Peternel returning to Life Church, brother-in-law and sister resign as pastors
Powerful church of Indiana's Christian nationalist lieutenant governor has seen wave of departures amid scandal
The head of Indiana’s embattled Life Church, Nathan Peternel, is set to return as leader of the powerful church next month after a “restorative process” stemming from homemade sex videos found on his son’s cellphone, according to an email announcement obtained by 24sight News.
Peternel’s brother-in-law Mike Maleto, who has served as interim leader since March 1, also told the Pentecostal congregation that he and Peternel’s sister would be resigning as church pastors, adding to a string of top resignations since the start of the year.
“I have decided to step down from my role as Interim Lead Pastor of Life Church. Our Board has reached out to the district for support as Pastor Nathan and Christina finalize their restoration process, and as was announced last week, we anticipate their return during the first week of July,” Maleto wrote in the June 2nd email. “After more than twenty-six years of vocational ministry, we believe God is inviting us into a new season—likely a year or more—to step back and invest in our own family in the same way we have been privileged to invest in His family for so many years.”
Life Church rose to prominence running one of its un-ordained pastors, Micah Beckwith, successfully for Indiana lieutenant governor and locking arms with Charlie Kirk and Turning Point USA. The church has been a regular staging ground for political events, and Beckwith in particular has pushed for merging church and state.
But the arrest last October of Peternel’s son on four felony counts of child sexual abuse and exploitation began a spiral which has seen pastors and families flee the church and resulted in Peternel himself, who had been filming him and his wife having sex, being sent to the official Assemblies of God “restorative process” following an internal investigation.
Peternel, Maleto and Beckwith, as well as state Assemblies of God officials, did not return repeated requests for comment for this story.
Life Church posted an unsigned statement regarding Peternel’s return on its website.
“After a season of rest and renewal, Pastor Nathan and Christina are preparing to return to ministry, and we’re looking toward the first week of July as that time draws near,” the statement reads. “We’re grateful for this restorative season and for the ways the Lord has been strengthening them physically, spiritually, and emotionally. As they step back into the life of our church, we invite you to do two things: keep them in prayer during this time of transition, and reach out with words of love and encouragement. A note, a card, or a kind word means more than you know.”
In the email notice, sent last Tuesday, Maleto announced that one of the state Assemblies of God’s top officials, Scott Burr, would be serving as interim lead pastor. Despite leading Life Church’s Noblesville, Indiana campus for the last six years. Lt. Gov. Beckwith is not ordained, licensed or credentialed with the Assemblies of God, according to a directory search conducted by a source for 24sight News.
Beckwith has repeatedly garnered attention for himself attacking high school band production as “demonic filth” and, more recently, stating “I hate Islam”, using the otherwise ignored statewide office as a launchpad for national attention. But the veteran politico has been notably muted regarding the arrest and conviction of Peternel’s son, Peternel’s sex videos and allegations of abuse by Peternel.
In a December sermon last year, Beckwith said he was supporting Peternel and laid hands on him onstage at the church, and in a recent interview with local Democratic activist Cassie Jackson, Beckwith alleged Peternel never made any sex videos.
But behind the scenes, Beckwith has been forceful pushing others to confront Assemblies of God leaders in the ongoing scandal. In a secret April meeting of church members called in response to the publication of police bodycam footage, Beckwith sat in the audience and said other church members should call and complain to the Assemblies of God regarding Peternel’s suspension and “restorative process.”
Peternel, who hosted a podcast with Beckwith for four years titled “Jesus, Sex and Politics”, regularly preached to the congregation about his sexual relationship with his wife and, earlier in his career, pressured minors to discuss their sexual activity with him, according to former congregants and youth group members. In one instance he demanded a 17-year-old girl and her fiancé explain in graphic detail the mechanics of their intimate activities.
Peternel has refused to speak publicly about the incidents and has regularly refused to talk with 24sight News for almost eight months about the alleged abuse, as well as any other developments in the Life Church scandal.
Peternel’s son, Jonathan, was sentenced to six year in prison in February after pleading guilty to owning and trafficking gruesome videos showing pre-pubescent children being drugged, raped and tortured.
Maleto’s announcement makes him the third campus leader of the four campus’s in the Life Church network, to resign since the start of the year, leaving Beckwith as the only campus pastor still maintaining his role. The leader of Life Church’s children and youth ministries also resigned in January.
🚨🚨 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 6 years in child sex abuse case - 2/13/26
Nathan Peternel stepping aside after investigation deems sex videos wrong - 2/22/26
Third pastor leaves Life Church, head pastor schedules emergency meeting about bodycam footage - 4/13/26
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
So apparently Pee-Wee's secret-word for today is "Season."
"...God is inviting us into a new season."
"After a season of rest and renewal..."
"We’re grateful for this restorative season..."
We also heard this season verbiage in the police bodycam videos as well.
It's the most repetitive use of the word "season" since Daffy and Bugs were debating which hunting season it was before a gun-toting Elmer Fudd.
Humor and semantics aside, the continually secretive nature surrounding Life Church is disappointing and inexcusable. If I were a member of Life Church I would have left by now, and if I were a member of the staff or ministry team, I would have fled like the others, in the ever growing fraternity of former LC pastors about to be joined by Pastor Mike Maleto and his wife, Donya.
The Church and its leadership have been anything but transparent to the public and its own members. Erin asked in the comments if the IRS is involved. I question if Pastor Nathan was being paid his salary and receiving money from the other sources of income flowing through the church during his abbreviated "season of rest and renewal."
It doesn't take a seminary degree to spot cultlike behavior, such as a leader with absolute authority and no accountability, controlling information and members' behavior, suppression of questions, employing fear and guilt, instilling an "us" versus "them" mentality, and benefiting financially, usually under the control of a family. Re-read what Tom has written over the months and run it by this criteria and come to your own conclusion.
I personally challenge and charge Pastor Nathan to truly demonstrate a sincerely repentant heart and humbly speak to the remaining members of Life Church and the surrounding community about the very questions and concerns that have been left unanswered since October, and finally express the much needed and deserved genuine apologies and sincerely ask for the forgiveness left unspoken for so long. Otherwise, the “restorative process” was a lie, a farce, meant only to deflect ongoing public criticism to make the matter go away. Nathan has wanted to control the narrative from the start, and it's now truly within his power to control to either share the truth and do the right thing, or to continue on down the dark path of an egoistical proud cultlike leader who has lost his way. I pray he makes the right decision this time.
Is the IRS involved in this at all?