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Former United Pentecostal Pastor Robert Anthony “Tony” Langston Arrested on CSA Charges Part 2

This is a continuation of our coverage on former United Pentecostal Church pastor and presbyter, Robert Anthony “Tony” Langston, born November 9, 1964, who has been charged with crimes against a minor. Langston also had been the Colorado District Youth Secretary and the District Youth President. This is case number 25CR03894 in Denver County.

Back in 2000, we made two blogs about this, though no names were mentioned at the time as no arrests or charges had been made. You may want to read Colorado United Pentecostal Sex Abuse Cases Part 3 and Colorado United Pentecostal Sex Abuse Cases Part 4 for additional information. See also Part 1 of our recent posts.

The alleged crimes happened while Tony Langston was the youth pastor of Landmark Tabernacle, a UPCI church in Denver, Colorado. The pastor was Billy Hale, now considered the bishop, who was also the Colorado District Superintendent at the time. Hale’s son-in-law, Dannie Hood, is the current senior pastor. (We previously wrote about Dannie Hood refusing to testify in the CSA case against now registered sex offender Jesse Klockenbrink, who still attends Landmark Tabernacle. See United Pentecostal Pastor Dannie Hood’s Refusal To Testify.) They have been aware of the investigation of Tony.

The case was entered into the court on July 10, 2025 and an at large warrant was issued. Tony Langston was arrested on July 23, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. He was charged with 18-3-405.3(1),(2)(a),(b) Sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust and the victim is less than fifteen years of age and as part of a pattern of abuse (Class 3 felony) and 18-3-405.3(1),(2)(a);18-2-101 Criminal attempt to commit sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust and the victim is less than fifteen years of age (Class 4 felony). The charges go back to 1998.

We could possibly see additional charges in Colorado, as well as charges in New Jersey.

On July 24, there was an entry of appearance by his attorney Colleen Kelley, along with a motion for discovery, which is normal. Bond was set, though the judge approved a much lower bond of $50,000 than the asked amount of $200,000. $5,000 via a credit card was paid and Tony was released that morning. He had to sign a waiver of extradition as he lives out-of-state and a protective order was issued. You will see that his wife was involved and paid via a credit card. I have redacted their personal information.

In the afternoon, a motion was filed for him to relinquish his passport and it was granted. You may recall in our previous post that Tony Langston stated he and his wife planned to go backpacking in Europe in September.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 11, 2025.

Tony Langston first appears in the 1988 UPCI Directory with a general license and living in Federal Way, Washington, which is indicative of him having received his license in 1987. (The Directories are issued every January and can be more reflective of the prior year.) The 1989 Directory shows him living in Lakewood, Colorado.

Starting in 1990, he is seen in Brighton, Colorado and is likewise listed the same in 1991 and 1992. He is not listed in 1993. (I do not have Directories from 1994-1998.) In 1999 he is again not listed, but is seen in the 2000 Directory in Littleton, Colorado with a general license and also serving as the District Youth Secretary. The 2001 Directory shows him in Englewood, Colorado and he is listed as the District Youth President.

2002 finds him in Carmel, Indiana, with the 2003 Directory listing him in Bogalusa, Louisiana. 2004 lists him with an ordained license in Jersey City, New Jersey, with 2005 showing him as pastor of the International Christian Center. The same holds true for 2006. Starting with the 2007 Directory, he is listed as a presbyter of the New Jersey Metro District, now called the North/Central Jersey District. The 2008 issue has the church name changed to International Church and he is still a presbyter. It is the same in 2009.

The 2010 Directory lists him as a presbyter and shows the church name changed to Tapestry Church, and it remained with this name until Langston resigned as pastor in June 2025 and it became Freedom Church Jersey City, though that happened well after he was no longer licensed in the UPCI. Former UPCI minister Wade Haskins is the new lead pastor.

The last Directory in which he is listed is 2011 and he is no longer a presbyter. This could mean he stopped being licensed in late 2010 or any time in 2011.

Tony’s father, Robert P. Langston, also had been licensed by the UPCI. He used to operate a group home for minors in Canada and Colorado.

I originally posted about this on July 25, 2025 on our Facebook Page.

You will find a complete list of articles in this series by clicking here.

