Perry Noble fired as NewSpring Church senior pastor; 'I've come to depend on alcohol instead of Jesus'

Perry Noble has been fired as senior pastor of NewSpring Church due to personal issues related to alcoholism and a strained marriage. An announcement was made during Sunday Service at NewSpring Church in Anderson, South Carolina on July 10, 2016, and confirmed what was already suspected in recent days.

It had been a well-kept secret until recent days, but it was confirmed on Sunday that Perry had in fact been fired at least nine days earlier. Both morning Sunday service congregations were informed about the church's decision in an official announcement.

Executive Pastor Shane Duffey explained that the NewSpring Church board of directors had made the "difficult and painful" decision to remove Noble from his position. He explained that Noble was "no longer qualified to serve as pastor" of South Carolina's largest church.

Duffey explained further that the board's decision to remove Noble had come following a string of "unfortunate choices" by the church's founder. Noble had "caused much concern" about his alcohol use, as well as his "posture toward marriage", and the board members had confronted Noble multiple times in the past about these issues, Duffey explained.

Noble did not appear at the church service on Sunday, and instead Duffey read out a written statement from the former senior pastor. In it, Noble expressed remorse and his intention to "immediately seek spiritual guidance."

The written statement interestingly stated that Noble would "not longer be pastor on July 1," revealing that the statement must have been written at least 10 days earlier.

Noble said he "never claimed to be a perfect pastor and never claimed to be a perfect Christian." He explained that over the past year he had "allowed myself to slide into an overuse of alcohol."

He also said that the job had "created a strain on his marriage."

Although he confirmed that there was no infidelity or abuse issues in his marriage, he did say that he had "come to depend on alcohol instead of Jesus."

Noble said, "No one is more disappointed in me than I am in myself."

NewSpring member, Clayton King, has been hired to serve as interim senior pastor "for the next season of time."

The NewSpring megachurch has more than 30,000 members in 17 cities in South Carolina.