Marty MacDonald, City Church founder, denies abusing teenager 40 years ago

Founder of City Church in Batavia, New York, Pastor Marty MacDonald, has denied allegations that he sexually molested a woman 40 years ago when she was just 12.

The story of the woman identified by The Wartburg Watch as Melissa Hobson echoes similarities to the story of 54-year-old Cindy Clemishire, who accused Gateway Church founder Robert Morris in June of sexually molesting her beginning when she was 12 in the 1980s. The allegation prompted Morris' resignation.

Through his attorney Anjan Ganguly, MacDonald denied Hobson's claims in a statement to The Batavian.

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"These allegations simply repeat decades-old accusations from a woman who alleges she was sexually abused by Pastor Marty approximately 40 years ago when she was a minor. Pastor Marty absolutely denies sexually abusing this person. He absolutely denies ever having sexually abused anyone, especially a child," Ganguly said.

"It must be stressed that these are accusations, not proven facts. There has been ample opportunity for these accusations to be brought in a court of law, where Pastor Marty would have the opportunity to vindicate himself. Instead, the accusations are being made on the internet and, even worse, from the pulpit," Ganguly's statement continued. "It should also be stressed that the alleged misconduct is not connected to The City Church or any of its related ministries. The alleged misconduct allegedly occurred at a different church, long before The City Church was founded."

City Church has been a member of the Association of Related Churches but is not currently listed on the website's church directory.

According to The Batavian, Hobson had previously shared her allegation against MacDonald with a reporter in Batavia more than two decades ago but failed to go on the record. She reportedly decided to go on the record with The Wartburg Watch with encouragement from Clemishire.

Hobson alleged that when she was 12 in 1983, she moved to Batavia with her family from Olathe, Kansas. Her father became pastor at New Hope Ministries at 8020 Bank Street Road. Macdonald was already serving as an assistant pastor at the church, and her family quickly became friends with his family.

Hobson said she started babysitting MacDonald's two sons in 1983, and over time, she noticed that he would do inappropriate things around her.

Hobson said that MacDonald, a farmer at the time, once came home from the farm while she was making lunch for his sons and stripped his overalls in front of her. She said he also emerged from a shower with just a towel wrapped around his bottom in front of her.

She recalled him being kind to her and hugging her often, which boosted her self-esteem. She claimed that her relationship with MacDonald progressed in such a way that by the time she turned 14, she felt like she had a romantic relationship with him.

"I remember staying with the MacDonalds when my parents were out of town preaching," Hobson's sister told The Wartburg Watch. "Melissa and I were sleeping together. I woke up to find Macdonald kneeling next to my sister in the bed. He told me that Melissa was sick and that she would be staying home from school. I recall being irritated because she stayed home sick a lot. Sometimes I even felt jealous of all the attention MacDonald paid to her."

Hobson alleged that MacDonald would fondle her as he drove her home from babysitting for him. She said there were times when he would park his car and make out with her. She alleges that she was digitally penetrated.

Hobson also claims that MacDonald asked her not to say anything about what they were doing because it would "destroy her parents' ministry."

She says that when she turned 18 in 1989, she stopped being intimate with MacDonald, became a children's pastor in her father's church, and married her husband in 1992.

Hobson eventually confessed what happened between her and MacDonald to her parents in 2000. Two overseers of the church were brought in to discuss the situation, and MacDonald is reported to have confessed.

Paul Doyle, pastor of Cornerstone Church in Batavia who has called on MacDonald to repent, told The Batvian he was present at a meeting in which Hobson's father, Pastor Robert Smith, confronted him about the abuse of his daughter.

"He had guilt all over him. There was no doubt in my mind he was guilty," Doyle said, noting that at no time did Macdonald ever deny the accusation allegation. "He was sucking it up and taking his punishment. The cover-up was blatant. Nobody cared because it was Marty."