United Pentecostal Church pastor Seth Gaberial Beecher, born August 19, 1983, was arrested on June 9, 2026. This came after the Missouri Children’s Division received a hotline report involving allegations of child sexual abuse and they contacted the Reynolds County Sheriff’s Office.
At the time of his arrest, Seth Beecher was pastor of the Ellington Apostolic Tabernacle. Sometime on June 12, the Facebook profiles of Seth and his wife were removed, as well as the church Page. I have kept the links here in case they later return.
Seth Beecher is charged with three counts of child molestation in the 1st Degree, a Class A Felony (566.067), for alleged crimes committed between November 11, 2018 and November 15, 2021 against a female victim, and possibly others, under the age of twelve. They were his “ancestor or descendant by blood or adoption.” The criminal complaint isn’t clear as to whether there is one victim, or more, for these charges. To view the complaint, click here. This is case 26RE-CR00099 in the Reynolds County Circuit Court in Missouri.
He is being held without bond and is represented by Derrick Shane Kirby.
His initial appearance was held on June 11, 2026. A waiver of arraignment and bond reduction hearing motion was previously filed by his attorney and a plea of not guilty was entered. Attached are copies of the return warrant, which I slightly redacted, and the initial appearance notes.
A bond hearing took place on June 12 and for now he continues to be held without bond. A preliminary hearing has been set for July 22, 2026. On June 15, three preliminary hearing subpoenas were issued.
According to the Heartland News, the Ellington Apostolic Tabernacle Church Board released this statement:
“On Tuesday, June 9, our pastor, Seth Beecher, was arrested on three counts of child molestation in the first degree.
“Following his arrest, he resigned as pastor of Ellington Apostolic Tabernacle and surrendered his ministerial credentials.
“We recognize the seriousness of these charges and the pain and concern this news may cause within our church and community. Our prayers are with all who may be affected, especially children and families.
“At this time, our church has no additional information regarding the investigation beyond what has been made public. We are not currently aware of any allegations involving misconduct connected to Mr. Beecher’s relationships through Ellington Apostolic Tabernacle. If anyone has information relevant to this matter, we encourage them to contact the appropriate law enforcement authorities directly.
“The church is cooperating fully with law enforcement and is taking steps to provide stability and pastoral care for our congregation during this difficult time.”
Seth Beecher was pastor of the Ellington Apostolic Tabernacle and on June 12, 2026 his name no longer showed as pastor on the UPCI’s website. On June 11 it did. Normally in cases such as this, the UPCI will ask the person to voluntarily turn in their license or potentially face a trial under their judicial procedure. The screenshot shows the church listing on June 11, 2026. He did resign as the pastor and turned in his license.
Seth Beecher first appeared in the 2023 UPCI Directory with a local license, which is indicative of him receiving it in 2022. His father, Gale Beecher, was listed as pastor of the Ellington Apostolic Tabernacle. By the 2025 Directory, Seth was listed as pastor and still holding a local license.
I originally posted about this on June 11, 2026, June 12, 2026 and June 17, 2026 on our Facebook Page.
You will find a complete list of articles in this series by clicking here.
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