The Duggar family's pastor, Dr. Ronnie Floyd, has addressed the molestation charges surrounding Josh Duggar, asserting that while he was "surprised" by the scandal, he finds comfort in the reality that God is able to forgive even the worst of sinners.
"Everyone does wrong, and what was wrong was very wrong as to what was testified to and it's completely unacceptable," Floyd, who is the pastor of Pinnacle Cross Church in Rogers, AK, told People Magazine. "But I'm thankful, whether it's him or any other one, that I serve a God who can forgive everything," he added.
Two weeks ago, In Touch Weekly revealed that "19 Kids and Counting" star Josh Duggar had molested five underage girls, four of whom were his sisters, when he was 14. Although he admitted to the crime, Josh was not convicted because it passed the statute of limitations in Arkansas.
However, as a result of the accusations becoming public, Josh resigned from his position with the Family Research Council, a Christian Conservative lobbying organization founded by Pastor James Dobson in 1981. Additionally, both Hulu and TLC have pulled episodes of "19 Kids" for an indefinite period of time, and companies such as Walgreens, Payless Shoe Source, Choice Hotels, Pure Leaf Iced Tea and General Mills said they plan on removing their ads from the show.
Floyd, who has served as the pastor of Pinnacle Cross Church for over 37 years, said scandal surprised him because of the conservative and wholesome reputation of the Duggar family.
"All of us were surprised by the news because ... their reputation in Arkansas is that they are a very Christian family," he said.
Floyd noted that his church, which has five campuses and holds 2,000 people, has continued to thrive and is "alive and well" despite the severity of the allegations.
"Things like [the scandal] have happened before and will happen again,'' he said.
While the Duggar family has largely remained silent over the past two weeks, Josh's, Michelle and Jim Bob, are set to have an interview this Wednesday, June 3, with Fox News Channel's Megyn Kelly.
In a blog post on Saturday, Jim Bob and Michelle revealed that in the upcoming interview, they hope to "share out hearts with you about the pain that we walked through as a family twelve years ago, the tears we all shed and the forgiveness that was given ... We appreciate the outpouring of love and support at this time."
The interview is scheduled for 9 p.m. and will take place in the Duggar's Arkansas home.
