A year after former megachurch pastor Jeremy Foster resigned over an adulterous affair, he has remarried with the blessing of his father, a minister in the United Pentecostal Church International.
Foster resigned from Hope City Church in Houston, Texas, once called the “fastest-growing church in American history.” Hope City was planted as a member of the Association of Related Churches (ARC) in 2015, and grew to about 12,000 attendees within four years, The Roys Report (TRR) reported in January 2022.
Hope City is no longer listed on ARC’s church finder. But Foster’s resignation was one of a string of controversies linked to the ARC, one of the largest church planting organizations in North America. Several ARC churches have been embroiled in sexual and financial scandals over the past couple years.
Foster left Hope City after confessing to an extramarital affair with someone unconnected with the church, according to a statement from one of Hope City’s overseers at the time.
Harris County court records show his then-wife filed for divorce a month later. The divorce was finalized September 2.
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Foster married Ratchadaporn Thongaram nine weeks later, on November 6, according to a copy of the marriage license. The couple’s address, a property Thongaram owns, is the same as where Foster was living when he was served divorce papers in February.
Harris County court records show Thongaram was charged in 2009 with operating a massage parlor without a license, but the charge was dismissed.
The marriage license shows Foster’s father, W. Mark Foster, officiated the ceremony for the new couple. Mark Foster is bishop of The Pentecostals of the Twin Cities (POTC), a United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI) congregation in Louisiana.
Mark Foster did not respond when TRR tried to reach him for comment. He was POTC’s lead pastor from 1998 until being named its bishop 2017, according to his church biography. His predecessor was his father, Fred Foster, who pastored the church for more than 28 years.
UPCI does not have bishops as a formal office, but some member churches use the unofficial title to honor pastors emeritus. As bishop, Mark Foster now spends weekends speaking at churches and conferences worldwide, his bio states.
It’s unclear whether UCPI gives its ministers specific guidance about solemnizing marriages after adultery and divorce. UPCI’s general superintendent could not be reached for comment because he is out of the country.
The denomination’s position papers state “a Christian who commits an act of fornication or adultery loses his or her sanctification” and, without repentance, does not inherit the kingdom of God.
Its articles of faith state divorce and remarriage also constitute adultery, except if someone divorces an unfaithful spouse. The UPCI general constitution requires an investigation before credentialing a minister who has been divorced.
UPCI’s position is also to “uphold the biblical ideal of the family” as a lawfully married man and woman and their children.
Sarah Einselen is an award-winning writer and editor based in Texas.
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30 Responses
I really appreciate this article. Thank you. Just want to make it clear, Jeremy Foster never confessed to the affair, he was caught in the act.
You mean, he continued to deny it after he’d been caught in the act? (Are you his ex-wife, by the way? If so, I hope you find your way into a church that doesn’t worship a one-person god that tries to pour inifinte punishment on himself in order to pay for the sins of others!)
My family and I have since left the church months ago and although we weren’t there for long, I want you to know that not a day goes by where you and your family are not prayed over and God is listening, to every prayer on your lips and every prayer prayed over you from here, there and everywhere. Hugs.
Jayden, I don’t know if you will ever see this but I just want to say that I am so sorry. We have followed Hope City for several years and feel like we know you all. We are praying for you, your mom, and the whole family.
Jayden . I was part of the church and though single sat each year through the marriage series . I was soo disappointed and disgusted that your dad would put God and his family through this hurt . I’m sorry that the church did not reach out to y’all in your time of need . I keep each of you including Jeremy and your grandparents in my prayers.
Jayden that was totally uncalled for. Your dad will always be your dad. Honour your father isn’t subject to the circumstances. He often spoke about how your mom physically abused him. Surely he is also entitled to some happiness?
Uncalled for? This man you call her father completely wrecked his family. I think you need to check yourself. That plank in your eye looks a little on the large side ma’am.
I would say she is honoring her Dad by sharing truth rather than enabling a deceptive narrative. The manner in which she communicated & how she worded was above reproach, imo. Jayden is known for her gift of words in fact.