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Former United Pentecostal Pastor Robert Anthony “Tony” Langston Arrested on CSA Charges Part 1

Just over five years ago, we published an article about a United Pentecostal Church minister in Colorado who had been alleged to have sexually abused several boys. Robert Anthony “Tony” Langston was working as a youth pastor in a large well known UPCI church, Landmark Tabernacle in Denver. He is the former pastor and founder of Tapestry Church in New Jersey, where he has been since the early 2000s, and no longer holds license with the UPCI.

Tony Langston was arrested on July 23, 2025 in Colorado and charged with two CSA crimes which happened while he was the youth pastor of Landmark Tabernacle in the late 1990s. Billy Hale was the pastor and Colorado District Superintendent during the time in question. This is case number 25CR03894 in Denver County.

Instead of taking appropriate action, where Langston should have been made to forfeit his license and been reported to the police, he was permitted to retain his UPCI license for at least ten more years, all because it was internally handled by Billy Hale.

On June 29, 2025, Robert Anthony “Tony” Langston announced that as of that day he had retired from being the lead pastor of Tapestry Church in Jersey City, New Jersey, though he claimed he was not retiring from ministry. Tony stated for the past six months the church leaders have been meeting with him about this change.

The timing of Langston’s resignation came as no surprise to those of us who heard he was being investigated in both New Jersey and Colorado.

The church is now called Freedom Church Jersey City and replacing Tony Langston as lead pastor is Wade Haskins of Freedom Church. Haskins, who moved to Maryland in 1998, is also a former UPCI minister. Freedom Church has multiple locations, mainly in Maryland, but also in North Carolina, Arkansas and Nairobi, Kenya. Tony and Wade Haskins have been friends for over two decades.

Tony stated that he was not leaving the church and would continue to attend when he was not traveling. He hoped to mentor other pastors. (He and the church have been affiliated with Rod Parsley’s City Harvest Network since January of 2022.)

He also shared that he and his wife planned to go backpacking in Europe in September and were still deciding on what to do the following two months as they make this transition.

Tony’s letter to fellow pastors

On July 12, 2025, Tony Langston, or “PA” as many of the members of Tapestry Church in Jersey City, NJ called him, sent the following letter to a number of pastors. There was nary a mention or hint that he was under investigation for CSA crimes.

Dear friends,

I pray this message finds you well and blessed. I wanted to take a moment to share some personal news with you, as brothers and sisters in ministry whom I deeply cherish and respect.

After much prayer, reflection, and consideration, June 29th marked the end of my 29 years of active service in pastoral ministry.

This has not been an easy decision, but one that I believe is the right step for my family and me as I transition into a new season of ministry.

As most of you know, 22 years ago, we dreamed of a great revival in Jersey City. We declared a diverse, relevant, spirit filled community when it was just five of us in a living room . To say that God has blessed our efforts is an understatement. We stand in awe every Sunday as we watch happy hundreds vibrantly worshiping service after service.

The vision that God placed in my heart was a membership of 10,000 and 100 church plants.

We are well on our way to the first part of that vision but alas, I will not be at the helm for its completion. I recognize that I lack the skill set necessary for the growth ahead. And for that reason, I am so thankful for my dear friend Wade Haskins of Freedom Church, who has demonstrated an expertise in church planting and church growth. I’ve actually been following his lead for many years and our churches are already aligned in every way.

So Tapestry Church will become a campus of Freedom Church. Pastor Wade Haskins will become our lead pastor. Pastors Markus and Stephanie Robinson will become our campus pastors. Tanya, Brooklynn, Josh and baby Langston will remain on staff at Freedom Church Jersey City and I will attend when I am not out of town.

But the cry for church planting is still strong in my spirit. I hope in this next season to wrestle with the second half of that vision to mentor and manage church planters and pastors to see New York and New Jersey shaken with the gospel, not to mention your city should God choose to link us together.

This process started for me 15 months ago. I felt like God was transitioning me, although I didn’t know what that would look like.

In January, we started meeting with our leaders, overseers, and board to see what the next season would look like. And after much prayer, fasting and counsel I decided it was time to retire from this phase of ministry.

