A Michigan pastor has confessed to hiding a camera in a church bathroom for years, according to an email from church leadership.
Will Johnson, the former worship pastor director, made the confession after a staff member discovered the camera in a unisex bathroom in the backstage area at 2|42 Community Church in Brighton, Michigan. 2|42 is a non-denominational church with seven campuses across the state.
Church leadership immediately fired 37-year-old Johnson, the email said. They then contacted the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, who arrested Johnson that same night.
Johnson, was arraigned Sunday in the 53rd District Court and charged with tampering with evidence, surveilling an unclothed person, a felony, and using a computer to commit a crime, according to court records.
Police told Livingston Daily News that Johnson admitted to placing the camera in the bathroom on and off for more than two years. He used the camera to target specific individuals known to frequent the bathroom.
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Police added that the bathroom in question is primarily used by church staff and volunteers and is not readily available to the public. All known victims have been notified of Johnson’s activities.
“We are shocked and deeply saddened by this situation as the protection, safety, and privacy of every person who enters our church is our priority,” church leadership wrote. “Our commitment to you is to be fully transparent and care for all victims of this crime.”
Church leadership said that at this time police don’t have any indication that cameras were placed elsewhere in the building.
However, church leadership are thoroughly searching all campuses this week with the assistance of a third-party professional “out of an abundance of caution,” the email said.
Johnson is currently being held at Livingston County Jail on a $250,000 cash bond, according to court records. He will next appear in court for a hearing on September 24.
If convicted, Johnson faces a maximum of four years in prison for tampering with evidence, two years for surveilling an unclothed person, and two years for using a computer to commit a crime, according to state law.
Outside of 2|42, Johnson works as an associate and coach at Slingshot Group, a church and nonprofit staffing/coaching organization, according to his social media.
Church leaders “saddened” and “infuriated” by news
After breaking the news over email, church leaders again shared the information with congregants on Sunday morning.
“We’re not aware of the full scope of this crime but we are fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation,” said Craig Ryan, chairman of the leadership advisory team at the church. “Like you, we’re devastated. Our desire and our consistent commitment is that the church should be the safest place in our community.”
Ryan noted that all employees undergo background checks before starting at 2|42. He also urged anyone with additional information to contact local police.
Ryan shared that in light of this news, the church brought in staff from a local mental health center in to help congregants process that morning. Congregants were able to talk with the staff during or after service, he said.
Additionally, the church is holding a trauma processing event hosted by a clinical psychologist on Tuesday evening, Ryan said.
Lead pastor Tony Johnson, who is not related to Will Johnson, told congregants that he is heartbroken over this “horrendous and difficult matter.”*
“I am saddened, and I am infuriated. I love this church. It is my job and the job of our staff to protect not just the church but every individual that walks through these doors,” the lead pastor said. “This is an assault upon the entire church — it’s a betrayal of the trust that I put in him and it’s a betrayal of the trust that you put in us.”
Lead pastor Johnson repeatedly apologized for how the trust congregants placed in the church has been broken.
“I’ve racked my brain for two days trying to figure out the words to say to you. The truth is there’s nothing I can say to you that’s going to fix it,” he added.
Church member responds “my heart really dropped”
Executive Pastor Eric Rauch told WXYZ News the last few days have been “unimaginable.”
“It’s devastating. We dedicate our lives to impacting our community in a positive way and caring for people and to have someone from the inside betray that to such a degree and level is. . . it’s hard to find the words,” Rauch said. “Our hearts break for the victims, our community, anyone that wants to just take a next step with Jesus.”
Rauch described worship pastor Johnson as a “bad apple” that has now been plucked out of the church. Rauch believes the church can heal and move forward from this.
Church attendee, Peter Sorensen, said he was shocked when he learned the news.
“My heart really dropped. You always hear about this happening to other people or places and I was just in shock,” Sorensen said. “I know that’s kind of cliché but it’s a different flood of emotions: betrayed, you feel hurt, disappointed, angry.”
Sorensen said he started attending the church six months ago and said the church has made him feel like family — he even credits it for his sobriety.
He’s grateful for the transparent response of church leadership in these circumstances.
“It’s always going to be in the back of my mind,” Sorensen said. “I don’t blame 2|42 for this. I really feel like it could have happened to anybody.”
*After publishing this story, The Roys Report confirmed that Pastor Tony Johnson is not related to Will Johnson. A photo caption was corrected for accuracy.
Liz Lykins is a correspondent covering religion news for The Roys Report, WORLD Magazine, and other publications.
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11 Responses
It is refreshing to see a church handle this correctly! Kudos! I hope that others will follow this model.
