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Ex-'Survivor' castaway sues former church
« on: Jan 27th, 2004, 5:40pm » |
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Ex-'Survivor' castaway sues former church
BY MATTHEW PENIX
SLIDELL SENTRY-NEWS
SLIDELL -- A Slidell pastor, once a short-lived contestant on the hit CBS show "Survivor," has filed a lawsuit against his former church, claiming one of its elders defamed his character by spreading lies about his farewell.
John G. Raymond filed the lawsuit against The Harvest Assembly of God Church of Slidell after he was fired May, 27, 2003, where he worked as an employee and minister of the church.
According to the lawsuit, Michael Dunn, a church elder, told Ronald Owen Boelter, a congregant at The Harvest, that Raymond was fired for "stealing money" and "locks had to be changed before Pastor Raymond was fired because the Harvest did not know what Pastor Raymond would steal next."
Raymond's lawyers contend in the lawsuit that he "never stole money from the Harvest, "and because of his vocation as an ordained minister, his reputation for honesty and goodness are extremely important." Raymond is seeking unspecified damages, according to the lawsuit.
Raymond also contested the charges in a four-page letter to the press, claiming the allegations were absurd.
"Am I the one stealing money? That is preposterous. I never had any more access to the money any more than you did. I'm no good at deception. That is why I got voted off 'Survivor' in the first round," Raymond said in the letter.
Raymond also said in the statement that, "I am not angry or bitter about being fired," and that he is happy with the prospect of his new church, the New Horizon Christian Fellowship that meets in the Plaza Inn on the corner of Gause Boulevard and Interstate 10.
Raymond declined to comment any further Thursday except what was written in the supplied document.
Dunn, an appointed member of the church's advisory board, also limited his comments on Thursday.
"I'd like to answer you," said Dunn. "But there is no comment. I wish I could give you more, but our position now is that this is going to be handled in the courts."
Doug McAllister, founder and pastor at the church, did not respond to phone calls Thursday.
Raymond was a Harvest employee from January, 1999 until May 27, 2003, during which time he competed in the cash prize reality television show, "Survivor." Raymond was the first member of the 16-person class of contestants to be voted off the show in the fall of 2002.
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