A once-prominent pastor of a Wayne County church who was accused of raping a teen boy in Farmington Hills made a deal with the Oakland County prosecutors Thursday, pleading to added charges in exchange for others being dismissed.
In the plea agreement, Kenneth Flowers, 64, pleaded no contest before Oakland County Circuit Judge Martha Anderson to two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct-force or coercion. Two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and a kidnapping charge were dismissed.
A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated as such for sentencing purposes. It can also offer some liability protection in civil cases.
Flowers began serving as pastor of Greater New Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit in 1995. He was arraigned last August on charges of third-degree criminal sexual conduct and assault with intent to commit sexual penetration for allegedly using force or coercion to engage in oral sex with the teenager on Dec. 20, 2023. Last October, his warrant was amended to heightened charges of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping.
Greater New Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church’s website no longer lists Flowers as pastor. The Oakland Press left a message with the church on Thursday afternoon but hasn’t heard back yet.
Earlier, the website stated that Flowers claimed to be a “social activist” with close ties to Congresswoman Maxine Waters and Rev. Jesse Jackson. He moved to California in the 1980s where he headed a ministry at UCLA, and served as pastor and minister in the Los Angeles area for several years before returning to Michigan.
Flowers is scheduled to be sentenced on July 3. He faces up to 15 years in prison.
Prominent pastor accused of sex crime; attorney calls it ‘ridiculous’