A Kansas pastor leading the state’s largest Methodist congregation is under fire in a late-stage political campaign after an incumbent Republican senator revived allegations against a convicted sex offender linked to the church. The offender, previously accused of molesting teenage boys during church retreats over a decade ago, has since been convicted, raising fresh scrutiny over the pastor’s leadership and the church’s handling of the past incidents. The controversy has injected new tension into the race, with the senator tying the pastor’s record to the unresolved allegations. Details on how the church responded at the time—and whether the pastor played a role—are now central to the debate.
Hamilton, a Methodist pastor who runs Kansas' largest church, is facing late-campaign attacks from incumbent Republican Sen. Roger Marshall over now-convicted sex offender Scott Moore, who was accused of molesting teenage boys at church retreats in 2005 and 2006.
