North Carolina Episcopal priest charged in Florida road rage
Source: Associated Press
Updated 11:05 am, Sunday, July 9, 2017
STUART, Fla. (AP) The rector of an Episcopal church in North Carolina is facing criminal charges in Florida after police say he pointed a gun at another vehicle in an apparent road rage incident.
Media reports say 35-year-old Rev. William Rian Adams is charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Martin County, Florida records show he was released from jail on $15,000 bail.
State troopers say a pickup truck driver was closely following a Corvette on Florida's Turnpike and tried to pass the car when its driver pointed a handgun at him. Troopers then stopped Adams in the Corvette.
Records show Adams is rector of Calvary Episcopal Church in Fletcher, North Carolina. Church officials didn't immediately respond to a call seeking comment and no attorney was listed for Adams.
Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/North-Carolina-Episcopal-priest-charged-in-11275833.php
(Short article, no more at link.)
Rev. William Rian Adams
William Adams: Priest arrested in Martin County road rage incident
Xavier Trudeau Juillet 9, 2017
Florida Highway Patrol says William Rian Adams, 35, was arrested Wednesday after being involved in a road rage incident in Palm City.
According to Florida Highway Police, the incident happened on a turnpike close to Palm City, where Adams, who is a priest at Calvary Episcopal Church in Fletcher, North Carolina, attempted to brake check a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck that was reportedly too closely following his Chevrolet Corvette.
As reported by ABC News, the driver of the pickup then attempted to pass AdamsCorvette when the priest pointed a semi-automatic hand gun at their vehicle.
Adams told police that one of the occupants of the pick up truck, a 24-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman, rolled down a window, started screaming and threw a drink at his vehicle, according to the Palm Beach Post.
More:
http://campdesrecrues.com/2017/07/william-adams-priest-arrested-in-martin-county-road-rage/
Hieronymus
(6,039 posts)Bernardo de La Paz
(48,787 posts)Judi Lynn
(160,217 posts)Matthew28
(1,796 posts)unmoral and self righteous to the core. They don't follow a damn thing Jesus said to do.
Historic NY
(37,449 posts)CanonRay
(14,036 posts)if you don't pull the trigger. Otherwise it's stand your ground.
TexasBushwhacker
(20,043 posts)bottomofthehill
(8,261 posts)Driving a Vette and spreading the gospel at the end of a semi auto.
Igel
(35,191 posts)Not even Catholic.
Most churches aren't into asceticism these days, sittling on pillars or flagellating themselves.
NCjack
(10,279 posts)Hoyt
(54,770 posts)Turbineguy
(37,208 posts)As for the others, don't bring a drink to a gun fight.
paleotn
(17,778 posts)An Episcopalian rector? Driving a corvette? With a handgun? Pointing it at someone? And from Fletcher, no less. How's that for fucked up? The only thing nuttier would be a Quaker packing heat. Episcopals are usually on the much saner side of Christianity. If it had been a Baptist or some unaffiliated, fundigelical christo-nutter, I wouldn't be all that surprised. But NOW I have to worry about Episcopalians wanting to pop a cap in someone's ass?
So unEpiscopalian!
Response to paleotn (Reply #13)
lunasun This message was self-deleted by its author.
kwassa
(23,340 posts)Adams service in the military and his desire to serve the church both reflect strong traditions in his family.
He is the grandson of a pastor and claims ancestors who served in the Revolutionary and Civil wars. Adams said he knew he wanted to become a pastor by the time he was 16 years old. He began working in church ministry when he was 18.
He holds degrees in Biblical Studies, Marriage and Family Therapy and a masters degree with honors in Divinity. Adams is also pursuing a doctorate degree in Ministry.
When he is not studying or working in his church, Adams enjoys collecting and playing vintage guitars and banjos, watching college football and spending time with family and friends.
As a military chaplain, he served in many parts of the world including Kuwait, Germany, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan. He suffered injuries in the helicopter accident while serving in Afghanistan. Adams also received the Bronze Star during his service.
He said his work counseling fellow soldiers as well as his commitment as a chaplain to reaching all types of people even those who do not consider themselves religious remained an important part of his work after he retired from the military.
While serving as rector at the church in St. Simons Island, Adams said the church reached out to veterans through a wounded warrior retreat. He said a similar event might be something Calvary could offer to reach out to the community.
I dont view myself simply as a priest at Calvary, but a priest for the community, Adams said.
