A former New York megachurch pastor who helped women pursue sexual misconduct allegations against another ministry leader — and later faced a $3.1 million lawsuit over his involvement — was sentenced Oct. 19 to eight years in prison for sexually abusing two children.
The Chapel CrossPoint Campus (photo via Google Maps) / Insert of John Camardo III
New York State Supreme Court Justice Deborah Haendiges sentenced John A. Camardo III, 47, former executive pastor of The Chapel, a multisite church in the Buffalo area. He also will serve 10 years of post-release supervision and must register as a sex offender.
Camardo pleaded guilty in July to second-degree rape and second-degree course of sexual conduct against a child. According to the Erie County District Attorney’s Office, the crimes involved two children who knew him and occurred between 2024 and 2026.
Camardo previously was involved in the Chapel’s response to allegations against Wayne Aarum, a former church youth pastor and longtime leader of Circle C Ranch, a Christian camp in Delevan, New York.
The Chapel financially supported Circle C Ranch and referred families to its programs for decades, while Aarum had served as the church’s high school youth director from 1990 to 2000.
Camardo became involved in October 2019 after a Chapel employee brought him allegations from her sister, a former Circle C Ranch counselor. Additional complaints followed, including allegations involving Aarum’s earlier work with teenagers at The Chapel.
In 2021, MinistryWatch reported that 21 women had accused Aarum of inappropriate physical contact and other misconduct spanning several decades. Aarum denied the allegations, and Living Waters Ministries, which operates Circle C Ranch, defended him.
Court records show Camardo played a central role in The Chapel’s response. Beginning in 2019, he communicated with complainants, met with Aarum, contacted other church leaders and advocated for Aarum’s removal from positions involving children.
In September 2020, the Chapel retained MinistrySafe to conduct an independent investigation. According to an October 2022 court decision, investigator Kimberlee Norris reported allegations involving 21 women and identified more than 80 corroborating witnesses. MinistrySafe recommended that the church consider the complaints credible.
Norris told MinistryWatch that Camardo did not direct her firm’s investigation.
“The investigation occurred completely independently, through the law firm of Love and Norris, with independent communication and access points for the women who reported misconduct — directly to my office,” Norris said in written responses provided through her assistant.
She said witnesses could contact investigators independently, anonymity was protected when requested and information was not shared with church leadership without witnesses’ permission. Norris said her firm interviewed complainants and corroborating witnesses and referred its findings to two county law enforcement agencies and state camp authorities. She said Camardo’s conviction did not prompt her to reconsider the investigation because he had no role in it.
$3.1 million lawsuit dismissed
In June 2021, Aarum and Living Waters Ministries sued Camardo and The Chapel, seeking about $3.1 million in damages for alleged defamation, interference with business relationships and related claims.
The plaintiffs alleged that Camardo and church leadership made false statements damaging Aarum’s reputation and Circle C Ranch’s financial relationships. They also alleged that the Chapel sought to gain control of the camp.
Court records reviewed by MinistryWatch show that Erie County Supreme Court Justice Henry J. Nowak granted a motion to dismiss the lawsuit in October 2022, an outcome MinistryWatch had not previously reported.
Nowak found that the plaintiffs had not demonstrated actual malice under New York’s anti-SLAPP law. He cited multiple complainants, corroborating witnesses and the independent investigation as grounds supporting the defendants’ belief in the allegations. He also found insufficient evidence of the alleged improper motive.
The court dismissed the complaint in its entirety in November 2022, and the parties formally discontinued the litigation with prejudice in January 2023.
Living Waters Ministries told MinistryWatch that the lawsuit was resolved through a settlement and that Circle C Ranch’s management found the Chapel’s position in that settlement acceptable. The ministry said no further disputes had occurred between the organizations but did not disclose the settlement’s terms.
Living Waters Ministries also told MinistryWatch that a separate law firm investigated the allegations against Aarum and found them groundless and unsupported by evidence. The ministry said it provided the report to the Chapel’s leadership and public authorities, but that it is not available for public release “because it contained information about individuals and assessments of their character and credibility.”
Living Waters Ministries said it had no involvement in Camardo’s criminal case and took no position on the charges.
Aarum has not been criminally charged. MinistryWatch sought clarification from current and former Cattaraugus County prosecutors about the decision not to pursue charges. Those requests remained pending at publication.
Camardo’s conviction involves separate victims. It does not establish that the earlier allegations against Aarum were false, and it does not change the civil court’s ruling.
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The Chapel responds
Following Camardo’s guilty plea, the Chapel’s lead pastor, Jerry Gillis, told congregants in July that leadership placed Camardo on administrative leave after learning of pending allegations. Camardo resigned several days later.
Gillis said the church followed its safeguarding procedures and contacted Amherst police to offer cooperation. He also acknowledged the impact on people who had previously entrusted Camardo with sensitive concerns.
“We are also sorry to all those who had John as a point of contact for sensitive or painful issues that we had to address in the past as a church,” he wrote.
In response to MinistryWatch’s inquiry, current executive pastor Jon Cook said the church would not issue another public statement following Camardo’s sentencing and would rely on Gillis’ letter.
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