A former Church of the Highlands pastor, who was accused of rape and resigned from the Alabama megachurch, has returned to preaching at a South Carolina megachurch.
Preaching for College Weekend last Sunday, Pastor Micahn Carter encouraged the congregation at Forward City Church in Columbia, South Carolina, to “be the church” to sinners rather than judge them.
“You look at people and you disqualify them, but you have no clue what they’ve been praying,” Carter said in his sermon Sunday. “You go, ‘Nah, God can’t use them. Nah. God can’t turn that around.’ That’s called blind assumption. Last time I checked, God gets to decide who he puts his hand on.”
Forward City Church is a nondenominational megachurch founded by Grammy-award-nominated artist Travis Greene and his author wife, Jackie Greene. Travis Greene is also known for performing at Donald Trump’s 2017 inaugural ball.
In 2021, Carter’s former assistant publicly accused him of raping her in her office when he pastored a megachurch in Washington in 2019. Carter then resigned from COTH, an Association of Related Churches (ARC) megachurch that had been tasked with restoring him.
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In both Alabama and Washington, Carter sued Mary Jones, the woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her, for defamation. Court records show his defense was that the interaction was “voluntary.”
Abuse experts, however, say that sexual contact between clergy and those under their spiritual authority is not consensual due to the power differential. Thirteen states, plus the District of Columbia, have laws criminalizing clergy sexual abuse. However, neither Washington nor Alabama have such laws.
Forward City Church’s website doesn’t list Carter as a staff member. But he also preached at Forward City two months ago and the church’s Facebook post about Sunday’s sermon called Carter “our very own Pastor.”
The Roys Report (TRR) reached out to Carter and Travis Greene for more information but did not receive a response.
The allegations
In 2021, Mary Jones, who worked as Carter’s assistant at Together Church in Yakima, Washington, wrote about the sexual assault in an essay on Medium titled, “Moving Forward.”
She wrote that the church was her “safe place,” and the lead pastor—who she doesn’t name in her post—became a father figure to her.
However, her pastor made “inappropriate comments” about dreams he had about her and grabbed her butt “sexually.” Then after a church leadership meeting, she wrote that he sexually assaulted her in her office with staff and her family on the other side of the door.
“This nonconsensual and horribly traumatic event left me unable to function,” she wrote. “I remember feeling so disoriented and like my skin was crawling.”
Jones later named Carter as her alleged rapist in court records.
Jones wrote on Medium that she quit her job, but didn’t want to publicly ruin her pastor’s life or family. She wrote that days later, he confessed to an “affair.”
“I didn’t have any energy to argue otherwise,” she said. “I didn’t think it was my place to confess my pastor’s sins. I was in shock and unable to even take care of myself. I remember showering for as long as I could multiple times a day. I had to throw whatever energy I could muster into healing and taking care of my daughter.”
Shortly after the alleged 2019 rape, Carter resigned from Together Church for undisclosed reasons, TRR previously reported. At the time, Together Church was a member of the Association of Related Churches (ARC).
Following Carter’s departure, Together Church was shuttered and absorbed into multi-site megachurch Champions Centre, as TRR previously reported.
In 2020, Carter began preaching at Church of the Highlands, the biggest ARC church. COTH Pastor Chris Hodges later said COTH was “directing a ministerial restoration process” for Carter.
But in 2021, one week before posting her story on Medium, Jones wrote to Hodges about the alleged sexual assault. Within 10 days of Jones going public, Carter resigned from COTH.
In 2022, Carter preached at The Father’s House Orange County (TFH OC), a Los Angeles-area church associated with ARC and pastored by Matt and Bianca Olthoff.
Status of the lawsuits
Carter filed a lawsuit against Jones in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County, Alabama, in 2022, stating Jones “falsely” claimed he raped her. Jones’ attorney requested the court dismiss the suit since the alleged sexual assault didn’t happen in Alabama and Jones didn’t post the Medium article from Alabama, TRR previously reported.
That suit was dismissed on Oct. 23, 2023, a Jefferson County court specialist told TRR today. The case records are now listed as “confidential.”
In July 2023, Carter filed a second civil suit against Jones in Yakima County Superior Court in Washington. Last February, Judge Kevin Naught denied Jones’ request to dismiss the case, the Yakima Herald-Republic reported.
Jones is now appealing the judge’s ruling not to dismiss the case to the Division III Court of Appeals in Spokane, court documents show.
Elliot Ergeson, Jones’ attorney, told TRR he couldn’t comment beyond what is already in the public record, but confirmed the Yakima County case is still on appeal.
TRR also reached out to Tonilynn Savage, Carter’s attorney for the suit, but she didn’t immediately respond.
Rebecca Hopkins is a journalist based in Colorado.
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17 Responses
We are admonished by the founders of the church, Paul, Peter, and even Jesus himself to obey the laws of the government that governs our land for God has set that government up to do his will. In our land, rape is a crime and punishable by imprisonment to give the victim at least that much vindication and healing, though it is only a poor start to healing. This raping pastor must turn himself in, or the victim must go to the police to report him, so that he can confess this horible sin and serve his time. It is the only right and godly thing to do. If he refuses to do this and continues to bring harm to Jesus name by his haughtiness, may God himself stop him and remove his candlestick.
