Former Midland Church Members Urge Senate Candidate to Cut Ties with Pastors Linked to Abuse Scandal

Dana and Dan Stahl call on Mike Rogers to remove two pastors from his campaign over their ties to a child sex abuse scandal at their former church.

Apr. 15, 2026 at 11:03pm

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An extreme close-up photograph of a child's broken crayon, lit by a harsh, direct camera flash against a pitch-black background, conceptually representing the shattered innocence and betrayal of trust in this church scandal.The harsh flash illuminates the remnants of a broken trust, exposing the institutional failures that allowed children to be endangered.Midland Today

A couple who were longtime members of Mark Barclay Ministries/Living Word Church in Midland, Michigan, have written an open letter urging U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers to remove two pastors from his campaign's leadership team due to their connections to a child sex abuse scandal at the church. The letter alleges that church leaders, including the two pastors, failed to protect children and even worked to silence victims who came forward about the abuse.

Why it matters

The letter highlights the ongoing fallout from the child sex abuse scandal at the Midland church, which saw three leaders convicted of sexually assaulting minors. It raises questions about the vetting process for political campaigns and whether candidates should be held accountable for associating with individuals connected to such serious allegations of misconduct.

The details

According to the letter, Dana and Dan Stahl were members of the church's nursery ministry for over 21 years, caring for children including eight known victims of sexual assault. They claim that church leaders, including Mark Barclay, were aware that one of the convicted abusers, James Randolph, had a prior conviction for the violent gang rape of a 15-year-old girl, but still allowed him to work in the youth ministry. The letter alleges that church leadership worked to silence and discredit the victims who came forward.

  • In a two-year period, three leaders at Mark Barclay Ministries/Living Word Church were convicted of sexually assaulting children.
  • On March 9, the Stahls reached out privately to Mike Rogers to alert him about the pastors' connections to the abuse scandal, but did not receive a response.
  • The letter was published in the Midland Daily News on April 15, 2026.

The players

Dana and Dan Stahl

Former members of Living Word Church in Midland, Michigan, who ran the church nursery for over 21 years.

Mike Rogers

Candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan.

Mark Barclay

Leader of Mark Barclay Ministries/Living Word Church in Midland, where the child sex abuse scandal occurred.

James Randolph

A convicted sex offender who worked in the youth ministry at Mark Barclay Ministries/Living Word Church despite having a prior conviction for the violent gang rape of a 15-year-old girl.

Tim Cross

Leader of Living Word Church in Muskegon and a member of Mike Rogers' Faith Coalition Leadership team, who initially did not believe the abuse victims.

Brian Ford

Head pastor of Living Word Church of Ludington and a member of Mike Rogers' Faith Coalition Leadership team, who supported the church's leadership despite their failure to protect children.

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What they’re saying

“We reached out privately on March 9 to alert you to the fact that your campaign has elevated leaders connected to the sexual abuse scandal at Mark Barclay Ministries, an institution that endangered and failed to protect children from predators, and we did not receive a response.”

— Dana and Dan Stahl, Former members of Living Word Church

“What Mark Barclay Ministries' leadership knew and concealed from us and other church members was that Randolph had previously been convicted and incarcerated for a sex crime involving a minor. After we obtained court records we learned the conviction was for the violent gang rape of a 15-year-old girl with special needs.”

— Dana and Dan Stahl, Former members of Living Word Church

“Tim Cross, leader of Living Word Church in Muskegon, said he didn't believe the victims when they first came forward. Cross also admitted that he first met James Randolph while Randolph was still in prison for his first conviction for sexually assaulting a minor, suggesting that Cross knew Randolph's criminal history but yet still did not believe his additional victims.”

— Dana and Dan Stahl, Former members of Living Word Church

What’s next

The Stahls are calling on Mike Rogers to immediately remove Tim Cross and Brian Ford from his campaign's leadership team due to their connections to the child sex abuse scandal at Mark Barclay Ministries/Living Word Church.

The takeaway

This case highlights the importance of thorough vetting and accountability for political candidates, especially when it comes to associations with individuals connected to serious allegations of misconduct and abuse. It also underscores the ongoing trauma and impact on victims and communities affected by such scandals.