A pastor's confession of adultery took an explosive turn when a woman confronted him during a Sunday service, alleging that he had sex with her when she was 16. John B. Lowe II acknowledged that the woman was 16 at the time, admitted the sexual relationship was wrong and asked for forgiveness, before members of his Indiana congregation surrounded him in prayer.

The confrontation unfolded at New Life Christian Church & World Outreach in Warsaw, Indiana, on 22 May 2022. What began as Lowe publicly addressing an affair from nearly two decades earlier quickly became a much more serious confrontation over the woman's account of what happened when she was a teenager.

The Pastor Initially Confessed to Adultery

Lowe opened the service by telling the congregation that he had committed adultery nearly 20 years earlier and said he was not making excuses for his actions. He said he had not been disciplined at the time, refused to use the Bible to defend himself and announced that he was stepping away from his ministry responsibilities.

According to reports from the service, members initially responded with applause. But after Lowe put down the microphone, a woman and her husband approached the stage, took the microphone and challenged the version of events he had just presented.

The Woman Said She Was 16

The woman said she had spent 27 years living with what she described as a 'prison of lies and shame'. She then accused Lowe of having sex with her when she was 16, telling him, 'You are not the victim here'.

She also alleged that the sexual relationship continued for years and extended into her twenties. Her husband supported her account and told the congregation that he did not believe the situation could simply be characterised as adultery because his wife was a teenager when the alleged relationship began.

Lowe Confirmed Her Age

Members of the congregation asked Lowe to respond to the woman's allegations, bringing him back to the microphone. When he was asked whether he had done what she described, Lowe answered, 'Yes', and later confirmed that she had been 16 at the time.

Lowe said what happened was wrong and expressed regret, adding that he wished he could go back and change it. He then said that all he could do was ask for forgiveness, distinguishing his own admission from the additional details alleged by the woman.

Members Gathered Around Lowe

After Lowe's response, members of the congregation gathered around him as another man led a prayer. Video from the service later circulated online, showing the pastor surrounded by churchgoers as the gathering shifted towards prayer and forgiveness.

The footage prompted strong reactions online, particularly on Reddit. Some commenters criticised the congregation's response and argued that more sympathy should have been shown to the woman, while others made broader claims about the church and religion.

Those comments were individual online opinions and should not be treated as established facts about the congregation.

The Church Responded the Next Day

New Life Christian Church said Lowe officially resigned from his ministry responsibilities on 23 May 2022. In a statement, the church said it was 'hurting and broken' for the woman, her husband and their family, while also expressing concern for Lowe and his family.

The church described the conduct as improper and said its response was rooted in its teachings about repentance, forgiveness and restoration. Its statement acknowledged the seriousness of what had been revealed without independently establishing every allegation made by the woman as a proven fact.

An Investigation Was Underway

The Kosciusko County Prosecuting Attorney's Office confirmed at the time that an investigation involving a pastor was underway, although officials did not say whether it was connected to the allegations raised during the service. Contemporary reporting also stated that no formal charges had been filed against Lowe at that point.

The allegations also prompted questions about Indiana law because the woman was allegedly 16 when the sexual relationship began and Lowe held a position of authority.

An Indiana law professor explained that the state's child-seduction law can cover certain sexual conduct involving people aged 16 to 18 and individuals in positions of trust, although whether any specific offence applied would depend on the evidence, circumstances and law applicable to the alleged conduct.