It is quite the contrast to how I saw Bryan Loritts & his fellow leaders/co-conspirators handle a similar situation with his brother-in-law at Fellowship Memphis. I wish that Bryan could have been forthright and honest with the church. I wish that pastors Loritts, John Bryson, and Ben Parkinson could have been honest & forthcoming with the congregation. I wish the pastors & elders had the conviction to follow the law & report Trotter to the authorities & not hide the evidence. I wish that the church had called in outside counseling for the membership who’d have been traumatized to know the truth (Parkinson, instead, exclaimed privately that they couldn’t tell the church body the truth, as the paid church staff would be “overwhelmed” with counseling requests…which, incidentally Ben, is what real pastors do…providing spiritual counsel is their job!). I wish they hadn’t passed along a known pervert to another church to victimize others.
My heart is gladdened at 2/42’s handling of evil in the midst of challenging circumstances. My prayers are with that Michigan church & its members for continued healing. My prayers are for the broken perpetrator to find a difficult healing & redemption away from the pulpit & public, as he suffers the consequences of sin. I thank God for a glimmer of hope for the church as an institution & ask him to further embolden the staff at 2/42 to continue to do what is right, even when it hurts. And I hope for a sense of shame and active repentance from those in other churches who handled this type of situation poorly (both Biblically & legally) in the past.
I’m heartbroken by this news. Praying for his family.
Today’s American church is run rampant with the cult of personality. Senior pastors and boards must give critical thought in who they bring in, in any leadership capacity whatsoever. Vetting the character is lost when a church seeks persona and talent for the sake of growing huge numbers. This problem is not going away anytime soon. The business plan is established towards huge wealth in the form of a single organization’s numerous church plants in their major city, region, or at the national level. Anyone can do it. Sadly, this news release on a deviant leader is just another indictment on the christian church.
@Tim – that is a very large “brush” to attempt to paint the church. There are many people who are part of churches that love Christ and are seeking to help friends and family become followers of Jesus. Yes, there are scandals and have been so since the church began … if you read Acts and the Epistles. Doesn’t make it right, but local church have individuals who are not followers of Jesus. So churches preach Christ “teaching everyone and admonishing everyone … in order to present everyone complete in Christ” (Col. 1:28). One day the real church will be cleansed and presented to Christ in all her glory, “having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless” (Eph. 5:25b-27). Jesus loves the church and gave Himself for her – even in her brokenness. (Eph. 5:25).
I agree that they handled this well, and transparently. I would only suggest that they should not be surprised to find more sexual sin and coersion- things like this usually happen in churches where there is a… laxness in the leadership structure around sexual ethic. The fact that it’s gone on for years means there’s a gap somewhere, and potentially more people exploiting it.
I really am so glad that they quickly moved to engage the police, and that they were quick to be transparent with the church body and offer ammends (counseling)
I don’t think its anywhere as simple as the leadership’s laxity or seriousness around sexual ethics. As Jeremiah reminds us, “The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse—who can understand it?” Just as it is not unusual for the loudest voices against things like homosexuality to themselves be gay, some people are actually drawn to a strong public stance against morality as a way of hiding their own internal struggles. I don’t think there is much we can do to stop moral failings among pastors and other leaders in the church–we need to vet people as thoroughly as possible, consider character more than charisma when hiring and/or promoting, and practice the discipline of imagining the unthinkable happening in order to put as many effective safeguards in place, but the aforementioned deviousness of the human heart means that there is no fool-proof way to stop devastating violations from happening. At that point, the best we can do is to deal with the violation with transparency and care, which the church in this instance seems to have done in an examplary way.
I am very familiar with 2|42. I’ve preached there twice. My College provides theological education for their staff.
Lead Pastor Tony Johnson is not related to the recently fired and jailed former Worship Pastor Will Johnson.
I appreciate you posting this story as I believe it demonstrates how a church should correctly respond to this kind of offense.
I am not surprised by 2|42’s reaction. Micah 6:8 is baked into their fabric. They will seek justice for those who have been victimized, act with loving kindness to all affected by this violent act, and walk humbly through this situation. Like them, my heart breaks for Johnson’s victims and for the discredit done to Christ and His Church.
Too often churches cover up and obfuscate because they value their brand above truth and integrity. I am heartened to know that 2|42 has chosen a better path. A right path. Regardless of the cost.
They are walking out the values we teach the aspiring pastors who attend our College.
Dr. Frank Weller
President
Great Lakes Christian College
Thank you so much for this reply. I was very happy to read that this church unhesitatingly responded to the situation as they should have, addressing both the sinning individual and the need for civil justice.
Thank you for your comment and the background.
It is possible that a good church with a good system and good people could have a single evil actor who commits a horrible crime/sin. If that is the scenario here then that should be a takeaway.
Churches can respond well and if it may be that this one is doing so. I hope so. Love hopes all things.
TRR reports so many bad news stories. And so many examples of terrible responses from churches and organizations. We need that.
But we also need stories where terrible things are handled well with integrity and honesty. We need that too.
Of course more details could emerge which show something different. If so, I hope truth will out. But for now the initial reporting looks like this church has done well.
It would be a good idea for church leaders to thoroughly examine their bathrooms and any other private rooms on regular basis for cameras and other planted surveillance devices.
Feel much safer in our living room. Nice to have funds to bless those on our path as Holy Spirit leads. Seems to be more biblical too.