Nadine Blake, I hope what you said to Jayden was not ill-mannered. All Jayden did was state the truth. Honoring her dad – which she has – does not mean she can’t set boundaries. Her father left her entire family, including her sisters, brothers, and Carla (whom looked up to Jeremy as a dad). Do you not know how deceptive and hurtful that is for Jeremy to turn back on everything because he chose his new life? How does one recover from that when the life he showcased to his family was all a facade? Jayden can set boundaries with her father for what was done. He lived a double-life, THEN, he goes and marries the woman he had the extramarital affair with? Yeah, that’s hard to come back from. She wholeheartedly ADORED her father, as so did her sisters and brothers did, so for Jeremy to pull the act that he did and not feel any remorse because he did not choose Jennifer AND their kids – I’m on Jayden and her family’s side on this one.
Nadine, Jayden is entitled to tell the truth! Telling the truth is not dishonoring to an earthly father – telling the truth is actually honoring to our Heavenly Father. And, furthermore, If an earthly father happens to be a well paid pastor who can not tell the truth when caught in the act of doing something he should not have done… then I say bravo to the children who rise up and tell the truth!
Jayden, don’t let anyone tell you that you have to cover up or keep quiet about what your father did. The truth sets us free. Not lies. Good for you!
Ms. Blake, I cannot believe that anyone could have responded more inappropriately than you have.
No, Nadine Blake. What was totally uncalled for is her father’s living a lie and preaching the opposite. He never repented for his sin and fired those who called him to account. And why? Because he could. Jayden Foster is a young woman trying to deal with the very public scandal and family betrayal her father caused. And you are telling her to honor her father? Is speaking the truth in love no longer honorable? I’m thinking of Jesus talking to the woman at the well about her five husbands and her current partner, who was not even her husband. She, too, could have answered Jesus, “Surely, I am entitled to some happiness.” Instead, she repented.
Nadine, “Honor” and “Honesty” have the same root letters, the same first three letters. What does your judgment of Jaydene say about your own heart and misunderstanding about God’s Word reveal about your own heart. Should Jayden be “HONOR” about her HEAVENLY Father’s words in Ephesians 5… And be “honest” about them, when her Heavenly Father speaks to her: [1] With Ephesians 5:10-11 being crystal clear about Jayden’s connection to evil doers… especially when we read it in the context of Ephesians 5:1-9: [2] With Eph. 5:3 telling Jayden that fornication should not even be named among us (ie. it should not take place among us, and we know this is true because verse 11 tells us to expose them), [3] With Eph. 5:6 telling Jayden to not be deceived with empty words (like getting remarried so quickly, to his mistress) [4] With Eph. 5:7 telling Jayden to have nothing to do with them. with [5] Eph. 5:10 telling Jayden to find out “what is acceptable IN the Lord’ [6] With Eph. 5:11 telling Jayden to EXPOSE evil doers (and again, the CONTEXT includes fornication), and to have nothing to do with them. So my real question to you, Nadine, is what kind of pain could you be avoiding in your own heart, and what are you not naming in your own life, when you can go against all these Scriptures in ONE chapter, and fail to talk about the pain in Jayden’s heart… And instead, judging her as being wrong…A good reflection question to process with God, based on Psalm 139:23-24, would be: “What does my [Nadine’s] post about Jayden reveal about my heart, not Jayden’s heart?” With prayers that you receive healing from your HEAVENLY Father’s words about Psalm 139:23-24; Luke 4:18 and Matt. 7:3-5.
Thank you for letting us know the truth Jayden, honoring your HEAVENLY Father with honesty, and honoring HIS words in Ephesians 5:1-11, (please see my response to Nadine, where I emphasize Ephesians 5:6, 6, 7, 10-11, which undermines her judgment of you with the words our HEAVENLY Father inspired the apostle Paul to write) which also honors your earthly father with honesty, which is another invitation from God to receive HIS healing and freedom, which would also include taking 100% responsibility for the damage he has done to you and your family, to the church, the God’s name and the community.
UPCI is oneness Pentecostal denomination. They deny God’s trinitarian nature.
Exactly, and are considered heretical by some.
