Church Expels Elder for Molesting Girls : Scandal: 77-year-old ‘hero’ to one of county’s largest congregations resigns from board. : He, wife are barred from grounds of First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton.

FULLERTON —  Church elder James C. Truxton, regarded as a hero to one of Orange County’s largest religious congregations, has been expelled from the First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton after church officials said he admitted molesting several young female church members.

The announcement came last Sunday during regular services in a stunning letter written by the 77-year-old Truxton that was read to the congregation by Senior Pastor Charles R. Swindoll.

“It was as if somebody walked into your living room and told you that your dad had just been killed,” said Jac La Tour, the church’s communication director, describing the congregation’s emotional response Sunday. “You can’t imagine a man more loved in the church than James Truxton. He was a hero here.”

Truxton’s one-page letter indicated that he was resigning his position on the church’s 22-member Board of Elders because of “molestation perpetrated by me in the past upon young girls within and outside this congregation,” church officials said.

According to an investigation conducted by the church that included interviews with about seven alleged victims, La Tour said it was believed that the last incident occurred “more than a decade ago.”

The victims are now reported to be in their 20s or early 30s and it is believed that none of the incidents took place on the church’s sprawling grounds in the 2800 block of North Brea Boulevard.

Following Truxton’s resignation from the board, the governing body last weekend revoked the church memberships of Truxton and his wife, barring both from further access to church grounds where they had been members since 1958. Although victims told church officials that Mrs. Truxton was not involved in the alleged acts, La Tour said the women expressed concern since some of the incidents were alleged to have taken place in the Truxton home.

“The Board of Elders’ response included the recognition that while no one has been respected more than James C. Truxton for his leadership and accomplishments in this church and in other areas of ministry, the Scripture clearly dictates a strong response on the church’s part when one in the position of elder commits this type of violation,” church officials said in a written statement Thursday.

“The purpose of this response is not to hurt Mr. Truxton; it is to heal the victims,” the statement continued. “Mr. Truxton concurs that this is the only appropriate response.”

Truxton could not be reached for comment Thursday, and all inquiries at his Fullerton home Thursday were being referred to church officials.

La Tour said officials first became aware of the problem in June when an alleged victim made an unsolicited allegation to a member of the church’s pastoral staff. The allegation prompted a church investigation in which officials were referred by the first victim to other possible molestation victims, officials said.

“You and I can only imagine how difficult it was for them (to discuss the alleged incidents), or how badly it hurt them,” La Tour said.

At that time, La Tour said the children’s staff at the church was informed because Truxton and his wife had been serving as Sunday School teachers for second-grade students.

By Sept. 15, the communications director said, enough evidence had been gathered to confront Truxton.

Church officials declined to reveal any details about the nature of the alleged molestations.

La Tour said it was Truxton’s decision to write the letter, while the elders decided upon the public readings at Sunday services. Truxton was at those services.

Following the announcements, church officials provided counseling services to the membership and many were continuing to seek guidance this week regarding the disclosure.

The church has notified the Orange County Department of Child Protective Services about the allegations. Fullerton police officials also contacted the church Wednesday, but they said Wednesday that the department had not received victims’ complaints nor had they begun an investigation.

Truxton’s revered standing in the religious community dates to the mid-1940s when he helped establish the Mission Aviation Fellowship based in Redlands. The fellowship provided air transportation of supplies and religious missionaries to remote regions of the world. Truxton served as president of that organization between 1945 and 1949. He retired in 1985 as a member.

During that time, fellowship communications manager Ghislaine Benney said, officials became aware of a “problem” involving Truxton. Since the incident occurred more than 20 years ago, Benney said, it was unclear what was involved. At the time, Truxton reportedly agreed to undergo counseling, Benney said.

With the disclosure in Fullerton, the fellowship is conducting a follow-up investigation of its own incident involving Truxton, he said.

“We thought it all had been resolved,” Benney said. “Since it happened so long ago, not much is known. We want to make sure it was handled properly.”

At the time of Truxton’s expulsion from the Fullerton church, he was in the last year of a three-year term on the elders’ board, La Tour said. He and his wife had been teaching the Sunday school class for the past five years.