Michigan GOP Senate Candidate Avoids Questions About Church Abuse Scandal Connections

Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers has avoided publicly addressing his connection to pastors affiliated with the Living Word Church, which has faced child sexual abuse lawsuits with three church elders imprisoned for crimes against children. When confronted about why two pastors from the church remain on his Faith Leadership Coalition, Rogers redirected the conversation to criticisms of his Democratic opponent's association with a Twitch commentator. The incident highlights scrutiny of Rogers's vetting process for campaign advisors amid serious allegations facing the religious organization.

The Living Word Church organization has become the subject of multiple criminal prosecutions involving sexual abuse of minors. Three church elders from the Midland location were incarcerated following convictions related to child abuse. Two pastors with ties to the church's Ludington and Muskegon chapters maintained positions within Rogers's campaign advisory structure, despite the ongoing legal proceedings and convictions. One of these advisors had previously defended a pastor convicted of serious criminal charges in court testimony.

When directly questioned about these personnel decisions during a campaign appearance, Rogers declined to provide a substantive response to the specific inquiry. Instead, he shifted focus to criticism of his political opponent's association with an online political commentator, a deflection that avoided the core question about his vetting procedures for campaign staff.