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United Pentecostal Church Minister Nolan Arthur Guilty of Grooming

United Pentecostal Church minister Nolan Arthur of Richmond, Indiana, born November 3, 2000, was arrested on March 17, 2026. He was included in the fourteen men who were arrested as part of the “Out of Bounds” multi-day operation by the Miami Valley Human Trafficking Task Force and others.  They targeted “individuals seeking to engage in prostitution and the solicitation of minors.” (See this post from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office in Dayton, Ohio.)

Nolan Arthur was charged with one count of soliciting (2907.24) and one count of grooming (2907.071).  This is case 26CRB00366, filed on March 18, 2026, in the Kettering Municipal Court in Ohio.

There was a video arraignment on March 18 where he received a public defender referral and entered a not guilty plea and was released. He was being represented by Lauren Dever, but a substitution of counsel was filed on March 20 and a discovery request was made by his new attorney, Bradley Groene.

On May 11, a notification for a change of plea was entered and on June 2, 2026 he entered into a plea deal where he plead guilty to grooming and the soliciting charge was dropped. (The soliciting charge would have involved an adult and the grooming charge a minor.) He was sentenced to 90 days in jail, which was suspended. He also received two years of unsupervised probation, where he must be of good behavior, with no future violations of the law, and had to forfeit his cell phone. He owes $325.00 in fines and costs, plus $33.00 for the dropped charge, which has not yet been paid as of the date of this article. He is being monitored through July 31, 2026 to ensure the amount is paid.

Nolan Arthur is the son of United Pentecostal minister Kevin Arthur. Nolan has long been involved at the Oak Park Pentecostals, located on Chester Boulevard in Richmond, Indiana. It is a United Pentecostal Church where Kevin Arthur is the bishop emeritus, Robert Arthur (retired UPCI Missionary) is bishop, and Nolan’s brother, Jesse Arthur, is the senior pastor.

Nolan Arthur first appeared in the 2024 UPCI Directory with a local license, which is indicative of him receiving it in 2023. The 2025 UPCI Directory showed him with a general license.

On March 20, 2026, the church posted a notice on their Facebook Page, but later removed it. It stated, “Oak Park Church is aware of the recent arrest of one of our members, Nolan Arthur. We take situations of this nature seriously and are committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, accountability, and care within our church community and all affiliated ministries.

“Mr. Arthur is not in any leadership capacity at Oak Park Church or involved in any capacity at Oak Park Early Learning Academy. Out of respect for the legal process and the privacy of those involved, the church will not be providing additional details or commentary regarding the matter at this time.

“Oak Park Church remains committed to fostering a safe, supportive, and Christ-centered environment for our congregation, the children and families served by Oak Park Early Learning Academy, and the broader community. We appreciate the continued prayers and understanding of our members and partners during this time.”

As time allows, more will be written about this case.

I originally posted about this on June 4, 2026 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 Seth Gaberial Beecher’s CSA Charges

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, 2026June 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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Joseph Wayne O’Saile CSA Charges and Turning Point Church

Joseph Wayne O’Saile, born March 7, 1988, was a long-time member of The Turning Point Church in Madison/Nashville, Tennessee where J. Kurtis Burton is pastor. This is a United Pentecostal Church. Joseph attended this church from when he was a child. It is unknown if he still attends. He was recently traveling out of the country in France.

On May 22, 2026, a bench warrant was issued for Joseph Wayne O’Saile. He was arrested on May 28 in Robertson County and released the same day on a $75,000 secured bond. He is charged with statutory rape by an authority figure (39-13-532) and seven counts of sexual battery by an authority figure (39-13-527). They give a violation date from 2010 and the charges involve minors. This is case 74CC1-2026-CR-261 in the Robertson Circuit Court and was filed on May 21, 2026.

An arraignment was scheduled for June 5, but it was marked as rescheduled. The next court date is on August 14, 2026 and is listed as a settlement hearing. I had to look this up as I’d never seen a criminal case list a hearing in this manner.

According to the Shipman & Crim law firm in Tennessee, a second court date in a criminal case is for the purpose of settlement discussions. The attorneys have the opportunity to speak together about the case and any possible defense the defendant could have. The DA will extend a plea offer at this time. If that is declined, a preliminary hearing will be scheduled.