“We are admonished by the founders of the church, Paul, Peter, and even Jesus himself to obey the laws of the government that governs our land for God has set that government up to do his will.”
No, we are told to obey the commandments, not obey a government that goes against the commandments. It is telling that Paul is the 1st source used, not God, not Jesus. The church was founded by Peter, per Jesus:
Matthew 16:16-19
16And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
18And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Paul came along later trying to preach “his mystery Gospel”.
This pastor is so evidently self-serving advocating such a corrupt, evil position – yet his sleight of hand by using David to justify himself –
I find it hard to articulate a sound response to condemn this corruption that even those outside of Christ would not countenance…
Any input is appreciated!
God has decided who He “puts His hand on.” It is found in 1 Timothy 3 & Titus 1.
‘God has decided who He “puts His hand on.” ‘
Those words, “puts His hand on,” aren’t in 1 Timothy 3 or Titus 1. Those chapters don’t have the concept of “God decides,” either. Hebrews 5:4 says “And no one takes this honor [the high priesthood] on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.” However, the “overseer” whose qualifications are listed in Timothy and Titus is not a high priest. Christ is the high priest.
All of these accounts are starting to sound the same: Pastor or other person in position of authority denies the allegations, makes excuses for their “mistakes” or blames the accuser.
What doesn’t change, and therefore makes me think there is merit to some of the charges is the accused!s lack of contrition, their unwillingness to accept responsIbility, or a redirected attack on the victim
No one wants to see anyone wrongly accused or maligned of course but the take away for me is the (alleged) perpetrator’s arrogance and insistence in moving on to other churches and other victims
Someone who truly acknowledges their own wrongdoing would never want to place anyone in such wicked circumstances again.
It is so typical for a sociopath to just move on to another church and groom those people too. I thank God for all the online church services that allows us, in a way, to track these predators.
I’m from Yakima, we know the family here. Religion is his wife April’s family business. The only way they could get their church community to accept her illegitimate child of a black man was if he was “anointed”. It was a sham from the beginning. He is a good preacher for sure. I’ve heard him in person many times. But its all a performance. There is no repentance of what happened to Mary. There is no excusing the way she was treated after. And now he continues to harm her with his lawsuits. It’s all very unchristian.
Confession and repentance is the only standard acceptable for these actions. Once this genuine action occurs to God and the persons involved, only then should forgiveness be seen. Afterwards, this too can be their testimony to honor God alone, and yes even preaching and teaching of God.
As I am a sinner who doesn’t merit God’s grace, but has somehow received it anyway, I wholeheartedly believe in forgiveness! Has Jesus forgiven Micahn Cárter. YES 1000 times yes! But please remember that reconciliation and restoration are NOT the synonymous w/forgiveness. And these don’t always follow forgiveness on this earth. Sins/ crimes like sexual abuse (certainly rape), murder, child or spousal abuse, abuse of a vulnerable adult should ALWAYS disqualify a person for ANY pastoral role (paid or volunteer). A key theme throughout the Bible is the vast responsibility of shepherds to protect their flock! Please read God’s Word people! We now know that mental illnesses/personality disorders behind such crimes are usually life long struggles. God does have a purpose for all of us-but that never includes roles that might endanger another. Many fallen, former preachers/ leaders are highly talented but talent doesn’t trump character, mental health and certainly NEVER the safety and well being of others . Church-DO BETTER.!!!
Now, I know people see Micahn as someone who has fell from grace, who all fall short of the glory of God. And maybe people feel like he hasn’t repented—but only you know his heart and have done the work in him. But, I still see a child of God, I also see a Heavenly Father, who offers grace, forgiveness and a testimony in progress. So, if I desire to be more like You Jesus. I must learn and live out the two greatest commandments. Love God with all my heart, my soul and my mind and to love my neighbor, that also includes Micahn, like I love myself. I am no better than the next person God. I am just a forgiven servant trying to stay on this narrow path, I trust Your plan on my life.
No one is saying Micahn can’t be restored to fellowship. The question is whether a man who admitted to an act which at minimum is clergy sexual abuse should be allowed back into ministry, especially when Scripture says elders must be “above reproach.”
Is it true that only God knows and is control of everything. He is the author and finisher of our faith, is that true? I’m asking because I’m a hungry recent convert. I have been a was homosexual due to molestation and sexual abuse as a child.
But I gave my life to Jesus in 2016 but fell from grace in sin with homosexuality but then want thru deliverance in 2021. Am I allowed to share my testimony, even if I fell from grace. Or does church and people of faith. not allow people like me to share the transformative power of Jesus?
Re: In 2022, Carter preached at The Father’s House Orange County (TFH OC), a Los Angeles-area church associated with ARC and pastored by Matt and Bianca Olthoff.
Matt Olthoff is no longer a pastor at TFH OC.
I think he’s no longer married and left California according to his LinkedIn profile.
These mega church pastors are unbiblical. There is no such thing as paid clergy in the New Testament. Jesus said to seeve and not be served. Jesus called them hirelings. It is a false religious system where men become idols and rockstars.
It is not God’s true church. It is no surprise that all these greedy men are corrupt. They are not ordained by God.
using law suits to control her when he can no longer control her physically. no repentance at all.