Woman Accuses Pastor in Front of His Church

Pastor had just admitted to affair; then she came forward and said she was 16 at the time
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted May 24, 2022 3:02 AM CDT

A wild scene played out in an Indiana church Sunday after a pastor confessed to his congregation that he had "sinned," decades prior, by having an extramarital affair and that he was stepping down from ministry as a result. Then the woman took the stage and revealed the affair was with her—starting when she was a teenager. (She and her husband variously referred to her being 15 or 16 when it allegedly started.) In an emotional speech, she alleged she had been groomed and then sexually abused by Pastor John Lowe II, and that the relationship between them continued for nine years, until she met her now-husband.

She and her husband argued with what appeared to be church leaders before leaving the stage, after which Lowe returned and fielded responses from some members of the congregation who appeared angry and others who appeared supportive. Lowe has officially resigned, and the Kosciusko County Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the allegations, WANE reports. In a lengthy statement which ABC 57 has in full, the church said no one on staff or in ministry knew about the claims until now. "As of Monday, May 23, 2022, Pastor John B. Lowe II tendered His resignation with New Life Christian Church and World Outreach," it says. Video of the incident was shared widely on social media. (More Indiana stories.)

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