It has been alleged that years back, multiple people tried to warn that something was off about him as he was having sleepovers with children. As far back as at least 2009, O’Saile helped out with children’s church at Turning Point Church, as well as teaching. We have been informed that at that time, the youth pastor had left and they decided to appoint a group that lead the youth, instead of having another youth pastor. Attached are some screenshots which show his involvement at the church back then.

I originally posted about this on June 1, 2026  and June 7, 2026 on our Facebook Page.

After we posted about this case, he took down his Facebook profile.

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

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Registered Sex Offender Justin Scott Gardner Singing at The Apostolic Church of Beaumont

We have another instance of a registered sex offender being used in a position at a United Pentecostal Church.

It should come as no surprise to the readers of this website that we believe it to be very unwise for churches to use registered sex offenders in any position. We have seen time and again in the news where such people reoffend.

When someone is used in an official position in a church, it can be seen by members as giving them a sense of legitimacy. People may assume they are trustworthy and safe and that background checks have been made and they have been cleared.


Justin Scott Gardner, born November 17, 1982, is a registered sex offender who was convicted in California in September 2003 of two counts of lewd and lascivious acts involving children/intercourse and the victim is under 14 years of age. The age of the victim on the registry shows as 12 and 13 years old. He is a member of The Apostolic Church of Beaumont (TAC) in Texas, where Jason Carr is pastor. This is a legally affiliated United Pentecostal Church. Back in 2023, we made a series of posts about this church. (See August 20, 2023, August 20, 2023 #2, August 21, 2023, August 21, 2023 #2August 23, 2023, June 23, 2023– unrelated to the others)

Justin Gardner has been one of the praise singers at TAC and besides being seen in videos of their services, he is also seen along with others on the ministries section of the church website. Attached are screenshots which show him singing on the platform and being mentioned as far back as 2019 in an official post from the church. It has been alleged that Jason Carr is aware that Gardner is a sex offender.

May 31, 2026

It is always concerning when any church uses a convicted sex offender in any type of leadership role or preaching capacity. A pastor is unwise to allow this. Has Justin Gardner been permitted to be around minors at the church? Have members and visitors been made aware of him being on the registry? If you are a parent of a minor and are a member or are visiting this church, you should be aware of this situation.

Do Sex Offenders Belong in Church With Your Kids? 7 Myths Every Church Leader Needs to Know by Sarah McDugal

I originally posted about this on June 1, 2026 on our Facebook Page.

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

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Giveaway: Take Back Your Life 3rd Edition by Janja Lalich

This is only open to those with a USA mailing address. There is absolutely no cost to enter.

This is your chance to receive a new copy of Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships by Janja Lalich. This is the third edition, which is the latest. The original edition was titled Captive Hearts, Captive Minds and we gave away several dozen copies of that through the years.

“Cult victims and those who have experienced abusive relationships often suffer from fear, confusion, low self-esteem, and post-traumatic stress. Take Back Your Life explains the seductive draw that leads people into such situations, provides insightful information for assessing what happened, and hands-on tools for getting back on track.”

Jana Lalich is an international authority on cults and coercion. She is the founder of the Lalich Center on Cults & Coercion. If you watch documentaries on unhealthy groups, you have probably seen her.

We have a playlist of many interviews and talks she has given here.

This giveaway is a drawing. To enter, just leave a comment to show you wish to be included. The drawing will close on June 3, 2026 at 6pm (eastern time), after which I will draw a winner.

Be sure to check back to see if you have won as in the past some people have not responded after winning and so a new winner had to be drawn. You will then need to email me your mailing address if I do not already have it, so be sure to watch your email and check the spam folder. If I know your Facebook profile, I will message you there.

Don’t be alarmed if your comment does not immediately show as it may require approval.

You may want to subscribe to the email notifications of new blog posts in order to not miss these. While we try to share about our giveaways on social media, those platforms often do not show the posts to many people.

Watch for our July 1 post where you will have a chance to win a copy of of C.H. Yadon and the Vanishing Theological Past in Oneness Pentecostalism by Thomas Fudge. It is the third book in his series on Oneness Pentecostalism. It covers Oneness Pentecostal history, and highlights the United Pentecostal Church, of which Mr. Fudge was once a member.

In 2026, we’ll also be giving away one copy of each of the other Thomas Fudge books on the UPCI/Oneness Pentecostalism (Christianity without the Cross: A History of Salvation in Oneness Pentecostalism and Heretics & Politics: Theology, Power, and Perception in the Last Days of CBC).

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