North Carolina Episcopal priest charged in Florida road rage

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Updated 11:05 am, Sunday, July 9, 2017


STUART, Fla. (AP) — The rector of an Episcopal church in North Carolina is facing criminal charges in Florida after police say he pointed a gun at another vehicle in an apparent road rage incident.

Media reports say 35-year-old Rev. William Rian Adams is charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Martin County, Florida records show he was released from jail on $15,000 bail.

State troopers say a pickup truck driver was closely following a Corvette on Florida's Turnpike and tried to pass the car when its driver pointed a handgun at him. Troopers then stopped Adams in the Corvette.

Records show Adams is rector of Calvary Episcopal Church in Fletcher, North Carolina. Church officials didn't immediately respond to a call seeking comment and no attorney was listed for Adams.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/North-Carolina-Episcopal-priest-charged-in-11275833.php

---

(Short article, no more at link.)





Rev. William Rian Adams



William Adams: Priest arrested in Martin County road rage incident

Xavier Trudeau Juillet 9, 2017





Florida Highway Patrol says William Rian Adams, 35, was arrested Wednesday after being involved in a road rage incident in Palm City.

According to Florida Highway Police, the incident happened on a turnpike close to Palm City, where Adams, who is a priest at Calvary Episcopal Church in Fletcher, North Carolina, “attempted to brake check” a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck that was reportedly too closely following his Chevrolet Corvette.

As reported by ABC News, the driver of the pickup then attempted to pass Adams’Corvette when the priest pointed a semi-automatic hand gun at their vehicle.

Adams told police that one of the occupants of the pick up truck, a 24-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman, rolled down a window, started screaming and threw a drink at his vehicle, according to the Palm Beach Post.

More:
http://campdesrecrues.com/2017/07/william-adams-priest-arrested-in-martin-county-road-rage/

[Hieronymus]

1. A man of God. LOL

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. It's a lie Jesus said "turn the other cheek". He really said be sure both chambers are loaded. . . n

[Judi Lynn]

7. Amen. n/t

[Matthew28]

3. Most men of God are

unmoral and self righteous to the core. They don't follow a damn thing Jesus said to do.

[Historic NY]

4. And we still think eveyone should have a penis extender.

[CanonRay]

5. So it's only illegal to pull a gun on someone in Florida

if you don't pull the trigger. Otherwise it's stand your ground.

[C Moon]

10. so true!

[TexasBushwhacker]

6. I'm stunned a priest was driving a Corvette! N/t

[bottomofthehill]

11. Apparently there is no vow of poverty

Driving a Vette and spreading the gospel at the end of a semi auto.

[Igel]

14. They're not Franciscans.

Not even Catholic.

Most churches aren't into asceticism these days, sittling on pillars or flagellating themselves.

[NCjack]

8. The "Rev" work must be lucrative -- this Rev has a Corvette. nt

[Hoyt]

9. Corvette, white man, guns, aggression, Christian hypocrite -- classic gun nut.

[Turbineguy]

12. A man prepared to drive in Florida.

As for the others, don't bring a drink to a gun fight.

[paleotn]

13. What?!

An Episcopalian rector? Driving a corvette? With a handgun? Pointing it at someone? And from Fletcher, no less. How's that for fucked up? The only thing nuttier would be a Quaker packing heat. Episcopals are usually on the much saner side of Christianity. If it had been a Baptist or some unaffiliated, fundigelical christo-nutter, I wouldn't be all that surprised. But NOW I have to worry about Episcopalians wanting to pop a cap in someone's ass?

[Lulu KC]

15. I know!

So unEpiscopalian!

[kwassa]

16. Learn something about this guy, before judging him.

http://www.goupstate.com/news/20160923/new-rector-fr-rian-adams-opens-arms-to-wider-fletcher-nc-community

Adams’ service in the military and his desire to serve the church both reflect strong traditions in his family.

He is the grandson of a pastor and claims ancestors who served in the Revolutionary and Civil wars. Adams said he knew he wanted to become a pastor by the time he was 16 years old. He began working in church ministry when he was 18.

He holds degrees in Biblical Studies, Marriage and Family Therapy and a master’s degree with honors in Divinity. Adams is also pursuing a doctorate degree in Ministry.

When he is not studying or working in his church, Adams enjoys collecting and playing vintage guitars and banjos, watching college football and spending time with family and friends.

As a military chaplain, he served in many parts of the world including Kuwait, Germany, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan. He suffered injuries in the helicopter accident while serving in Afghanistan. Adams also received the Bronze Star during his service.

He said his work counseling fellow soldiers as well as his commitment as a chaplain to reaching all types of people — even those who do not consider themselves religious — remained an important part of his work after he retired from the military.

While serving as rector at the church in St. Simons Island, Adams said the church reached out to veterans through a wounded warrior retreat. He said a similar event might be something Calvary could offer to reach out to the community.

“I don’t view myself simply as a priest at Calvary, but a priest for the community,” Adams said.

[SergeStorms]

19. OK, I read it......

and he's STILL an asshole for pulling a gun on someone because his road rage got the best of him.

