Montco pastor charged with indecent exposure

A Methodist pastor faces charges related to accusations that he exposed himself to two women, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office.

Rick Rogers, who turns 46 today, was senior pastor at Jarrettown United Methodist Church in Dresher until Monday, when he stepped down.

That's the day he was arrested by Upper Dublin police and charged with two counts each of indecent exposure, open lewdness, disorderly conduct and harassment, according to court records.

Both incidents involved women with the Dresher School of Music, which rents space at the church on North Limekiln Pike. In February, one of the women passed Rogers in a hall as she went to heat coffee in a microwave. As she returned, she saw Rogers "standing in a doorway ... completely naked from the waist down," according to the criminal complaint. He was "completely exposed" and "posing," the woman said.

On May 18, a music school employee was walking down a hallway after getting a drink of water, when she saw Rogers "standing in the doorway of the men's room ... totally naked from the waist down, with his pants around his ankles, posing with legs apart."

After learning in May of the two complaints against Rogers, the church began investigating, and on June 1 placed him on temporary leave, according to Bishop Peggy Johnson, who oversees about 900 Methodist congregations in Eastern Pennsylvania and the Delaware peninsula.

"We took it very seriously," she said.

The women from the music school waited until July 27 before reporting the incidents to Upper Dublin police, according to the complaint.

Unsecured bail was set at $10,000.

"It is certainly very sad," said Johnson. ". . . He's a really good person and we respect him and pray for him."

"Also, our prayers are with the complainants and their families at this time," she said.

The Dresher church's new interim minister, the Rev. Sharon L. Barley, has experience with counseling and interventions, Bishop said.

A "care team" of church members is also ready to assist parishioners.

"We really have tried to put things in place that will help people heal and move forward," Bishop said.