West Lafayette church changes name after abuse allegations, 'painful chapter'

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A West Lafayette church at the center of "minor-on-minor abuse" allegations opted to change its name to put the "painful chapter in our story" behind them.

A December 2021 Indy Star investigation found Immanuel Reformed Presbyterian Church Pastor Jared Olivetti and elders Keith Magill, Ben Larson and David Carr failed to act with urgency in responding to inappropriate behavior and sexual offenses by a boy at the church.

In January of 2022, the national governing body of the Reformed Presbyterian Church announced that Olivetti must refrain from exercising his duties as pastor pending the result of his ecclesiastical trial, which resulted in his defrocking.

The congregation recently released a special statement highlighting its troubled history and explaining why the church changed its name to “Redeeming Grace Church.” The statement also explained why the congregation left the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America denomination. One factor in such a separation is that it would allow the church to welcome back some of the former leaders sanctioned for their roles in the abuse case.

“If you do know us by the name 'Immanuel,' it’s likely you know something of the negative publicity and very hard years recently suffered by our congregation,” the statement reads.

“Those years began with the revelation of minor-on-minor abuse in and around the congregation. As we worked through that painful chapter in our story, our former elders worked to follow the pertinent laws, to believe and support the victims, and to honor Christ.”

The IndyStar investigation revealed that leaders at the West Lafayette church were informed that children from multiple families had been abused and harassed by another minor within the congregation, according to internal church documents obtained by IndyStar.

The ecclesiastic trial revoked Olivetti's ordination and status as an elder, the IndyStar reported, forbidding him practicing in any capacity within the denomination. He has also been suspended from participating in sacraments such as communion.

Olivetti and his fellow elders were found to have kept the abuse from church members for more than four months, even as they learned of additional transgressions.

The perpetrator, a teenage boy, was a relative of the pastor. Rather than immediately recuse himself, Olivetti continued to shape the church’s response, taking advantage of his position as a leader to interfere with the investigation, according to the IndyStar reporting.

“We were repeatedly painted in the worst possible light by media outlets. Because the tragic situation involved minors, many details could not and should not be shared publicly. While this means the full truth might likely never be told publicly in this life in defense of leaders who were wrongly accused,” the statement reads.

The statement goes on to explain that the church had brought in the church’s now former denomination Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America to help with the situation, although according to the statement, that help didn’t go as expected.

In late March 2022, after the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America conducted regional and national investigations within the denomination, the national organization announced that elders Magill, Larson and Carr struck a mediated agreement with ecclesiastical investigators — analogous to a plea deal in a civil court, according to the IndyStar.

Their suspension was approved unanimously and remains in effect for one year "or until satisfactory attempts at reconciliation have been made."

“We lament that the RPCNA abandoned fundamental principles of justice and mercy in its dealing with our congregation. We came to realize that we could not cooperate with it any longer and began the process of leaving our denominational home in the fall of 2022,” reads the statement.

The statement explains that the Redeeming Grace Church would follow three major tenets to showcase its commitment to change.

“First, we hate sin and we love justice. We hate the sins of abuse, we mourn with the victims and their families, and we pray for them and work for their healing.

“Second, we believe the church should be a place of genuine safety. We have learned many valuable lessons and are committed to that safety in tangible ways.

“Third, we believe in forgiveness. We regularly delight in God’s forgiveness made possible through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ and believe that same forgiveness should be a cornerstone of the church’s life. We are thankful to be able to extend forgiveness to anyone who seeks it, including our former leaders, who freely acknowledged their failures in the process,” the statement reads.

“Because of these commitments, and because of an increasing commitment to the centrality of the gospel in our life and ministry, we are now an independent congregation.”

The statement goes on to explain that the former elders of the church “acknowledged their weaknesses early in the process and sought to forgive,” and that the church has forgiven them for their actions in the past.

“Redeeming Grace Church disregards the extreme and unbiblical disciplinary actions taken against these men in the past. We are thankful that our former elders continue to be part of the life of Redeeming Grace Church,” reads the statement.

The statement concludes by explaining that the church’s name change isn’t meant to symbolize them hiding from their past, but instead as a “signal” to the future of the church.

Reporting by Holly Hayes of the IndyStar is included throughout this update.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Immanuel Reformed Presbyterian Church announces it left denomination