Nathan Peternel stepping aside after investigation deems sex videos wrong
Head of powerful Life Church announces brother-in-law taking over while he enters “restorative process”, one week after son sentenced in child porn case
INDIANAPOLIS _ The lead pastor of the politically powerful Life Church, Nathan Peternel, announced Friday that he was stepping aside following an investigation which found that sex videos he and his wife made fell below the moral standards set by the Pentecostal Assemblies of God.
Peternel announced that his brother-in-law would take over leadership of the church, which employs Indiana’s lieutenant governor and his two brothers as top pastors, while he undergoes a “restorative process” required by the Indiana Assemblies of God.
His decision to step aside comes one week after an Indiana judge sentenced his son to six years in prison for the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material. As part of the investigation, police discovered his son in possession of more than 50 videos of his parents naked or having sex, something Nathan later stated was a result of his son getting high and hacking into a password protected account.
“After a careful and thorough review, the District Executive Presbytery concluded that certain personal behaviors related to my use and retention of private digital content involving my spouse fell short of the standards expected of a credentialed minister and were determined to be unbecoming of ministerial leadership,” Peternel wrote in his email obtained by 24sight News.
Peternel wrote he would step aside beginning March 1, he did not say how long the “restorative process” would last.
“In the short term, I will focus fully on this season of restoration. In the long term, the plan is for me to remain the Lead Pastor of Life Church as I walk through and complete the restorative process,” Peternel wrote. “Chrissy and I are approaching this season with humility and expectancy. When this restorative process is complete, I look forward to returning with renewed vision and a refreshed heart to continue leading Life Church forward as we pursue our mission and the vision of reaching beyond what we currently see.”
He said he would address questions during the church’s annual meeting Sunday during a 90-minute session.
Peternel did not return a request for comment Friday evening. Peternel’s brother-in-law, Mike Maleto, the lead pastor of the church’s Eagle Creek campus, did not return a request for comment Friday.
An official with the Assemblies of God declined comment for this story.
It was not immediately clear if Peternel’s license had been suspended following the results of the state Assemblies of God investigation, but the restoration process is generally reserved for Pentecostal ministers who have been removed as leaders of their church. Peternel, in his email, said he would be retaining his leadership position, the state Assemblies of God did not issue a statement.
The Assemblies of God recommends a series of bed and breakfasts and retreat centers across the nation as part of its restoration process for pastors, according to its website. Another powerful Pentecostal figure, Rod Loy of Arkansas, recently was reprimanded by the national Assemblies of God amid accusations he sexually abused a former congregant for two decades beginning when she turned 16 years old, according to The Birmingham News. (Loy has denied the charges.)
Despite agreeing to step aside, Loy promptly returned to the stage of his Arkansas mega-church this week, according to the church’s YouTube channel.
In an extensive investigation, NBC News reported on years of abuse by prominent pastor Joseph Campbell, resulting in his arrest last month on charges he sexually abused two girls.
Peternel is not facing any criminal charges or known criminal investigations and has been circumspect in his limited public statements regarding the sex videos of him and his wife. But former Life Church members have reported an environment of regular harassment, control and profligate discussions of sex — sometimes in front of the entire congregation — over his almost three decades as a pastor.
Peternel rocketed to prominence in Republican circles in recent years helping to run one of his top pastors, Micah Beckwith, for lieutenant governor of Indiana. Beckwith and his team have refused repeated requests for comment regarding Peternel and his son, but in sermons last year the state’s second-in-command said he was standing by Peternel and chastised congregants for asking questions.
Former congregants have described Peternel regularly demanding that they, as minors, tell him about the sex they were having, talked at length about his own sexual relations with his wife, preached about the “pleasures” of sex from the pulpit and, in one closed-door meeting in 2016 demanded a 17-year-old girl describe how she orgasms.
Peternel and Beckwith previously toured the country with Charlie Kirk and his Turning Point USAministries operation and regularly recorded a podcast titled “Jesus, Sex and Politics.”
Since his son’s arrest and the discovery of his sex videos, congregants have fled the church in droves and two pastors announced their resignations. (LINK). Angry former congregants have expressed frustration at the secrecy from Peternel, concerns that his son was around their children while under investigation for child pornography and refused to heed their concerns when confronted directly.
“Nathan and Life Church leadership need come completely clean on what Nathan knew about his son and when, and why Jonathan was apparently allowed back into Life Church where little children were present after the search of Nathan’s home and confiscation of devices,” veteran Indianapolis conservative talkshow host Rob Kendall said Friday.
Kendall left Life Church last year after being baptized there by Beckwith and called for Peternel’s resignation last month after Peternel’s son pleaded guilty on child pornography charges.
“Nathan also needs to provide a clear explanation why his son was in possession of a massive collection of sex videos of Nathan and his wife, and how the church is ensuring no images or videos of children who attend the church were obtained by Jonathan,” Kendall said. “This issue demands full, public transparency, and thus far Nathan and Life Church have refused to provide it.”
🚨🚨 Friends, I’m crowdsourcing this investigative series. My reporting is having an impact, but I need your support. Please contribute at PayPal or Venmo or via my GoFundMe page.🚨🚨
If you would like to get in touch to discuss what is happening in Life Church or have a news tip, please email: tom@24sight.news.
The “Jesus, Sex and Politics” investigation:
Beckwith adviser was with son in September when police executed warrant in child porn case - 10/24/25
Beckwith adviser Peternel responds to son’s child porn charges in Sunday video - 10/26/25
AUDIO: Nathan Peternel church message on sex videos, son’s arrest - 10/31/25
Peternel pried teen girl about sex life in closed-door ‘counseling’, woman says - 11/6/25
Beckwith adviser’s son gets public defender as church scandal grows - 11/10/25
Peternel says he can’t be fired by church board - 11/19/25
Peternel says son hacked sex videos of him and wife while high - 12/7/25
Families flee embattled Life Church amid abuse reports, child porn arrest - 12/17/25
Indiana pastor Nathan Peternel regularly pried congregants about sex in pre-marital counseling - 12/22/25
Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith presses church to stop talking about embattled pastor Peternel - 1/2/26
Pastors resign from Life Church - 1/7/26
Jonathan Peternel pleads guilty to four felony counts of child exploitation, abuse - 1/16/26
Do pastor’s sex videos constitute porn violation? - 1/30/26
Peternel gets six years in child sex abuse case - 2/13/26
Indiana deepfake porn scandal stories:
Topless deepfake video roils Indiana office, lawmaker’s wife targeted, per sources - 8/2/25
Indy prosecutor probes topless deepfake, Haggard blasts ‘pornographic smear’ of his wife - 8/5/25
BREAKING: Lt. Gov. spokesman quits amid deepfake probe - 8/7/25
Lawmaker whose wife was targeted launching Congressional bid - 8/11/25
Lt. Gov.’s office adopts new employee handbook, Gov. calls in Beckwith for meeting - 8/14/25
This is “smoke and mirrors” without transparency. This is symbolism over substance for PR optics to satisfy the pretense of ownership, accountability, and punishment to make this story go away. Nathan isn’t being held accountable, taking ownership, or receiving corrective action. Nathan, his brother-in-law, Life Church, and state Assemblies of God need to address public and member concerns, questions, and be transparent. Otherwise, how is Life Church any different than a cult that is controlled by a family who doesn’t feel accountable to its members and the public?
And they wonder why Christianity is losing million$ of followers. We don't follow pedophiles and abusers. That's all these unchristian nationalist bigots are! They ALL need exorcism.