Bethel Church Places Pastor on Leave After Former Student Alleges Clergy Sexual Abuse
Leaders at Bethel Church in Redding, California announced that Ben Armstrong, the Prophetic Ministry director and former BSSM Revival Group pastor, has been placed on administrative leave. The action follows the release of a YouTube video in which a former student publicly alleges clergy sexual abuse dating back to 2009. The megachurch, known for its influential worship music and charismatic teaching, faces scrutiny over how it handles the allegations and whether institutional accountability measures are sufficient.
Read Full Story at Christian PostBut those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning.
— 1 Timothy 5:20
Paul's instruction to Timothy is direct and unflinching: leaders who sin must face public accountability. The church's credibility rests not on the absence of failure but on its willingness to confront it honestly. Placing a leader on leave is a necessary first step — but only if investigation and justice follow.