A Pastor at the Beulah Land Missionary Baptist Church is accused of pushing an elderly woman down concrete steps, though some congregants at the church are confused about the fact that he remains at work.
According to a KTLA report, “Surveillance footage captured on Oct. 7 appears to show a man pushing a female church elder down a set of concrete steps. Pastor Lorenz Roseman was arrested in connection with the incident that same day. He was released two days later on a promise to appear in court.”
This led to a demonstration on March 1, with many worshippers of the church gathering there to pray for Roseman’s dismissal.
“This is what the pastor did,” Najee Ali, a community activist with Project Islamic Hope, said to KTLA while pointing to a brace worn by the pastor’s alleged victim. “That’s why the members of the church are asking him to step down.”
The injured woman is Elise McTaw, who says that, after falling down the steps and out of a metal gate, she suffered a fractured wrist and toes.
“I’m not the same after being hurt by somebody that you trust and love,” she said to KTLA.
Roseman claims that the charges against him were dismissed by a judge as frivolous, and he told KTLA that his position as pastor of the church, located at 515 E 154th St (Harbor Gateway), was reaffirmed by a majority vote of congregants during a business meeting.
The statement went on to say: “The whole unfortunate event began when I was informed that certain influential members, who held positions of power, might be engaged in unethical or illegal activities. After conducting an investigation and confirming the allegations, I removed them from their positions. When these individuals could not oust me through our church policies and procedures, they began to attack my character and weaponize the legal system against me. However, judges have dismissed these suits as frivolous and lacking standing.”
However, church attendee Dr. Ta-Taneisha Thames said, “He does not get to put his hands on anyone. That is not okay. He has to go.”