My primary focus after retirement will be to dedicate myself to mentoring and supporting other pastors and church leaders. I believe strongly in the importance of nurturing leadership, encouraging spiritual growth, and helping churches thrive in their mission. My desire is to be a source of encouragement, wisdom, and practical help for those who are called to lead God’s people, especially during these challenging and rapidly changing times. Phil and Darlene Bishop Driscoll prophesied to me last year that God was raising me up to show other pastors how to experience the kind of revival that we have experienced in Jersey City.

A youth culture revival with an 84% conversion rate while still maintaining a spiritual church culture with a focus on emotional healing. I hope that is true. I claim it in Faith. I do love the body of Christ!

All that said, I intend to take a brain break for the next several months. Do some traveling. Rest. Breathe. And Inquire of the Lord and really seek His face about the future. Please keep me in your prayers.

Thank you for your friendship
Love
Anthony Langston

Freedom Church Scrubs Social Media

Not long after Tony’s resignation, the church hid the video of his retirement announcement service and then later they temporarily hid their YouTube channel, brought it back up after they’d scrubbed it, changing the playlists and video descriptions. They have hidden other videos.

They also changed the links for the church Facebook Page and Instagram accounts, and the website, along with removing many posts which mention Tony or show his picture or videos.

More information will be shared in future articles.

I originally posted about this on June 23, 2025, June 29, 2025 (includes video clips from his retirement service), July 24, 2025 and July 27, 2025 on our Facebook Page.

You will find a complete list of articles in this series by clicking here.

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United Pentecostal Pastor Audley Castro Resigns Part 2

This is a continuation of our coverage on United Pentecostal Church minister Audley F. Castro, who was the long-term pastor of the Apostolic Pentecostal Church Of Pickering (APC) in Ontario, a legally affiliated UPCI church. It appears to be one of the largest UPCI churches in Ontario. (See Part One.)

Audley Castro resigned on July 9, 2025 amidst allegations of sexual misconduct allegedly spanning years. Until they vote on a new pastor, UPCI Ontario District Superintendent Arnold MacLauchlan and UPCI minister Winston Samuel Stewart, who has preached at the church in the past, will be serving as the interim pastors. For anyone who may disbelieve that he resigned as pastor, attached is a screenshot taken on July 16, 2025, showing he is no longer listed on the UPCI’s website. It is still unknown if he has turned in his UPCI license.

Prior to this, it had been shared that Castro had not been preaching at the church services since some point in late 2023 or early 2024, though he was still regularly seen on the platform and would appear in brief videos speaking about various topics. It had been alleged that he had been suspended from preaching and this was later verified to be true.

It has also been shared that many people were angry at the church member meeting on July 14, 2025 as questions were not allowed and some facts were allegedly misrepresented.

In the previous post I wrote, “This is not the first time he, and some others in the church, have been accused of wrongdoing.” Let’s look into this.
Attached are two screenshots of official announcements made by the church board back in 2021, which addressed allegations of moral wrongdoing that had been circulating.The first, dated November 23, 2021, stated in part, “Between August 14, 2021 and November 7, 2021, former members of our congregation published a series of videos on YouTube making several statements about the Apostolic Pentecostal Church of Pickering (‘APC’) and Reverend Audley Castro (‘Rev. Castro’).

“The statements contain serious allegations of moral wrongdoing which could undermine both Reverend Castro’s leadership and APC’s reputation in the community. The Board of APC takes these allegations very seriously and an investigation is underway to ascertain whether there is any factual basis to the statements. At this point, the Board has no knowledge of any truth to the allegations.”

They then shared a glowing report of Castro and said they would continue to support him and his family throughout their investigation.

Less than ten days later, on December 2, 2021, another letter was released and their investigation was completed. It was announced that, “All of the allegations with respect to Rev. Castro and APC have been determined to be both factually untrue and unfounded. The accusations have been unsubstantiated, and all appear to be entirely devoid of merit that were made with intention to damage and undermine the integrity, character and operations of APC ministries and Rev. Castro. It has also come to light that the publisher of these statements has made the same allegations against others within the last six months. At this time, the Board is seeking legal counsel about the best path forward.”

They reminded people of their previous glowing report on Castro and said that he and his family “continue to have our abiding love and support.”

