Dr. Stephen Nichols Speaks out About Excommunication From St. Andrew’s Chapel

Nichols is also leaving his positions at Ligonier and Reformation Bible College

Stephen Nichols, former president of Reformation Bible College (RBC) and Ligonier Ministries Teaching Fellow, has spoken out about rumors circulating online about his family.

: St. Andrew’s Chapel / Insert of Dr. Stephen Nichols via Reformation Bible College

In a recent letter to supporters, Ligonier President and CEO Chris Larson announced that Nichols would conclude his tenure at Ligonier and RBC on May 31, 2026.

Larson wrote, “We thank the Lord for Dr. Nichols’ years of service to the ministry and to the faculty, staff, and students at Reformation Bible College. Under his leadership, the school has enjoyed significant growth.”

The chairman of RBC’s board, Robert Wohleber, wrote, “For twelve years, Dr. Nichols has faithfully served Reformation Bible College, helping build it into one of America’s strongest Reformed Christian colleges. We celebrate his leadership and thank God for his dedication.”

“We want to express our deep gratitude for the twelve years we spent at Reformation Bible College and Ligonier Ministries,” Nichols wrote on X. “We are thankful for that time and for the people we had the privilege to serve. We also appreciate that both RBC and Ligonier have conducted themselves in an amicable, gracious, and honorable manner during this season of transition, and we have sought to do the same.”

Ligonier also announced that Nathan Bingham, host and executive producer of the Renewing Your Mind program, would be concluding his service with the ministry.

St. Andrew’s Chapel — the church started by Dr. R.C. Sproul that sits adjacent to Ligonier and recently left the Presbyterian Church in America after its pastor, Burk Parsons, was suspended from office by the Central Florida Presbytery — announced that Nichols and his wife Heidi were excommunicated from the congregation for contumacy.

Contumacy, the church leaders said, is the “willful and persistent refusal to submit to the lawful authority of the church.”

Now Nichols is sharing his side of the story. “Since others have shared their version of events, we believe it is appropriate to share ours,” he said.

In January 2024, he said, his daughter Grace’s counselor reported suspected sexual abuse of Grace by Stephen Adams, the former associate pastor of youth and family ministry at St. Andrew’s.

Nichols reported this to the church on January 10, 2025.

Adams denies the accusation against him and filed a police report against the Nichols family in January 2025 for defamation. He recently resigned his post at St. Andrew’s “against the wishes of [his] fellow elders,” adding that he was not fired.

After realizing they “were at an impasse with [the] church and that [they] had different perspectives on how to handle this situation,” Nichols said his family began looking for another church in April and notified a pastor at St. Andrew’s of their decision.

On July 20, 2025, Nichols said he notified the pastor it would be their last Sunday at St. Andrew’s. On July 22, the church indicted the Nichols, accusing them of “slander, unresolved anger, collusion to deceive, failure to follow session directives, and breach of membership vows.”

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When St. Andrew’s voted to leave the PCA in December 2025, the Nichols immediately resigned their membership and joined New Hope PCA in Eustis, Florida. He said their case was never adjudicated by St. Andrew’s.

Nichols concluded his post by saying, “We reported suspicion of sexual abuse of our daughter, we ended up indicted, and we ended up excommunicated. We are deeply saddened by all that has taken place and grieved for everyone involved. Our prayer and hope is that the central issue will not be lost. At the heart of this issue is the suspected sexual abuse of our daughter.”

Nichols and his wife were not the only ones excommunicated by St. Andrew’s Chapel. The church also removed elder David Zima from his leadership position and excommunicated him for contumacy.

Similar to the Nichols, Zima had also resigned his membership from St. Andrew’s when it left the PCA. On March 18, the elders of Northside PCA, where Zima is a “member in good standing,” sent a letter to St. Andrew’s Chapel reminding them their jurisdiction over Zima ended when they left the PCA.

“Therefore any and all pronouncements alleged against Zima by you are null and void, and are of no spiritual or ecclesiastical effect or consequence outside the walls of [St. Andrew’s Chapel],” the Northside leaders wrote.

They said they and Zima have urged St. Andrew’s Chapel to “cease and desist pursuing, persecuting, and harassing” Zima, and now encourage Zima to appeal to the civil magistrate.

On February 26, Zima issued a formal cease and desist letter, asking St. Andrew’s to confirm in writing that “the church [would] take no further action against him as if he were a member,” and demanding they stop defaming him.

The church did not comply. Instead, they excommunicated Zima in March.

In the MinistryWatch 1000 database, Ligonier Ministries has a ‘C’ Transparency Grade and a Donor Confidence Score of 36, meaning donors should withhold giving.

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