The senior pastor of a prominent San Luis Obispo, California, church has resigned, after allegations resurfaced that he took inappropriate pictures of young women several years ago.

Rick Olmstead, 74, stepped down as senior pastor of Arise Vineyard Church on December 20, 2025 after church leaders said an anonymous report prompted renewed scrutiny of a previously undisclosed 2020 incident.

Olmstead’s wife Rebecca, who goes by “Becky,” also relinquished her role at the church directing the children’s ministry.

Church leaders said the allegations center on Olmstead taking unsolicited photographs of college-aged women’s backsides six years ago. At the time, according to media reports, the church handled the matter internally and did not publicly disclose the allegations.

Congregants and former members now are criticizing this decision, saying the church should have informed them of the serious concerns about Olmstead.

Despite an internal directive from the church board that “Rick (would) not be alone with teens or young women,” Olmstead served as president and sole employee of Christian nonprofit Generation Now between 2020 and 2024.

The nonprofit — whose last reported address appears to be a private residence in San Luis Obispo — says its goal is “to reach, rescue, root, release and resource the emerging generation of children and youth.”

According to IRS Form 990 reports filed by Generation Now, Olmstead worked 45 hours per week for Generation Now, taking in $578,072 in salary and benefits as well as racking up $80,706 for travel expenses during the same period.

For much of that time, Olmstead served as Arise Vineyard’s pastor, as well. Reports indicate he was not paid a salary by the church.

The Roys Report (TRR) was unable to reach Olmstead at any of several phone numbers listed.

Responding to questions from TRR, Bryce Moore, Arise Vineyard’s treasurer and a member of the current board, said via email that the church “was aware that Rick had some role in the past, before being hired, and some ongoing involvement with Generation Now, but because that was not part of his role at Arise, its outside of our area of leadership.”

Moore wrote that “Generation Now is not affiliated with Arise Vineyard, so we can’t respond to any questions about their operations or finances.”

He said the church “was satisfied with Rick’s role and performance at Arise Vineyard as lead pastor,” a post for which Olmstead received no salary.   

Olmstead’s resignation and the underlying allegations were first reported in January by journalist Chloe Shrager of the local daily newspaper The San Luis Obispo Tribune. The story detailed the earlier incident and the church’s response.

According to information outlined by church leaders and documents cited in The Tribune’s reporting, the 2020 incident involved Olmstead allegedly taking unsolicited photographs of young women’s bodies while outside a Trader Joe’s.

Taylor Berns, a store employee and intern at the congregation, later traced the license plate of the vehicle others said the “photographer” left the store in back to Olmstead. She contacted church leadership and passed on a written complaint from an eyewitness, Berns told the newspaper.

At the time, the church board pursued what it described as a confidential process of confession, counseling, accountability and restoration. Olmstead temporarily stepped away from leadership, underwent counseling and agreed to ministry restrictions, according to internal communications later reviewed by The Tribune.

In an FAQ posted this month on the Arise Vineyard website, the church said the issue resurfaced after an anonymous report was submitted to a Guidepost Solutions hotline operated for Vineyard USA, the national association of Vineyard churches.

“Our understanding is that stepping back now was the wisest course of action for the wellbeing of the church and themselves,” the church said in the FAQ. “There was mutual agreement that the situation was affecting the Olmsteads’ wellbeing and the church’s ability to focus on the future.”

The FAQ said Olmstead and his wife, Becky, resigned following conversations with the board. The church said the congregation was informed of “relevant facts” by email on Dec. 26, days before media coverage began.

Church officials also said some details described in The Tribune’s reporting were new to the current board, including allegations involving inappropriate touching and intoxication that were not part of the original 2020 disclosure.

Documents cited by The Tribune show that the church’s 2020 response plan included counseling for the Olmsteads, an apology to the grocery store and limitations on Olmstead’s interactions within the church, including a directive that he is not to be alone with teens or young women associated with the congregation.

In an August 2021 letter referenced in the report, the board told Olmstead it was “overwhelmingly and unanimously clear” that he had completed the church’s restoration process and could return to pastoral leadership.

Olmstead later resumed a senior leadership role at the congregation. The reasons for his earlier departure and the nature of the 2020 incident were not publicly disclosed at the time.

Vineyard USA confirmed it became aware of the situation last year through the Guidepost reporting system and has been working with local leaders to assess the church’s handling of the matter.

“Vineyard USA remains committed to clear communication and strong accountability to support the safety and integrity of our churches,” denominational officials said in a statement to the newspaper.

The Arise Vineyard FAQ says the board is now reviewing policies, safeguarding procedures and accountability structures. Leaders said they are working with Vineyard USA to strengthen oversight and reporting processes going forward.

The church, formerly known as Mountainbrook Church before rebranding as Arise Vineyard, has been a visible evangelical presence in San Luis Obispo for years. It draws “in the low two hundreds”  weekly, Moore said, and operates a range of ministries and outreach programs.

Reaction among congregants and the wider community has been mixed. Some members expressed disappointment and anger that details of the 2020 incident were not disclosed earlier, saying that fuller transparency might have prevented deeper harm and erosion of trust. Others defended the church’s earlier approach, saying leadership sought to balance accountability, restoration and privacy.

Church officials said previously planned leadership transitions are now being accelerated. The board said it is beginning a search and transition process to ensure continuity in preaching, pastoral care and operations.

In its FAQ, the church said services and programs will continue, while leaders focus on what they described as healing, listening and rebuilding trust within the congregation.

Mark A. Kellner is a reporter based in Mesquite, Nevada. He most recently covered statewide elections for the New York Post and was for three years the Faith & Family Reporter for The Washington Times. Mark is a graduate of the University of the Cumberlands and also attended Boston University’s College of Communication.