Jamar Fleming receives an award for community service in 2021 / Photo courtesy of Facebook
An Ohio pastor and nonprofit CEO has been indicted on charges of diverting $375,000 in charitable donations for personal use. Jamar Fleming, 41, is charged with aggravated theft, telecommunications fraud, and filing incomplete, false, and fraudulent tax returns.
Fleming and his nonprofit, Agape Ministries, are both named in the indictment issued by the Stark County Court of Common Pleas. Prosecutors allege that between June 2022 and May 2025, when he was CEO and senior pastor of Agape Ministries, Fleming used donations for personal expenses. The ministry, which Fleming founded in 2013, purportedly provided mentorship to at-risk youth in the Canton, Ohio, area.
Fleming and Agape Ministries created a program called Men of Tomorrow, which claims to “support the young men we serve in reaching their full potential through consistently supportive mentorship by male role models who provide assistance with family, school and social life.” Letters of support posted on the Men of Tomorrow website include endorsements from the Stark Social Workers Network, the Canton Police Department, and the Stark County Community Initiative to Reduce Violence.
A 2020 announcement from the Ohio Community Coalition, a local nonprofit, named Fleming its vice president of political outreach. A 2021 Facebook post indicates that Fleming received a city grant for Men of Tomorrow. MinistryWatch reached out to the Canton city auditor’s office and will update this story with any response.
According to his biography on the Men of Tomorrow website, Fleming is originally from South Carolina and “at the age of 14 years old he became a license [sic] minister in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church,” and has since filled various church roles, including music minister.
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Fleming’s mother, Gloria Land Fleming, lists herself on Facebook as performing administrative work for both Agape Ministries and the Stark Social Workers Network. She is also a pastor in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. Fleming’s biography says he served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2003 to 2007. His LinkedIn profile indicates he has worked as a church loan specialist and studied theology at Malone University.
In a message to MinistryWatch, Fleming said, “I disagree with the allegations. I am reviewing the matter with my attorney and will not be making any further comment at this time.” He added that the allegations “need to be proven” and that “people do these reports and judge you before any facts come out.”
According to a statement from Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson, Fleming also faces charges of failing to file income tax returns for 2022, 2024 and 2025, as well as filing incomplete, false and fraudulent returns for 2023.
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