Story Archive

Wolf Stalks Lamb

A woman in Florida found inappropriate photos of an adult male on her 11-year-old son’s cellphone. Using a parental control option, she was able to trace the photos to the number of Tyler Smither, 30, who was arrested on two counts of indecent liberties with a child. Smither is the youth pastor at Harbor United Methodist Church in Wilmington, N.C., and the church’s pastor, Russ Nanney, called Smither intelligent and gifted. “I hope that, as my former preaching professor used to say, that we will one day grant our former youth minister that long look of mercy,” Nanney said. “I’m not suggesting this is the easy thing to do, nor am I suggesting that we can do this today. But I hope one day, as a church, we can do that.” (MS/WFTV Orlando) ...The long look of mercy should never override the long arm of the law.