Ohio pastor Lonnie Snell has been removed from the 2,800-member New Life Chapel in West Chester Township, Ohio, after the church's board said he engaged in sexual misconduct with a subordinate, according to a report published October 31. The woman involved, a church employee, was also terminated.

Snell pastored the non-denominational congregation together with his wife. The board announced the decision to church members during a morning service, according to the report, and said it hopes and intends to work toward Snell's restoration, though it gave no further specifics about what that process would involve.

The board has not disclosed details of the incident, and the congregation has not been told more than the statement itself contains. In its statement, the board asked members not to use the announcement as license for speculation or for their own investigations, but instead to come together in unity and prayer for the church, its leadership, and its pastors. The report notes that no criminal charges have been mentioned in connection with the matter.

The church's governing structure drew attention in the coverage: New Life Chapel, as an independent church, has no elders, and the three board members with authority over the founding pastor are themselves pastors at other churches who do not regularly attend New Life and have limited direct contact with the congregation. The church's website lists no other pastoral staff, which is unusual for a congregation of its size.

The removal comes at a difficult moment for the growing church, which has been actively planning and raising funds for a large, multi-million-dollar expansion.

The story is a sober reminder of how quickly a ministry can be shaken when a leader falls, and of how much depends on the structures around a pastor. A congregation of nearly 3,000 people, a building campaign underway, and a staff left to carry on — all of it now rests on how the church handles the days ahead: with truth, with accountability, and with prayer for everyone involved.