Pastor caught shoving elderly woman down steps of LA church

A group of members from Beulah Land Missionary Baptist Church gathered outside their church on Sunday to demand the removal of a pastor who allegedly shoved a woman to the ground and down a set of cement steps.

Pastor Lorenz Roseman of the Baptist church in Gardena, located in LA’s South Bay, was caught on video surveillance last year pushing an elderly woman through a metal gate and causing her to fall to the ground while she was at the church’s doors.

After just two days in custody with a promise to return to court, Pastor Roseman has since returned to his position, claiming that the majority of the congregants voted to allow him to stay on as the church leader, KTLA reported.

“The whole unfortunate event began when I was informed that certain influential members, who held positions of power, might be engaged in unethical or illegal activities. After conducting an investigation and confirming the allegations, I removed them from their positions,” Roseman said in a statement regarding the case against him.

“When these individuals could not oust me through our church policies and procedures, they began to attack my character and weaponize the legal system against me. However, judges have dismissed these suits as frivolous and lacking standing,” the pastor added.

For congregants like Dr. Ta-Taneisha Thames, the pastor’s explanation is insufficient.

“He does not have the right to put his hands on anyone,” she told KTLA. “That is unacceptable. He needs to resign.”

The woman who was pushed, Elise McTaw, stated that her wrist and toes were fractured from the fall.

“This is the pastor’s doing,” said Najee Ali, a community activist with Project Islamic Hope, pointing to a brace worn by the pastor’s alleged victim. “That’s why the church members are requesting his resignation.”

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