A third pastor has left Life Church amid fallout from the child sex abuse scandal involving the family of lead pastor Nathan Peternell and his political ally, Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith.
In an interview with 24Sight News, investigative reporter Tom LoBianco reported that Pastor Derek Lopez, who led the church’s Fishers campus and was widely respected by congregants, has resigned — the third pastor to depart as the scandal unfolds.
LoBianco noted that Peternell entered a “restorative process” on March 1 after an Assemblies of God investigation found conduct “unbecoming” of an ordained pastor. His brother-in-law, Mike Melito, is serving as interim lead pastor.
Tensions escalated after the release of police body camera footage from the September 2023 search of the Peternell home. The video, viewed more than a million times online, reveals what Nathan and Christina Peternell knew about their son Jonathan’s investigation for child sexual abuse material in the weeks before his October 23 arrest. Many congregants were angered to learn Jonathan continued attending church and was around children despite his parents’ knowledge, LoBianco said. The revelations have fueled accusations that Nathan misled members, prompting an emergency meeting at the Noblesville campus.
The scandal also complicates matters for Beckwith, who built his political brand attacking alleged “groomers” and LGBTQ+ advocates. His continued support for Peternell, LoBianco told 24Sight, makes it difficult to distance himself from the controversy within a Republican base especially sensitive to child sexual abuse.
Watch the full interview with Tom LoBianco embedded above.
