Local church members in Union City, Tennessee, may be standing behind their former pastor–even though he is accused of plotting to kill his wife while on a mission trip.
Local news sources report that Eddie Mallonee, who served as pastor at Second Baptist Church for 15 years, has been indicted for conspiracy and attempt to commit first-degree murder. Shelley Moran, Mallonee’s alleged mistress and a Second Baptist Church member, also has been indicted in the same plot. Their target? Mallonee’s wife.
NWTN Today reports that Mallonee’s plan “allegedly involved obtaining poison with which to kill Mallonee’s wife, transporting the poison to Honduras and attempting to administer the poison to Mrs. Mallonee in her drink, according to the indictment.”
Mallonee resigned from his pastoral role at the church in February amid accusations that he had had an affair with Moran. Now, however, some church members are supporting Mallonee: “Fliers posted all over the Obion County Courthouse that read ‘The blood of Jesus forgives sins’ hint at the loyalty Second Baptist Church members have for their former pastor,” WMC-TV reports.
Church leaders, however, had a different statement. Local news station WPSD reported that the church released the following statement:
Second Baptist Church is broken hearted and grieved over this situation. We will seek God’s will and direction on how to love and minister to all of those affected. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we will continue to serve God in our community through ministry and missions for his glory.
Mallonee and Moran have both pled not guilty. Media reported that Mallonee left the courthouse hand-in-hand with his wife.
