makes this especially outrageous is that Pastor Wagley himself affirmed that notice had been given. Instead of trusting his word and judgment as the head of the congregation, the State has chosen to criminalize his support.
This is not just an attack on one man, but a chilling message to every pastor, councilperson, or community leader who dares to stand by someone on the registry. We’ve seen this before, as in Woodstock, NY, where a town supervisor faced repercussions for simply allowing a registrant the dignity of working as a maintenance man for the community. Once again, the lesson seems to be that anyone who dares to give a registrant an opportunity will be punished right alongside them.
The hypocrisy is glaring. If this volunteer had a history of any other offense—whether theft, assault, or drugs—there would be no arrest, no headlines, and certainly no pastor facing felony charges for affirming the man’s place in his congregation. Only registrants are singled out for this kind of treatment, where the community ensures not only their exclusion, but also the punishment of anyone who dares to welcome them. I can’t speak for anyone’s religious beliefs, but the whole thing probably goes against biblical principles.
Alabama’s decision to prosecute Pastor Wagley is not just overzealous, it is cruel and absurd. It transforms a pastor’s natural duty to uplift his congregant into a crime, and it seeks to intimidate others from offering the same compassion. What message does this send to faith leaders, or to anyone who believes in forgiveness and rehabilitation? It says: stand with a registrant, and you may be dragged down with them.
This case is more than a local story, it’s a warning sign of how far the system will go to enforce permanent exile. Punishing those who defend registrants is not about safety; it’s about silencing compassion. And if we don’t push back, more pastors and other community leaders will think twice before offering a second chance.
Discover more from Florida Action Committee (FAC)
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
I’ve been kicked out of better churches than this.
So let’s see, it would appear we have two choices;
A, Try to attend a church that doesn’t want us there. Or,
B, Try to attend a church that the congregation and/or the local Govt doesn’t want us there.
Seems simple enough.
P.S. Can we still buy books online?
I know everyone is not religious, but as a Christian, if you cannot feel safe in a church, where can you be safe? This pastor took a stand to take in this person and take a chance on them, and some of people in the church forgot about the verse in the bible Ephesians 4:32: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
Not at all trying to force my beliefs on anyone, but the pastor was showing compassion and the others showed hate. That is all we need to know. He risks his own job to protect this registered person, and I commend that in the highest way imaginable.
Exactly, CherokeeJack. In fact, the article never mentioned that the registrant volunteer did anything improper at the church, just that there was an unsupported allegation that the volunteer did not give a legal notification, whatever that was.
When you have made up laws with made up crimes, you make yourself look stupid, as the state of Alabama has done here. Now the very religiosity that they pride themselves on in Alabama is causing people to turn on each other and devour one another. Destruction is not far behind for these people, according to the scriptures.
The church I recently started attending a couple of months back already has two registrants in attendance .. I told the Pastor after my second visit who I was and he didn’t care .. he said they already have two registrants and they are wonderful, caring, and devoted individuals .. He did inform me that he would have to inform the council of my desire to attend, and said he didn’t see a problem .. This last Sunday he informed me that the council would like to meet me and ask questions, that others went through it .. I told him, “No problem, I’ll be looking forward to it.” It is deplorable what the “Karens” will do .. “Karens” who are SUPPOSED TO BE, in this case, Christian people who should have a forgiving heart and not have a contrite heart .. My prayers will be going out to the Offender and Pastor, but ALSO to the congregational “Karens” who will have to stand before the Lord one day and have an accounting for their deplorable actions .. And I pray I don’t have to go through this.
He should contact the ACLU
I just sent the text of this article to the Mobile County, Alabama DA’s office here: [email protected]
This is modern America at its finest. This country has never been about true freedom, well before my almost 5 decades of life. Yes, we have certain freedoms, but they can be stripped away, at any given time.
Unfortunately this isn’t anything new for the church. I wrote a report on Registered Persons and churches as one of the earliest articles on my website, and so this is just another in a line of times a person was persecuted for standing up for our rights.