PORTLAND, Ore.—A high-profile pastor faces allegations from his Pentecostal church members that he paid for sex from troubled women he ministered to and misused church funds.

According to the Statesman-Journal, the Rev. Roy L. Tate, 53, dismissed the allegations as untrue and attributed them to a group of disgruntled church members who are out to smear his name.

Tate has not been charged with a crime, and Portland police have not received any complaints or initiated any investigation.

Bishop A. R. Hopkins, who oversees the North Portland church, Christ Memorial Church of God in Christ, is bringing the allegations before the jurisdiction's Elders Council for a trial Dec. 1. After Hopkins set a trial date, Tate sought unsuccessfully to remove his church from the Church of God in Christ's Oregon First Jurisdiction.

Tate has been the pastor of the church for 22 years. His wife, Dianne, is a missionary for the church.

"It's all unsubstantiated stuff," Tate said. "It's coming from a group of angry people, angry folk. It's just not true."

The allegations against Tate were outlined by a "Pillar Group" of about nine veteran church members, who prepared a packet of material for the general membership at the October meeting. The packet included handwritten and signed letters from three women who alleged sexual relationships with Tate dating to 1988. Two of the women said they had met Tate through the church's drug and alcohol group-counseling ministry, called J.A.D.A., for Jesus Against Drugs and Alcohol.

Other allegations against Tate include misuse of church funds, removal of money from the church offerings and improper management of church property.