paul doyle

After the dust settled — or seemingly so — since articles had been published about alleged sexual abuse by well-known Batavia pastor Marty Macdonald, his attorney sent letters of cease and desist to at least three people and/or websites involved in disseminating information related to the allegations.

Dee Parsons, editor for The Wartburg Watch, published an article on her website on Sept. 13 about Melissa Hobson’s allegations that Macdonald had groomed and sexually abused her from the age of 12 to 18. Todd Wilhelm has frequently commented on the Wartburg site and on X, formerly known as Twitter. Each of them received a letter.

Paul Doyle, pastor of Cornerstone Church in Batavia, also received one, regarding “Defamation Claim of Pastor Martin Macdonald and The City Church.” His letter demanded that he “immediately retract statements” that he made via posted videos on the Cornerstone Church website from the pulpit on Sept. 15, and on Rumble.com.

The letter further demands that Doyle cease and desist from further publishing of any disparaging or defamatory statements about Macdonald or City Church. 

“Please be aware that failure to immediately comply with this demand will result (in) legal action against you,” states Attorney Anjan Ganguly.

Not only has that not stopped Doyle, but it fueled him to record a 15-minute video — something he said he was  “compelled” to do to address the subject of his statements and emulate the Apostle Paul, who spoke up when he saw wrongdoing (per 1 Corinthians:5), he said.

“If you know me at all when I know I’m speaking the truth and people tell me to be silent, I double down,” Doyle said. “I don’t fear that letter. I have nothing to hide, but I do have things to expose. Marty, you were the one from the pulpit who said you never had the opportunity to defend yourself, so if you want to make this a legal case, it will allow you to defend yourself."

He “officially” called for Marty and his son Ryan Macdonald to step down as pastors of City Church and be replaced with someone else by the church leadership. Doyle specifically speaks to Marty, Ryan and Marty’s wife, Patti. He makes his claims again that the senior Macdonald sexually abused Hobson and chides Ryan for, while on the pulpit, speaking as if “this is a nuisance of a story … that this little pest of a story is raising its head again.”

“You have inherited your father’s deception,” he said. “I consider all of you complicit. How do you preach a gospel of repentance when you don’t repent?”

He went on to offer his definition of sexual abuse while describing the details given by Hobson about her encounters with Macdonald. He doesn’t want her to go through any more turmoil, he said, and since Macdonald has not come forward with any admission, “you have left me no other choice but to take the lead on this,” Doyle said.

“When I see leaders not doing the right thing, I am compelled to speak up,” he said, naming other prominent pastors. “I am going to call out the apostles in this region. Let the light shed on this darkness. I’m going to shine the light on it.”

Doyle’s message apparently isn’t about forgiveness — he and Hobson’s family have already forgiven Macdonald, he said — it’s about protocol in the church.

“There’s a process,” he said. “I don’t see anything that says the end justifies the means.”

Doyle gave the Macdonalds 48 hours to respond to his video or he was going to release it to the public, which he did on Friday, Sept. 27. He ends it with a plea.

“I implore you, please do the right thing so that forgiveness, restoration and healing can come,” he said.

The Batavian asked Ryan Macdonald for comment about the video, and he referred to attorney Anjan Ganguly, who has been representing Marty Macdonald and The City Church. 

Ganguly sent a statement that reiterates Marty Macdonald’s denial of having sexually abused Melissa Hobson, emphasizing that he is “dumbfounded by Pastor Paul’s most recent accusations,” especially given that Doyle and his wife have had social outings with Macdonald and his wife in recent years when no such conversation came up.

The statement also includes a video of when Ryan Macdonald was installed as a senior pastor at City Church two years ago, and Doyle was part of the ceremony, even participating in the blessing.

“If Pastor Paul knew about this alleged problem for decades, why would he support Pastor Ryan’s installation as senior pastor?” it states. “Why is he now calling for his resignation?”

As to the underlying allegations, "history simply does not bear them out," according to the statement. "Pastor Paul suggests that he was aware of the alleged acts at the time they were happening. But, Pastor Marty would point to the fact that years later Ms. Hobson invited him to officiate her wedding, which he did. This simply does not square with the allegations Pastor Doyle is putting forth."

The Batavian was not able to substantiate the claim that Macdonald officiated Hobson's wedding; however, she was married in 1992, at least eight years before revealing the alleged abuse to her parents and attempting to deal with the aftermath of her emotional turmoil.

“Pastor Marty, Pastor Ryan, and the entire leadership of The City Church stand with survivors of sexual abuse. They unequivocally condemn the abuse of children, and consider such acts to be an abominable sin,” it states. “The City Church never has and never will willfully disregard such reprehensible acts by its pastors, staff, volunteers, or members.”

For a full copy of the statement and to view the video of Ryan Macdonald's installation as senior pastor, click here.

Previously: Batavia pastor denies allegations of sexual abuse as his name disappears from church website