Disciples moderator sorry for plagiarism

Christian Century, Sept 6, 2003

The moderator at the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has apologized to his Washington congregation after a newspaper ran a story about his admission that he had used other ministers' sermons without giving them credit. "I am so very sorry for bringing embarrassment on this wonderful congregation," said Alvin O'Neal Jackson, pastor of National City Christian Church, the flagship congregation of the 800,000-member denomination.

The Washington Post reported in a front-page story August 16 how National City members had discovered a series of "borrowed" sermons through an Internet search. Jackson told the Post in an interview that he used 16 sermons of Thomas K. Tewell, pastor of Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York, and one by John M. Buchanan, co-pastor of Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago, without crediting them. Buchanan is also editor-publisher of the CENTURY.

"I take full responsibility for what I've done," Jackson told the Post. "It was poor judgment on my part." Ira the first news article, Jackson cited an 18-month period of "major personal crisis" that included back surgery and added that he thought some members had a "vendetta" against him. But in the newspaper's report following the August 17 service, Jackson apologized "for casting aspersions against anyone in this congregation." He met with the congregation's board of elders after the service.

William Chris Hobgood, who will he finishing out the term of the Disciples' retiring denomination President Richard Hamm, said the congregation or the denomination could determine that Jackson's actions amounted to ministerial misconduct. If so, he could lose his credentials for ministry or be fired. Said church board member Chrys Lemon: "I think the most important thing is for everyone to get the complete story of what happened ... and then we'll go from there."--RNS