Pastor Suspended After Allegations of Misconduct

The longtime minister of Community Church, Congregational has been suspended after accusations by six current and former church members, all women, that he engaged in sexual misconduct with them dating back to 1980.

“We have taken the steps necessary to achieve justice and healing for all parties,” said Avida Crabtree, minister of the Southern California Conference of United Church of Christ, which took the action. “We have moved as deliberately as possible to make that happen.”

The Rev. Donald Kutz, minister of the 400-member church for the past 18 years, has vehemently denied the accusations, church members say. He has appealed his suspension to the denomination’s ecclesiastical council, which has scheduled an April 21 hearing.

Kutz, 50, who church members say has been divorced for several years, could not be reached for comment late Monday. A man answering his home telephone identified himself as a friend of the pastor, who, he said, “may be out of town for a while.”

Crabtree said the decision to suspend Kutz was made last week after a 5 1/2-week investigation by church officials into the allegations by the six women. “Obviously, action would not have been taken unless there were substantiated allegations,” she said.

Crabtree declined to characterize the alleged sexual misconduct except to say that it took place as early as 1980 with women who are current or former members of the congregation.

A woman who identified herself as one of the complainants said the misconduct ranged from simple sexual harassment--consisting of sexual innuendoes about staff members and congregants--to long-term sexual relations with women who were psychologically and emotionally vulnerable.

“He used his position of pastoral leadership to take advantage of women sexually,” said the complainant, speaking on the condition that she not be identified. “Many of them were recent divorcees or widows who came to him for spiritual counseling. He would begin a relationship with them and swear them to secrecy. They were led to believe they were his one and only, yet he had many of these going on.”

Members of the congregation, meanwhile, met Monday night with church leaders to be apprised of the process by which Kutz had been removed. The standing-room-only meeting was closed to outsiders, and church members were asked to turn off tape recorders, a request that several protested.

At the meeting, members of the countywide committee of the United Church of Christ, which investigated the allegations and recommended the suspension, read their internal report to the congregation.

“We want the truth to be known,” the unnamed complainant said. “The process is going in the right direction.”

Joanne Reynolds, assistant president of the congregation, said after the meeting Monday night: “Everyone is very upset about this. There’s a lot of pain here. I don’t know anybody who’s happy about it. “

Nancy Engle Vananautten, a friend and supporter of Kutz, said: “It’s hard for him. He’s saddened by the process and what will happen to the church.”