David Janney, who recently stepped down as head of the Orlando Baptist Church, told supporters in a closed door meeting that Satan was out to get him.
By Jacob Engels
Things just keep getting worse and worse for former Pastor David Janney. Weeks ago, the East Orlando Post was the first to report on an official statement by a former parishioner who was pressured into a sexual liaison with Janney. The woman, Arlene Miranda, was targeted by Janney’s repeated and frequent lewd text messages, before being called into the pastor’s office and pressured into sexual congress.
After our first article, we were the first news outlet to publish the fact that Janney had lead Mitt Romney’s outreach to social conservative’s late in the 2012 Republican primary, saying that he could not support Newt Gingrich because of his moral failings as a husband.
Now, the East Orlando Post has obtained exclusive testimony from an attendee of the church’s closed door “restoration” event where Janney was supposed to offer his mea culpa. Instead, Janney began a rambling speech that included his deacons confiscating cell phones, a satanic possession, and forehead marking ceremony that seemed oddly cultish.
“He began telling us how he never sent those texts to Arelene and had never been with her sexually. Then, Pastor Janney said this was all a result of an attempted satanic possession of this church and our members. It was very scary.”
But, that was far from the weirdest part of the clandestine gathering. Janney then informed attendees that God had told him to bring a sharpie for the purpose of marking his enemies, who he believed to be agents of Satan.
“Everyone became very uncomfortable and worried.”
Ultimately, Pastor Janney said that God had just told him the forehead marking was a bad idea, and his parishioners were sparred. He concluded with the fact that his son Dusty would be taking over and that he would be tendering his resignation, effective immediately.
“I was just glad to leave that room. A lot of us used to have tremendous respect for Pastor Janney and his family, but this ordeal and talk of him skimming church funds for personal use have been disheartening. We’re not sure if we can come back.”
The East Orlando Post has also learned that Janney utilized church funds to pay for several aspects of his two daughter’s weddings. We have also learned that Janney regularly transferred church funds from the “Worship Fund” to bank accounts linked to himself and family members.
For Orlando Baptist Church to restore faith in the community and before God, they should submit to an audit from the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, founded by the venerable Billy Graham. If is simply the right thing to do, and if there is nothing to hide, newly minted lead Pastor Dusty Janney should welcome a full review of the church’s finances.
“We would welcome and be happy to be a part of any review of the leadership and financial affairs of the Orlando Baptist Church, the school World Hope, and their latest church, including making public the financial records we have,” said Mayanne Downs, who is representing Arelene Miranda in her lawsuit against Janney and Orlando Baptist Church.
Jacob Engels, is the Founder of East Orlando Post & Seminole County Post. He is a seasoned political operative who has led numerous statewide political groups and has worked on several high-profile local, statewide, and national races. Jacob has been interviewed on national television & radio programs, with his work having been featured in the Orlando Sentinel, New York Times, Washington Post, Miami Herald and other publications nationwide. He can be reached at info@eastorlandopost.com
