Outpouring of grief at church after married 'sexual assault' pastor hangs himself in jail

By Daily Mail Reporter
Updated: 15:17 EST, 23 May 2011


A pastor who was arrested for sexually assaulting a woman has hung himself in jail.

Father of four Matthew D. Jarrell, 41, was arrested in Charleston, Virginia on Thursday by detectives investigating the brutal assault of a 36-year-old woman.

At first Jarrell denied the charge, but later he confessed to having sex with the woman, according to police.

Unknown to members of the Mesquite Open Door Baptist Church, where he had been a pastor since 2004, Jarrell had an outstanding charge for sexual assault in San Antonio from 2007.

Arrested: Pastor Matthew Jarrell was initially arrested for sexually assaulting a woman, before he hung himself in a jail cell

Arrested: Pastor Matthew Jarrell was initially arrested for sexually assaulting a woman, before he hung himself in a jail cell

Speaking to a shocked congregation hours after Jarell committed suicide on Sunday, Youth minister Danny Reynolds said:  'All of us at our best are sinners.

'It’s not time to throw in the towel.'

The Dallas Morning News reported the Mr Reynolds 'banging the pulpit several times' as he addressed his audience.

As many wept in the pews, interim pastor Rik Parcell said: 'We all need a little touch of God this morning.'

Speaking to the paper, Mr Parcell added he knew about Jarrell's pending sexual assault charge from 2007, but accepted the 'reasonable-sounding explanation' he had given him, and therefore  'didn’t do further research.'

According to reports, the 36-year-old woman told police she had escaped from a man who offered her a ride home from a bar.

She said she had been driven by the man to a secluded area and sexually assaulted.

Mourning: Mesquite Baptist Church, which was founded in the 1960s, was in shock after hearing the news

Mourning: Mesquite Baptist Church, which was founded in the 1960s, was in shock after hearing the news

Speaking to the paper, church member Joe Scott said: 'We want to honour Brother Jarrell and his family.

'We’re in grief mode right now.'

His wife Tina added:  'We’re still going to go on as a church and heal and grow.'

Vernon Allred, another church goer, called Jarrell’s suicide 'heartbreaking.'

He said: 'But we loved him as a man.

'We’re going to go on as a church.

'We didn’t worship him. We worship Jesus Christ.'



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