Megachurch Pastor Brian Tome returning to teaching after suspension over horse whip incident
Crossroads Church Pastor Brian Tome is slated to return to teaching this weekend, months after he was suspended for striking a man with a riding crop in what church leaders called “inappropriate physical humor.”
Tome, the senior pastor and founder of Crossroads Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, was suspended earlier this year over the 2015 incident.
The Crossroads Spiritual Board said in a statement to WXIX that Tome would return to teaching Saturday as part of the church’s “Well Played” series.
For the past several months, Tome has “faithfully and fully engaged” in “an intentional process of reflection, reconciliation, and repentance,” church leaders said.
“The Board is thankful for Brian’s commitment to this work, and we invite you to join us in welcoming him back as his leave comes to an end,” the board said. “As a church, we believe God meets us in seasons of both challenge and growth.”
“He calls each of us to humility, grace, repentance, and a willingness to keep becoming more like Jesus. We are grateful for the patience, prayer, and commitment of the entire Crossroads community as we have walked through this season together.”
The board added that “our prayer is that we do so with our eyes fixed on Jesus and our hearts united around the mission He has given us.”
One of the largest churches in the United States, Crossroads was founded in 1995 and has multiple locations in the Cincinnati metropolitan area and other cities.
In February, church leadership announced that Tome was placed on leave amid an accusation that he had engaged in violent physical humor in his office in 2015.
According to the accusation, an unnamed male church member visited Tome in his office and asked about a riding crop on display. Tome said it was a gift, then struck the man with it multiple times, including in the groin.
In April, following an independent investigation, the church board released a statement announcing that Tome was being suspended both for the incident and because “the past six weeks have highlighted concerns about Brian’s leadership style and its impact on staff culture, particularly where it falls short of the Kingdom culture we seek to embody.”
The discipline included a one-month suspension and four additional months of leave, during which he was to participate in a season of repentance and reconciliation.
“While Brian’s actions may have been intended in humor, they were inappropriate and not above reproach. We’re thankful for the community member who came forward and shared his experience and participated in the third-party investigation,” church leaders said in April.
“Over 30 years, we’ve witnessed and benefited from Brian’s best and seen him own and grow through his mistakes. He hasn’t been perfect, but he’s been faithful, and we are grateful. We love him, respect him, and are for him wholeheartedly.”
