Megachurch pastor Lonnie Snell fired over sexual misconduct with staffer

New Life Chapel in West Chester, Ohio, has announced the firing of their founder and senior pastor, Lonnie Snell, for engaging in consensual sexual misconduct with a staffer.

In a statement Friday, the church said it terminated Snell’s employment for sexual misconduct with a "subordinate of consensual age and development." Snell and his wife, Ruth, have been married for more than 23 years and, according to the church, have four boys.

“Effective October 23, 2026, former Pastor Lonnie Snell was terminated and is no longer affiliated with New Life Chapel due to sexual misconduct with a subordinate of consensual age and development. At the present time, we are actively working diligently to maintain the highest integrity in our Pastoral staff and all leadership to effectively continue to further our mission of reaching people for Jesus,” the statement said.

“As any pressing decisions are made that would affect the mission and vision of the church at large, we will strive to keep the most current information available every step of the way.”

The church said it would conduct an investigation and asked the public, “not use this statement as liberty to conduct your own speculation or investigation; but instead, use it as time to come together in unity to pray for our church, our leadership, and our pastors.” 

New Life Chapel did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Christian Post on Monday, but the church’s ministry director, Eric Dolby, thanked congregants for still showing up on Sunday.

“I'm just going to be honest. I've been living in statistics this week of [what] you can expect when this type of event occurs,” he said during the first service, alluding to the circumstances surrounding Snell’s firing on Sunday. “You're going to lose about 50% of your people. If you're a tremendous church, you can expect about 35%. You guys are here. Thank you.”

Reacting to Snell’s firing, Daryl Blank, district superintendent of the Southwestern Ohio District of the Church Of The Nazarene, urged ministers in a statement on Facebook to be careful.

“I'm writing because I've been in ministry 35+ years, and I've watched good, gifted, called people fall. Not one of them planned it. It almost never starts with a big decision. It starts with being tired, lonely, unaccountable, and a little too sure it could never happen to us. That's true of every one of us, me included,” he said before offering some advice.

“Guard your heart and your marriage. Keep investing there, especially when ministry is draining you. Have at least one person who can ask you anything, and answer honestly. Keep healthy boundaries: doors, windows, travel, counseling. They protect you as much as the people you serve,” he said.

“Pay attention to your own exhaustion and isolation. That's usually where the enemy finds an opening. If you're already somewhere you shouldn't be, reach out now. It is always better to deal with it early than to be found out later,” he added.