St. Louis’ Crime Chime –A Convicted Child Rapist Given the Pulpit? Inside the 7-Year Prison Sentence Behind Timothy D. Price III’s Leadership Rise

Amid glowing stained glass and scheduled celebrations, a dark public record emerges: Pastor Timothy D. Price III is set to become Missouri State Overseer for the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship. But behind the robes lies a 2008 guilty plea for raping a 12-year-old parishioner and a Tier 3 sex offender registry status. Here is an inside look at the clash between church redemption and community accountability.

Posted by St. Louis Crime Chime
Posted on
Crime Chime Logo Small
“To keep St. Louis safe and sound, We spread the news, we’re city-bound. With facts and truth, we light the way, For safer streets, both night and day.”		St. Louis’ Crime Chime – Weekly Whirlwind of Woes: 

Overview: Pastor Timothy D. Price III is scheduled to be installed as the Missouri State Overseer of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International on September 16 in Hazelwood, Missouri, sparking intense public debate over church accountability. In 2008, while serving as a music director at Bethel A.M.E. Church in Baltimore, Price pleaded guilty to second-degree rape of a 12-year-old girl and served a seven-year prison sentence. Currently the senior pastor of First Baptist Church of St. Louis, Price is designated as a compliant Tier 3 registered offender by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. While church officials advocate for redemption and restored leadership, community members and child-safety advocates question the ethics of placing a convicted child rapist in high-ranking ministry authority.
Price
Image courtesy The Missouri Highway Patrol.

Outcry grows as Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship prepares to install Tier 3 registered sex offender Timothy D. Price III as Missouri State Overseer.

How Did Timothy D. Price III Go From a 7-Year Child-Rape Sentence Straight to Missouri State Overseer?

The city lights are glowing low across the pavement line,

Where choir robes and stained-glass windows shimmer and design.

A grand announcement hits the street, the flyers start to rise:

A state overseer scheduled soon beneath September skies.

The platform set at Hazelwood, the robes of purple grand,

For Timothy D. Price the Third to lead the faithful band.

Yet murmurs echo round the block and travel far and wide,

For public files tell a tale the vestments cannot hide.

Step back to Maryland in the cold of 2008,

When sirens met a music man beside the parish gate.

At Bethel church in Baltimore, a trusted title held,

Until the charges hit the desk and private truths were spelled.

Three distinct encounters marked in quiet parking space,

Away from temple doors but in a vehicle’s dark place.

A twelve-year-old, a member’s child, the victim in the file,

A guilty plea to second-degree brought an abrupt denial.

Seven long years the prison cell was ordered by the bench,

While hollow words of “wiser choice” could never clear the stench.

Now fast-forward down the road to St. Louis avenue,

Where Second Baptist marks the stage and turns the page anew.

He rose to take the pastor’s desk, but state computers gleam,

Where troopers log the records on the registry machine.

Courtesy of the Highway Patrol, the database runs deep:

A Tier Three label stamped in bold that local precincts keep.

A felony of second-degree against a minor child,

Kept active on the public roll, unchanged and undefiled.

The leadership defends the post: the sentence has been done,

The registry compliant now beneath the midwest sun.

They say the mantle should return once penitence is claimed,

That permanent exclusion leaves redemption bent and maimed.

Yet community questions rise along the urban square:

Between forgiveness in the soul and leadership up there,

Who guards the young inside the fold when records show the past,

And how can trust be handed back while shadow casts are vast?

September sixteenth draws near within the Hazelwood hall,

A clash between authority and warnings on the wall.

From heartbreaking losses to shocking crimes, these stories paint a sobering picture of the challenges facing our communities. Let’s hope for justice, healing, and a safer tomorrow.

St. Louis Crime Chme Banner
St. Louis Crime Noir: Investigating the city’s weekly crime trends.

St. Louis Crime Chime: Partnering for a Safer Community

The St. Louis Crime Chime is evolving into a mission-driven organization dedicated to partnering with local public safety agencies and community-focused media, such as The Evening Whirl and Real STL News, to shine a light on social and violence-related issues. Our goal is to provide resources that support both victims and perpetrators of traumatic events, fostering healing and prevention within our community.

Through its St. Louis Crime Chime section. This essential platform empowers residents by highlighting emerging threats and safety concerns, encouraging vigilance and informed decision-making. Beyond reporting, it holds individuals and institutions accountable by keeping arrests and legal proceedings in the public eye, promoting transparency and urging neighbors to protect and support one another.

While the headlines often confront difficult truths, they also serve as a rallying cry for action. By staying informed through reliable sources and official police data, residents can move beyond fear and take an active role in prevention and community-building efforts. Together, we can transform awareness into meaningful change, helping St. Louis write a safer, more hopeful chapter for all.

What You Can Do

Stay tuned, stay safe, and remember: “If it’s crime you seek, we’ve got the streak.

#ChurchAccountability #ProtectChildren #StLouisNews

Related Articles