First Christian Church pastor departs

The pastor at First Christian Church in Tucumcari known for his motorcycle gang past has departed barely two months after being chosen to lead that congregation.

Stephen Mason, who began pastoring the church at 1701 S. Fourth St. in early February, wrote Sunday on Facebook that “I have removed myself through God's Grace from First Christian Church in Tucumcari.”

Mason also stated Sunday he had been offered another pastor’s position with John 3:16 Ministries in Tucumcari.

The announcement came a few days after several upcoming church events had been canceled, and Mason wrote Thursday on Facebook he would spend the next three days “in prayer exile. For this purpose, the church doors will not be open.”

Mason wrote on Facebook over the weekend he was using his extended break to minister in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee before returning to Tucumcari.

When asked Sunday on Facebook Messenger why he’d left the church, Mason replied: “Why don’t you ask David Beal that question? Whatever excuses he gives you is what we’ll accept.”

Beal is president of the First Christian Church’s board of directors.

Mason said in another message: “I don’t want to get into he said, she said … I was accused of something I didn’t do, and that’s where I’m going to leave that.”

Mason didn’t elaborate.

Reached by phone Sunday afternoon, Beal remained tight-lipped about the situation.

“I’m not ready to give out any information until I know for sure,” he said.

About Mason’s unspecified allegation, Beal said, “I hadn’t heard that yet; I wasn’t aware of that.”

Beal said someone else gave the sermon Sunday at the church.

“We’ve got other people who can cover for us,” he said.

Asked whether the church board would search for another pastor, Beal said, “I don’t know what we’ll be doing yet. I’m not ready to make that decision.”

Mason said during an interview with the Quay County Sun in February he was in a motorcycle gang for 26 years before an off-duty deputy in the middle of the night in 2009 helped Mason find Jesus Christ by the side of the road in Damascus, Arkansas. He became an ordained minister with Glorybound Ministries in St. Louis and traveled around the country to help build up churches’ congregations before learning of the pastor opening in Tucumcari.

First Christian Church’s previous pastor, Wheeler Hughes, resigned after 18 months there.