This former Pastor’s quick re-marriage is further evidence that while he resigned from his Church, he was never truly repentant over his Sin. I’m surprised that his UPC Pastor Father would marry him under those circumstances given that that denomination is very strict and legalistic, and is listed as a Cult. How do I know? I was associated with a UPC Church right after I came to faith in Christ as a 15 year old, unfortunately.
It is what we call a “Jesus Only” Church where they reject the Trinity, and they reject being baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They believe that unless you are baptized in “Jesus name”, you cannot be and you are not saved no matter your profession of faith.
Finally, I want to say to EVERYONE who reads my posting: do not be surprised when Jeremy Foster organizes another Church and it grows to mega status in short order. People of this generation do not care about moral issues anymore, and they could careless even when Pastors have a moral failure. That day is over! The authority of the Scripture means nothing. The People will use the Pastors failures to justify their own Sin, so it will not matter who stands in front of them purporting to be preaching the Word from God.
Wow!! Very sad!! Am sure his Dad is missing out on seeing his grandchildren, but we all have choices, right? ????????????
Wayne,
Based on 80% of white American evangelicals – most of whom are long past “this generation” and many, many leaders falsely prophesying – but whole heartedly supported an inveterate liar and serial adulterer who is anti-Christ in every respect – I would say the particular generation is irrelevant
He married a person charged with running a massage business without a license. As a rule, massage parlors that do this kind of thing tend to be providing, ahem, services besides massage, and if I’m right, I don’t predict good things for this marriage.
Maybe he was her client for a while, and the relationship blossomed from there. Ravi Zacharius also was invested in this massage business where he got his “happy endings.” Deceitful behavior.
If we strictly apply Luke 16:18, there are a lot of people who are going to be in worse trouble than this guy.
Ranbindranath, given that the three most important rules of exegesis are “context, context, and context”, I do believe that Luke 16 needs to be understood in the context of Matthew 5 and related passages, which do allow divorce in the case of adultery. I am at any rate at a loss to answer why we would think that divorce (not a capital crime in the Torah) would be a worse sin than adultery (and probably prostitution given the profession and other behaviors of his paramour), which is a capital crime in the Torah.
I am no friend of divorce, but the person who broke the marriage here is the man who committed adultery, not the woman who served him with papers after he did.
Agreed. And since the overall indictment in Luke 16 is against those who lower God’s standards to gain man’s approval, Forestor and his father would be the exact type of people Jesus is confronting.
That’s as may be. But what Luke 16:18 actually says is, “Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.” Context or not, Jesus is not forbidding divorce after adultery. He is prohibiting remarriage after divorce, which is not the same thing.
As far as capital punishment for adulterers goes, if the Israelites weren’t going to stone the sons of Eli (1 samuel 2:22) or David (2 Samuel 12:13), I don’t think they were going to stone anybody.
What do you do when you can’t trust the church?
This is a good question Linda! Many have stopped going to church for many reasons. Churches closing their doors during the “pandemic.” Many are elevating themselves with loud music, beating of drums, etc. emotionalism. Many are now meeting in their homes just like the early church did. Sad state the church is in today, “the falling away of the church.”
When an pastor thinks he has too many members in his church–an excellent way to trim them down,is to treat an adulterous son differently from people before him who were adulterers. You almost guarantee that half the church membership will leave! :-7
“Before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, I solemnly charge you to carry out these commands without prejudice or favoritism of any kind.” (1Ti 5:21, NETfree)
two excellent articles that look at this topic of adulterous leaders who are also sons of the main pastors are: ☛
“Body of Christ or Family Business? Nepotism in the Church”
https://www.apologeticsindex.org/3001-nepotism-in-the-church
and
“Should Adulterous Pastors Be Restored?”
https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1995/april-3/should-adulterous-pastors-be-restored.html
The above article makes it plain that they shouldn’t be!
Closer to home, this appeared in a Roy’s report. :-(
https://julieroys.com/johnson-defense-macarthur-more-red-flags/comment-page-1/#comment-86326
Jim, thanks for the links. Both articles are well researched, reasoned, and written, and they provide context for the Foster situation.
Linda is answer to your question a person should trust JESUS. Scripture teaches put not your trust in men because we as humans always fail as we are imperfect. Jesus will never fail you, his love endures forever.