Unless there was very compelling evidence to the contrary, nine days seems insufficient for a thorough and comprehensive investigation. Did they speak with those who made the videos, as well as the woman who allegedly became pregnant? Did they attempt to view medical records? Internal church investigations can be problematic, especially if those involved are loyal to the accused.

It should be noted that the YouTube videos were removed at some point.

This will be continued in a subsequent post.

I originally posted about this on July 16, 2025 on our Facebook Page.

You will find a complete list of articles in this series by clicking here.

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United Pentecostal Pastor Audley Castro Resigns Part 1

This is our initial post on United Pentecostal Church minister Audley F. Castro, who was the long-term pastor of the Apostolic Pentecostal Church Of Pickering (APC) in Ontario, a legally affiliated UPCI church. He resigned on July 9, 2025 amidst allegations of sexual misconduct allegedly spanning many years. It is unknown if he has turned in his UPCI license.

The week of July 6, 2025, I heard about a then upcoming meeting addressing allegations of sexual abuse against multiple women. A church member meeting was scheduled for Monday, July 14, at 7pm.

A letter had gone out to former and current members with the first paragraph stating, “For over 20 years, Pastor Audley Castro has been accused of sexually abusing women within our church community. These are not isolated incidents—they represent a devastating pattern that has caused many women and families to quietly leave, carrying deep wounds while the truth remained buried under a culture of silence and protectionism.”

It went on to state, “Some Board members and Leaders are aware of Castro’s behaviour or at least are aware of the rumours. Their failure to act, disclose the truth, or protect the women of APC represents a serious breach of duty—not just legally, but morally and spiritually. Silence in the face of abuse is collusion.

“It must be said: Pastor Castro has single-handedly created a culture of fear, intimidation and manipulation at APC—a culture where questions cannot be asked, concerns cannot be raised, and silence is mistaken for reverence.

“…Castro is using silence as a weapon to avoid responsibility, hoping that by saying nothing, the church will move on. But silence is not neutrality, it’s protection of sin.”

The letter encouraged people to attend the meeting and ask questions, even sharing potential questions to ask, addressed feeling nervous and shared tips if people were feeling intimidated. At the end of this article are screenshots of the letter.

It had been shared with me that Audley Castro unexpectedly resigned as pastor during the meeting of July 14, and it was effective immediately. It was later discovered that it happened on July 9, 2025, when the board accepted his resignation. UPCI Ontario District Superintendent Arnold MacLauchlan and UPCI minister Winston Samuel Stewart will be the interim pastors. As the church is legally affiliated, they must have a UPCI licensed minister as the pastor.

For those who may be unaware, it is important to note that when a minister goes after a church member/attender, it is never only a matter of adultery, fornication, assault or rape. There is a power imbalance and that is why there are laws which make this carry a harsher charge and penalty. It is clergy sexual abuse as the minister is in a position of trust and responsibility. Any sexual contact between clergy and a congregant is inherently abusive.

Castro grew up in St. Andrew, Jamaica and attended church. In an interview, he admitted to making some bad decisions while in high school and in his late teens he started attending church again.

Audley Castro first appears in the 1990 UPCI Directory, which is indicative of him receiving his local license in 1989. The 1991 to 1993 Directories still show him with a local license and he is not listed as a pastor. I do not have directories from 1994-1998. By the 1999 Directory, he is seen with a general license and the church is listed with him as pastor. The 2003 Directory lists him as ordained. He continued to be listed through the 2025 edition.

According to the church website, Audley Castro oversaw all church activities, having started the church with his wife in 1993 in their basement apartment. The church moved locations several times through the years until they landed in their present location at 1920 Notion Road in 2019.

Castro published two books in 2018 and in one he touted himself as “an internationally recognized pastor, author, and conference speaker. He travels extensively, empowering believers to maximize their gifts and to become visibly active within their local church. Castro has taught in several colleges, seminaries and serves on various branding organizations.”

This is not the first time he, and some others in the church, have been accused of wrongdoing. That will be covered in another post.

I originally posted about this on July 15, 2025 on our Facebook Page.

You will find a complete list of articles in this series by clicking here.

Link to Part Two.

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Character Letters in Support of Joseph Kade Abbott Part 3

This is a continuation of our coverage regarding character letters sent in support of a sex offender. See Part 1 and Part 2.

