ABC 12 reports Rogers has kept a member of his campaign’s senior leadership team who publicly supported a man convicted of sexually abusing children

LANSING — Yesterday, ABC 12 broke news that Mike Rogers has decided to keep Brian Ford as a member of his campaign’s senior leadership team, despite Ford’s “ties to a Midland church sex abuse scandal” and his “[public] support of former pastor James Randolph,” who was “convicted of sexually abusing children.” 

Rogers’ campaign faith coalition team has “two ties to a church upended by child sex crimes,” including Ford, who remains on the campaign coalition’s senior leadership team, and Tim Cross, who resigned “after saying he didn’t at first believe the victims in the Midland church sex abuse cases.”

Rogers “received criticism for not speaking publicly” about his campaign leaders’ ties to the church roiled by a child sex abuse scandal and has “refused to acknowledge” concerns from former members of the Midland church who say Rogers “elevated leaders connected to the sexual abuse scandal.”

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ABC 12: Rogers faces questions over Faith Coalition Leader’s ties to Midland church sex abuse case

• U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers […] addressed questions about two members of his campaign’s Faith Leadership Coalition who have ties to a Midland church sex abuse scandal.

• One member of the group has resigned, but the other has not.

• Brian Ford of the Living Word Church in Ludington is still on Rogers’ Faith Leadership Coalition team.

• Rogers discussed his Faith Leadership Coalition, which includes two pastors under the Living Word Church umbrella. Three members of the Midland church are in prison, convicted of sexually abusing children. Ford, a church leader from Ludington, attended the Midland trial in support of former pastor James Randolph, who was convicted.

• When asked about Ford’s role on the faith team, Rogers pivoted […] Rogers then addressed Tim Cross, who resigned from his Faith Coalition Leadership team after saying he didn’t at first believe the victims in the Midland church sex abuse cases, and Ford, who has not resigned.

• “Our volunteers, the people that volunteer for us, one of those folks have stepped away from his volunteer work, someone is still in the faith volunteer work, we think the most important part here is about who is stepping up and who is surrogates,” Rogers said.

• After taking more questions, Rogers did not confirm if Ford was still on his Faith Leadership team. Ford could not be reached for comment.

Raw Story: MAGA candidate ducks questions about his campaign’s ties to church abuse scandal

• Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers deflected pointed questions Wednesday about his campaign’s continued ties to a pastor connected to a notorious Midland church sex abuse case

• According to ABC 12, Rogers was in Saginaw […] when reporters pressed him on his Faith Leadership Coalition, a group that has included two pastors tied to the Living Word Church network. Three members of that Midland-area church are currently serving prison sentences after being convicted of sexually abusing children.

• One coalition member, Brian Ford of Living Word Church in Ludington, attended the Midland trial in support of former pastor James Randolph, who was ultimately convicted. Ford remains on Rogers’ faith team. A second member, Tim Cross, previously resigned from the coalition after admitting he initially didn’t believe the abuse victims.

• Asked specifically about Ford’s continued involvement, Rogers didn’t answer directly […] When pushed further on the two coalition members specifically, Rogers again sidestepped the question of whether Ford still holds a role on his team.

• “Our volunteers, the people that volunteer for us, one of those folks have stepped away from his volunteer work, someone is still in the faith volunteer work, we think the most important part here is about who is stepping up and who is surrogates,” Rogers said.

• By the end of the press availability, Rogers still hadn’t confirmed one way or the other whether Ford remains part of his campaign’s faith outreach effort. Ford could not be reached for comment.

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