SergeStorms
(18,891 posts)and he's STILL an asshole for pulling a gun on someone because his road rage got the best of him.
susanna
(5,231 posts)I'm not even an Episcopal priest and I would not do that.
WHO DOES THAT?!
bottomofthehill
(8,261 posts)10 years in the military, even as a Chaplin should have taught him you cant go around pointing guns at people
defacto7
(13,485 posts)pnwmom
(108,925 posts)defacto7
(13,485 posts)I've heard of Catholic Priests or Anglican / Episcopal Rectors. I don't know of mixing the two terms.
QC
(26,371 posts)The assistant to the rector--who is also a priest--is called a curate or a vicar.
defacto7
(13,485 posts)QC
(26,371 posts)and clap a lot. It gets complicated.
defacto7
(13,485 posts)pnwmom
(108,925 posts)there would only be a rector.
https://www.episcopalchurch.org/library/glossary/rector
defacto7
(13,485 posts)hopefully.
angrychair
(8,593 posts)An Episcopal priest,
driving a corvette
pointed a gun at someone
Because he has anger issues
This is why churches need to pay taxes.
24601
(3,940 posts)angrychair
(8,593 posts)A non-profit or NGO is a completely different tax code.
They are not the same.
Large and megachurches are flush with cash, their pastors live in mansions and drive nice cars and even own aircraft, while some of their church members dont even get by on food stamps.
24601
(3,940 posts)Here's a quote from IRS Pub 1828 (Tax Guide for Churches & Religious Organizations)
"IRC Section 501(c)(3). IRC section 501(c)(3) describes charitable organizations,
including churches and religious organizations, which qualify for exemption from
federal income tax and generally are eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions."
And regarding other 501 (c) (3) organizations: (
https://nonprofitquarterly.org/2017/03/08/million-dollar-compensation-nonprofit-ceos/
(citing the March 6, 2017 WSJ)
"About 2,700 employees of 501(c)(3) nonprofits received annual compensation of more than $1 million in 2014, according to a study of IRS Form 990 returns performed by the Wall Street Journal. This is about one-third more than received $1 million or more in 2011."
"As might be expected, the eds and meds led the list. Five nonprofits paid $10 million or more to their CEOs; four out of five were healthcare systems. The fifth was the Harvard Management Company, which manages the Harvard University endowment and has been the subject of persistent leadership turmoil. Overall, three-quarters of the high-paying nonprofits were in the healthcare sector, with private colleges and universities making up another ten percent."
angrychair
(8,593 posts)That non-profits should not be paying their executive staff millions of dollars.
That said, I would at the same time ask that you have to admit that there is a significant difference in playing on people's faith to make yourself a millionaire and/or making tithing a specific minimum a requirement to pocket that money and troll your church for a nice house or a $30 million Learjet.
Not saying they all do it to that level but there are plenty of examples of pastors of large churches (or large branches of a faith like the Catholic Church) abusing the power and wealth of their organizations for their personal benefit.
It a different level of unseemlyness, of hypocrisy of a complete failure to hold to the tenets of a faith you claim are so important.
We both know that there are pastors making a lot more than these non-profit ceos:
Benny Hinn: $42 mil ( net worth)
Joel Osteen: $40 mil ""
Creflo Dollar: $27 mil
Billy Graham: $25
The Catholic Church is so big it has its own country and recently billion+ dollar scandals. Point of fact no one, including the Church itself, knows the extent of its wealth.
The Mormon Church is worth over $40 billion.
The point is that these pastors and church organizations hold there own against the majority of large for and non-profit companies and organizations.
There using the premise of faith to stuff their pockets and as far as I am concerned they should pay taxes like anyone else. FYI there are many countries in which churches pay taxes.
snooper2
(30,151 posts)SharonClark
(10,005 posts)"Adams told police that one of the occupants of the pick up truck, a 24-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman, rolled down a window, started screaming and threw a drink at his vehicle, according to the Palm Beach Post."
Doreen
(11,686 posts)I come to the conclusion that this Episcopal priest belongs to a more fundamental sect of the Episcopal church. All churches have a moderate sect and a fundamentalist sect. The fundamentalists tend to give their churches a bad name. To bad this priest did that.
PassingFair
(22,434 posts)I have never met a Corvette driver that wasn't an asshat.
JustABozoOnThisBus
(23,283 posts)Aristus
(66,093 posts)What the hell kind of church is this?...