On May 17, 2024, Joseph ‘Kade’ Abbott plead guilty to three counts of sexual assault by an authority figure where criminal charges from two counties in Tennessee were combined (Blount & Sevier). He was sentenced on October 30, 2024 to six years in prison without parole for crimes against a 14 year old minor. He will register as a sex offender for life.

Kade Abbott was a Middle School teacher at the Apostolic Christian Academy, which is operated by the First Apostolic Church of Maryville in Tennessee. His crimes occurred while he was employed at the school. Kenneth Carpenter is the pastor of this ALJC church and academy and the General Superintendent of the Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ (ALJC), a much smaller Oneness Pentecostal organization than the United Pentecostal Church.

In the first and second installments, I posted four character letters each that were sent to the court in support of Kade Abbott. Today four others are being shared and all except the last one mention or are tied to the Aberdeen First Pentecostal Church in Mississippi, a legally affiliated UPCI church. Kade Abbott attended there for many years when he was younger. As was previously done, redactions have been made of addresses, phone numbers and emails of those who sent letters.

As an added note to the last post which included a letter from Luke Stumbo, it’s come to our attention that besides Kade Abbott and Luke Stumbo both being Middle School teachers at the Apostolic Christian Academy in Maryville, Tennessee, they were also helpers for the school’s daycare after school program. They took care of the school age group.

Caleb Glass was a former Hyphen pastor at the Aberdeen First Pentecostal Church and was the lead pastor at the Plainview of Smithville, a daughter work of Aberdeen. Caleb does not appear in the 2025 UPCI Directory as a licensed minister. Cody Kennedy is the current pastor.

Caleb shares that he first met Kade when he moved to Mississippi in 2008. “I really got to know him when I began teaching Kade in classes until he left for college. …I stayed in contact with him over the course of the years in college.”

I will insert here what was mentioned in prior posts. I have heard accusations against Kade Abbott going back to these Bible college days, allegations including that of him requesting inappropriate photos of multiple females.

Caleb Glass continues, “He genuinely has a good heart that cares and hopes for the best in people. I am aware of the charges brought against him and when I first heard of the news I admittedly reached out to him to check on him.”

Stacy Moore holds some type of position at the Aberdeen First Pentecostal Church as she has a church email address.

Stacy Moore shares that she first met Kade when he and his family began attending the Aberdeen church. It’s shared that when Kade returned from attending Bible college, that he became the worship leader before attending elsewhere.

Stacy writes, “In the time I’ve known Kade, he has always been a Godly, Spirit led, honorable, trustworthy, and caring young man. I have always been impressed by his character. …He grew close to everyone in the youth group at AFPC with his wit and outgoing personality.”

“Kade is the type of individual who never meets a stranger. He is also the type of person who is quick to make things right when he has wronged someone. In summary, I have the upmost respect for Kade as a person, minister, and friend.”

Tammy Soden shares that Kade, “had his first serious girlfriend in his teens. Over years of seeing him grow and mature, I neither heard or seen any significant issues between him and adults, peers or children.”

She continues, “During visits home from college I observed him to be encouraging and appropriate with preteen and teens.”

Tammy ends with, “Kade and his ministry have been compromised. He has lost everything except God, family and a few friends. He may have made poor or even naive choices which led to this day. I pray for mercy for him and recovery for all involved parties.”

Wesley Knott went to school with Kade and he has been a “trusted friend” for over two decades. He writes, “Throughout our friendship, I have had the privilege of witnessing Kade’s character, kindness, and unwavering commitment to doing what is right firsthand. In the more than 20 years I’ve known him, I have never witnessed Kade lie or cause harm to another. I wholeheartedly believe that he is a person of integrity, and I cannot think of another individual I trust more than Kade. I feel incredibly lucky to call him my friend.”

Kenneth Carpenter is the pastor of First Apostolic Church of Maryville in Tennessee where Kade Abbott worked in their Apostolic Christian Academy and this is when his crimes occurred. Besides the criminal convictions against Joseph Kade Abbott, there is a pending civil lawsuit against him, the church and the academy.

I originally posted about this on February 20, 2025 on our Facebook Page.

To be continued.

You will find a complete list of articles in this series by clicking here.

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