A former pastor at one of North Texas’ most prominent churches was arrested in October on solicitation of prostitution charges

 

The former pastor’s family submitted his resignation and informed the church of an outstanding warrant for his arrest before turning himself in to authorities.

DALLAS — A former executive minister at Highland Park United Methodist Church (HPUMC) – one of the Dallas area’s most prominent churches – resigned and was later arrested for solicitation of prostitution this past fall, HPUMC officials confirmed to WFAA. 

A spokesperson for HPUMC said the family of 72-year-old John Fiedler submitted his resignation on Oct. 8, 2024, citing “an undiagnosed medical condition.” Fiedler’s resignation was announced to the church’s congregation during the Oct. 20, 2024 service, the spokesperson said. 

Then, on Oct. 30, 2024, Fiedler’s wife informed Rev. Paul Rasmussen, a senior minister at the church, of Dr. Fielder’s outstanding warrant for solicitation of prostitution and of his intent to turn himself in, the church spokesperson said. 

The spokesperson added that “these matters are unrelated to Dr. Fiedler’s role with the church, and the church is not involved in any related litigation.”

Fiedler’s arrest first came to light this week after an article was published by The Roys Report , citing an incident report and court records. According to a report obtained by The Roys Report, the incident leading to Fiedler’s arrest happened after a police inspection of a business in Carrollton on Oct. 2, 2024. Collin County court documents obtained by The Roys Report stated that Fiedler then turned himself in to police on Halloween, one day after Fiedler’s wife spoke to the church about the warrant. 

WFAA has reached out to Carrollton Police Department on Jan. 25 for more details regarding Fieder’s arrest but has not yet received a reply.

In an email sent on Jan. 25, two days after the Roys Report article was published, HPUMC confirmed Fiedler’s resignation to WFAA.

“We remain committed to transparency and supporting our congregation during this time,” the church spokesperson told WFAA. 

Mark Lassiter, the attorney representing Fiedler, acknowledged the former HPUMC pastor’s arrest in a statement provided to WFAA. 

“We understand the severity of these charges, and Dr. Fiedler has cooperated with the authorities fully from the outset,” Lassiter’s statement read. “He was not arrested at a massage parlor contrary to earlier reporting. We are unable to comment on the facts at this time because there is a medical issue that is a significant part of this matter that is still pending. However, we are looking forward to a speedy resolution.”

Fiedler has been removed from HPUMC’s staff directory, and his sermons have been removed from the church’s website. 

HPUMC is the largest United Methodist Church in the nation, according to 2023 statistics from UMData, with nearly 15,000 members. Notable congregants throughout the years include former President George W. Bush, late Dallas Cowboys head coach Tom Landry, late former Dallas Mayor Robert L. Thornton and former American Airlines CEO Doug Parker

Fielder is just the latest name in a series of pastors and church workers caught in controversy over the past 12 months.

 

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