[susanna]

41. Thank you.

I'm not even an Episcopal priest and I would not do that.

WHO DOES THAT?!

[bottomofthehill]

38. I learned he should better

10 years in the military, even as a Chaplin should have taught him you cant go around pointing guns at people

[defacto7]

17. So what the hell is an Episcopal priest?

[pnwmom]

18. A priest of the Episcopal Church, part of the Anglican Communion.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Episcopal_Church_(United_States)

[defacto7]

27. sorry to be snarky...

I've heard of Catholic Priests or Anglican / Episcopal Rectors. I don't know of mixing the two terms.

[QC]

28. The rector is the head priest of a parish.

The assistant to the rector--who is also a priest--is called a curate or a vicar.

[defacto7]

31. Thank you...

[QC]

32. But then you have evangelicals, who generally call their priests "pastors"

and clap a lot. It gets complicated.

[defacto7]

35. ha... priests who clap... sounds scary...

[pnwmom]

29. An Episcopal Rector is a priest in charge of a parish. In parishes with only one priest,

there would only be a rector.

https://www.episcopalchurch.org/library/glossary/rector

[defacto7]

30. Thank you. I learn something every day...

hopefully.

[angrychair]

20. Everything about this story is wrong

An Episcopal priest,
driving a corvette
pointed a gun at someone
Because he has anger issues

This is why churches need to pay taxes.

[24601]

33. More than any other non-profits? n/t

[angrychair]

34. A church is not an NGO

A non-profit or NGO is a completely different tax code.

They are not the same.
Large and megachurches are flush with cash, their pastors live in mansions and drive nice cars and even own aircraft, while some of their church members dont even get by on food stamps.

[24601]

36. Non-profit organization - 501 (c) (3), not a Non-Governmental Organization.

Here's a quote from IRS Pub 1828 (Tax Guide for Churches & Religious Organizations)

"IRC Section 501(c)(3). IRC section 501(c)(3) describes charitable organizations,
including churches and religious organizations, which qualify for exemption from
federal income tax and generally are eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions."


And regarding other 501 (c) (3) organizations: (
https://nonprofitquarterly.org/2017/03/08/million-dollar-compensation-nonprofit-ceos/
(citing the March 6, 2017 WSJ)

"About 2,700 employees of 501(c)(3) nonprofits received annual compensation of more than $1 million in 2014, according to a study of IRS Form 990 returns performed by the Wall Street Journal. This is about one-third more than received $1 million or more in 2011."

"As might be expected, the “eds and meds” led the list. Five nonprofits paid $10 million or more to their CEOs; four out of five were healthcare systems. The fifth was the Harvard Management Company, which manages the Harvard University endowment and has been the subject of persistent leadership turmoil. Overall, three-quarters of the high-paying nonprofits were in the healthcare sector, with private colleges and universities making up another ten percent."

[angrychair]

37. I would concede

That non-profits should not be paying their executive staff millions of dollars.

That said, I would at the same time ask that you have to admit that there is a significant difference in playing on people's faith to make yourself a millionaire and/or making tithing a specific minimum a requirement to pocket that money and troll your church for a nice house or a $30 million Learjet.
Not saying they all do it to that level but there are plenty of examples of pastors of large churches (or large branches of a faith like the Catholic Church) abusing the power and wealth of their organizations for their personal benefit.

It a different level of unseemlyness, of hypocrisy of a complete failure to hold to the tenets of a faith you claim are so important.
We both know that there are pastors making a lot more than these non-profit ceos:
Benny Hinn: $42 mil ( net worth)
Joel Osteen: $40 mil ""
Creflo Dollar: $27 mil
Billy Graham: $25


The Catholic Church is so big it has its own country and recently billion+ dollar scandals. Point of fact no one, including the Church itself, knows the extent of its wealth.

The Mormon Church is worth over $40 billion.

The point is that these pastors and church organizations hold there own against the majority of large for and non-profit companies and organizations.

There using the premise of faith to stuff their pockets and as far as I am concerned they should pay taxes like anyone else. FYI there are many countries in which churches pay taxes.

[snooper2]

21. well, he looks like a rector lol

[SharonClark]

22. Maybe he feared for his life and was standing his ground - this is FL after all

"Adams told police that one of the occupants of the pick up truck, a 24-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman, rolled down a window, started screaming and threw a drink at his vehicle, according to the Palm Beach Post."

[Doreen]

23. From the article and some of what has been posted here

I come to the conclusion that this Episcopal priest belongs to a more fundamental sect of the Episcopal church. All churches have a moderate sect and a fundamentalist sect. The fundamentalists tend to give their churches a bad name. To bad this priest did that.

[PassingFair]

24. Although I'm SURE there must be SOME exceptions...

I have never met a Corvette driver that wasn't an asshat.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

39. Trump Jr must have a Corvette in his fleet.

[Aristus]

25. He has a gun, a Corvette, and anger issues.

What the hell kind of church is this?...

[Not Ruth]

26. Episcopal