Assemblies of God churches shielded accused predators — and allowed them to keep abusing children

NBC news ^ | October 30, 2025 | Mike Hixenbaugh and Elizabeth Chuck

[Morgana]

This article is part of “Pastors and Prey,” a series investigating sex abuse allegations in the Assemblies of God.

A children’s pastor was caught filming girls in a church bathroom in Arkansas. Elders suspended him for a few weeks.

In Illinois, a preacher was accused of sexually abusing children. Church leaders sent him to therapy rather than call police.

In California, a worship minister went to prison for molesting boys. His congregation threw him a party when he returned.

All of these men remained in ministry in the Assemblies of God, the world’s largest Pentecostal denomination. All went on to abuse more children.

Since the 1970s, Assemblies of God churches have repeatedly reinstated ministers and volunteer leaders accused of sexual misconduct, returning them to pulpits and youth groups, an NBC News investigation found. While some of the other largest Christian denominations now require safeguards such as background checks and mandatory reporting, national Assemblies of God leaders have resisted, arguing such rules would increase legal risk, undermine its commitment to local church autonomy and defy a core biblical command: to forgive.

The result is a patchwork system that has protected accused predators and left generations of children in danger.

NBC News identified nearly 200 Assemblies of God pastors, church employees and volunteer leaders accused of sexual abuse over the past half century, based on a nationwide search of lawsuits, criminal records and news archives. Together, they allegedly abused more than 475 people — the overwhelming majority of them children. The allegations stretch into this year, when a 10-year-old girl said in a lawsuit that her pastor groped her during Bible study.

[Celtic Conservative]

My experience with the local Assemblies of God is that was one big mess. Peyton place had nothing on them.

CC

[jimtorr]

I grew up in a Christian Church (affiliated with Disciples of Christ). In the late 1960’s they hired a youth pastor. Within a week he was arrested for performing an act on another man in the back of a local book store. He was promptly fired, or course. Glad I never so much as met the man, since I was 15 or 16 at the time.

[Morgana]

“Peyton place had nothing on them.”

Well, this is just a little Peyton Place and you’re all Harper Valley hypocrites!

[MacNaughton]

My experience with the local Assemblies of God is that was one big mess.

Jim Jones, born 1931
As a child, Jones developed an affinity for Pentecostalism and a desire to preach. He was ordained as a Christian minister in the Independent Assemblies of God, attracting his first group of followers while participating in the Pentecostal Latter Rain movement and the Healing Revival during the 1950s.

In 1964, he joined and was ordained a minister by the Disciples of Christ; his attraction to the Disciples was largely due to the autonomy and tolerance they granted to differing views within their denomination. In 1965, Jones moved the Temple to California. The group established its headquarters in San Francisco, where he became heavily involved in political and charitable activity throughout the 1970s.

[Flaming Conservative]

About 40 years ago, my sister’s prayer partner’s son, who was in high school, went on an Illinois Assembly of God musical youth group trip which the choir director was in charge of. When they got to the hotel, he told the kid, “they’re all out of rooms; would you mind bunking with me?”. He didn’t think anything of it; it was a room with two beds, so he said okay. In the middle of the night, the man crawled into bed with the kid and started coming on to him. The kid jumped out of bed and left the room, and called his mom to come and get him, which she drove half the night and got him. They reported it to the church, and they threatened to press charges and fire him. He, in turn, threatened to sue them and give them all sorts of bad publicity. They backed down, and he was transferred to a church in Arizona. The kid turned out all right; he became a Godly successful pastor.

[madison10]

I think he was Wesleyan or Church of the Nazarene before he was affiliated with those listed.

[madison10]

Looked it up. It was the Church of the Nazarene when he was a child.

[Republican Wildcat]

Churches that tolerate such behavior should be de-fellowshipped from the association.

As far as “defy a core biblical command: to forgive.” Forgiveness does not require trusting them in a position again for which they proved they were not qualified (and that’s saying the least).

[Morgana]

“They reported it to the church,”

That was a big mistake! They should have reported it to the police! They will find out when the cuffs are on him.

[Nebr FAL owner]

Gotta start a Manhattan project style operation to build more wood chippers!

[Morgana]

You forgot about Jim and Tammy, Jimmy Swaggart. Oral Roberts, just to name a few.

[Texas_Guy]

If only they would let them marry.....

[MacNaughton]

You forgot about Jim and Tammy, Jimmy Swaggart. Oral Roberts, just to name a few.

Didn't know the denominations of them. Thanks. Of course, Jim Jones stands apart with the happenin' at Jonestown.

[Celtic Conservative]

That crowd is what Sam Kinison referred to derisively as “God’s special education squad”.

CC

[Morgana]

All of them were at one time A of C.

[daniel1212]

In Illinois, a preacher was accused of sexually abusing children. Church leaders sent him to therapy rather than call police.

The state should never have to deal with church matters. yet if a church is negligent in effectively dealing with such evil then the state can and should, but which means that the state is standing where it normally ought not, and by precedent fosters a dangerous lack of reverence, by which unwarranted incursions can take place under the pretense of being necessary.

[ducttape45]

Assembly of God pastor helped push my marriage into divorce back in 1999. Long story, but suffice to say I will never darken the doorway of another AoG church.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Where the children are, soon the predators will gather. Fake a conversion and work their way into positions of power to prey on the children.
Any organization has to be super vigilant to prevent this.
It destroyed the once great Boy Scouts and other groups.
One male youth teacher told me his main problem in church was the young teen girls would “come on” to him.

[If You Want It Fixed - Fix It]

Churches, schools, day cares....whereever man is, evil can sneak in. Don’t fear, just have a solid policy solidly enforced and everyone firmly watch one another and be fully open for the greater glory of God and his children.

Why can’t this be done everywhere by now?

Because someone is trying to hide: so don’t let that happen.