Rev. Matthew Queen
GREENSBORO — The senior pastor of Friendly Avenue Baptist Church is facing federal charges for allegedly falsifying records during a sexual misconduct investigation at a Texas seminary where he previously served as interim provost. This information comes from a news release by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York.
Rev. Matthew Queen, 49, of Greensboro, who held the interim provost position at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2023 when the Department of Justice began its investigation, is charged with one count of falsification of records. This charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, as stated in the release.
Queen was arraigned on May 21 before U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The reasons for the charges originating from the New York District remain unclear.
According to the Justice Department, Queen is accused of falsifying records related to a sexual misconduct investigation at the seminary, where he had been employed for nearly a decade. The release detailed that Queen allegedly failed to inform the FBI of a conspiracy to destroy evidence and falsified notes provided to federal investigators.
“Queen’s alleged actions deliberately violated a court order and delayed justice for the sexual abuse victims,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith in the release.
On Thursday, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary issued a statement about the charges against Queen. The indictment is connected to a November 2022 report of alleged sexual abuse by a Texas Baptist College student. The seminary facilitated the student's arrest on January 24, 2023, shortly after becoming aware of an arrest warrant. The student was suspended and later withdrew from the college.
The seminary’s statement noted that upon discovering the original report and the subsequent responses of certain staff, they notified the Justice Department and have been cooperating fully with the investigation.
Following the discovery of Queen’s alleged actions in June 2023, he was placed on administrative leave and subsequently resigned as interim provost.
“Southwestern Seminary takes seriously its moral and legal duties to care for victims of sexual abuse. The actions alleged in the indictment are antithetical to the values of the seminary,” the seminary's statement concluded.