Mayor admits he's a twice-vanished pastor; was kidnapped, brainwashed by 'satanists.'

[formerrepuke]

..This story is now a month old- and may have already made an appearance on DU.. but its sooo good.

Ardent Baptist preacher/small town Arkansas mayor (who has written extensively against evolution and supports the "this is a Christian nation" meme) has lived under 3 aliases, claims that he has been pursued for years by "satanists" who have kidnapped and brainwashed him; abandoned 1st wife and children 27 years ago.



His opinions about our Christian-based republic are clear:
"Revisionists have attempted to rewrite history to show that our founding fathers created a secular government and wrote the idea of "the separation of church and state" into our constitution. That is a lie!"

..as are his feelings regarding creationism:
"Evolution is a religious belief system... Virtually every point fails the test of true science."

A timeline of Reverend/Mayor 'Whack-O's' exploits:
>1940-Donald LaRose is born in Allentown, Pa.

>1958-LaRose begins classes at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, but leaves in 1961 before finishing his studies.

>1972-LaRose becomes pastor of the First Baptist Church in Maine, NY, moving his wife and two young daughters with him to the small town near Binghamton.

>Nov 4, 1975-LaRose disappears from Maine, NY. Family and parishioners are shocked to learn three months later that he is living in Minneapolis, where he claims a Satanic cult has erased his memory and given him a new identity, Bruce Williamson.

>1977-Reunited with his family, LaRose resettles in Hammond, IN and eventually becomes pastor of Hessville Baptist Church.

>June 9, 1980 - LaRose vanishes again. The missing persons report says friends believe "he may have been kidnapped by a cult that has kidnapped him before."

>1986-LaRose, now going by the name Ken Williams, marries his wife Pat. His assumed identity is a slightly modified version of the name he says his abductors gave him in 1975, which was stolen from a NY man who died a car crash in 1958.

>2001-'Ken Williams' is appointed mayor of Centerton, AR to fill an unexpired term. He is re-elected twice.

>November 2007-Confronted by newspaper reporters bearing photos of Don LaRose from 1978, the mayor of Centerton admits he is the twice-vanished pastor. He explains he fled the second time of his own will, because his captors had been threatening him again. He resigns as mayor, but plans to remain in Centerton with his current wife. His previous wife remarried 7 years after his disappearance.

The LaRose/Williams timeline
http://www.nwanews.com/bcdr/News/55965/
The full story
http://nwanews.com/bcdr/News/55904/
The 'Ken Williams Ministries', including his anti-evolution diatribe
http://www.kenwilliamsministries.org/index.html
Ken Williams' other website, using his original name Don LaRose, with another anti-evolution rant.
http://www.donlarose.com/2.html

[Ian David]

1. Oh, give him a break. Who among us hasn't been through the same thing. Seriously. n/t

[ProfessorGAC]

3. Well, That's True

But only twice.
The Professor

[Ezlivin]

2. Actually he was Raptured, but God decided he should be Left Behind

N/T

[Mythsaje]

4. Boy, those satanists don't do the brainwashing thing too well, do they?

I mean, his beliefs are pretty much the same as any other kooky RW Christian.

Hey--how can he be sure he wasn't kidnapped by crazy RW Christians?

[Stuart G]

5. ,,/solution is very very simple..

..send the wacko to Guantanamo..........then waterboard him...teach him a lesson....

[marmar]

6. Brainwashed, maybe, but not by satanists.....

:think:

[Marie26]

7. Well, it's not that funny

It sounds like he's schizophrenic.