ORLANDO, Fla. — A fight over religious runaway Rifqa Bary tore apart a local church. Church leaders recorded their meeting as they fired the pastor who brought Bary to Florida.
The pastor admitted he lied publicly when he claimed he never helped the teenage girl leave Ohio.
"Why lie if no crimes have been committed? Why?" a church board member asked Pastor Blake Lorenz.
"To protect innocent people who could be killed by Muslims, that's why," Lorenz replied.
RAW AUDIO: Pastor Fired During Church Meeting VIDEO REPORT: Pastor In Rifqa Bary Controversy Fired
In a tape-recorded church meeting that Eyewitness News obtained (raw audio) , Pastor Blake Lorenz admitted he lied about religious runaway Rifqa Bary.
"Anyone in their right mind would change the story for the media to save a person's life, because we never lied to law enforcement," Lorenz said in the recording.
Pastor Lorenz said he has no regrets. Initially he said the girl had hitchhiked from Columbus, Ohio, but later the public learned Lorenz and other church officials bought a Greyhound bus ticket for Bary, who is a minor, under a fake name.
"I lied to protect somebody's life. That is integrity," Lorenz said.
Lorenz was protecting the Ohio man who drove Bary to the bus station to escape her parents. Bary has said she was afraid for her life after converting from Islam to Christianity.
In the meeting to dissolve the church, board members blasted Pastor Lorenz for his actions and things got heated.
"Without truth and integrity we have no ministry. We have a circus sideshow," a board member stated.
"No. You're not sorry. You're not sorry. You guys are so crazy," Lorenz said.
"You guys are so evil," Lorenz's wife added.
"You guys are the most evil people I've ever heard and you, we need you right now, and you guys are stabbing us in the back!" Pastor Lorenz said.
Bary is back in Ohio, but living with a foster family after a Florida judge sent her back.
Pastor Lorenz said he thinks Bary's parents knew she was going to leave their home.
Previous Stories: January 20, 2010: Religious Runaway To Remain Free Of Parents December 30, 2009: Pastor Contacted Police About Runaway December 23, 2009: Pastor Could Face Charges For Bringing Rifqa To Orlando October 27, 2009: Religious Teen Convert Back In Ohio October 27, 2009: Court To Relinquish Jurisdiction Over Teen Convert October 23, 2009: Transcripts Shows Inconsistencies In Teen Convert's Story October 20, 2009: 1 Requirement Met In Religious Runaway Case
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