Pastor Apologizes for Not Informing Church of Abuse Allegations Against Former Children’s Minister

The pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, apologized to his congregation Sunday for failing to inform them of sexual abuse allegations made against a former children’s ministry worker.

According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Pastor Steven Smith read from a prepared statement, acknowledging he had known of the accusations made against Patrick Stephen Miller for the past five years, but said now was the time to disclose what had happened in “the spirit of transparency.”

Smith made the announcement after the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette published a report on Miller’s case. Smith said he had prayed about disclosing what had happened and relied on “counsel from wise members of the church before deciding to publicly discuss this tragedy.”

The alleged abuse was reported to have occurred in 2015 when Miller worked as Immanuel Baptist’s assistant director of children’s ministry. He left that position in January 2016, the year before Smith was hired as lead pastor.

In March 2016, Immanuel leadership was first made aware of accusations that Miller, now 37, had inappropriately touched a child. They quickly called the Arkansas child abuse hotline and notified their insurance company. The victim came forward with more details of abuse in 2018, and the church again called the state child abuse hotline and a police investigation was launched.

The initial accusation against Miller was that he had taken a child into a dark closet at church, sat her on his lap and placed his hands down her pants and underneath her shirt, and sexually assaulted her.

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He was arrested in December 2018 and charged in January 2019 with a felony of second-degree sexual assault. In January 2022, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of misdemeanor harassment and was given a one-year suspended sentence and was not required to be placed on the sex offender registry.

Later in 2022, a second victim came forward and accused Miller of abusing her. Church leadership again reached out to law enforcement but chose to withhold news of the accusations from church members and families in the children’s ministry.

Smith told congregants on Sunday that the church will put new policies in place in the new year to ensure the safety of the children in the church. Smith stated that they are “working with national experts to create even more safeguards to protect the people in our church.”

“We recognize the importance of treating abuse behavior seriously,” Smith reportedly stated in Sunday services. “If you have knowledge of any inappropriate behavior with children at Immanuel or anywhere else, please call the abuse hotline of the Little Rock Police Department.”

Main photo: Pastor Steven Smith on Dec. 10, 2023 / Video screenshot