Pastor Nathan Peternel to step away from pulpit for restoration after AOG review

By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Friday, February 27, 2026

Lead pastor of the multicampus Life Church in Pendleton, Indiana, Nathan Peternel, is set to step away from his pulpit Sunday to begin a period of restoration for violating the Assemblies of God bylaws concerning “moral transgression involving pornography.”

Peternel’s temporary exit from his pulpit comes just over a week after his 24-year-old son, Jonathan Peternel, was sentenced to four years in prison and another two years on probation after pleading guilty to child exploitation and possession of child sex abuse material charges.

During the investigation of his son’s case, investigators with the Hamilton County Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force said they found more than 50 photos and videos on Jonathan Peternel's phone showing his parents nude or engaged in sex acts.

Nathan Peternel, who co-hosts the podcast "Jesus, Sex and Politics" with Indiana’s Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith, apologized and told his congregation two months ago that the private, intimate videos and photos of him and his wife were hacked by his son.

Following a review by denominational leaders, Peternel revealed in an email to congregants that he will embark on a period of restoration starting on Sunday, and would address congregants' questions during the church's annual meeting that same day.                         

Life Church did not respond to a request for comment on their lead pastor’s restoration process when contacted by The Christian Post on Friday.

In the email to the congregation obtained by 24 Sight News, Peternel said, in part: “After a careful and thorough review, the District Executive Presbytery concluded that certain personal behaviors related to my use and retention of private digital content involving my spouse fell short of the standards expected of a credentialed minister and were determined to be unbecoming of ministerial leadership.”

The Indiana pastor did not say how long the period of restoration would last, but said he will be fully invested in the process.

“In the short term, I will focus fully on this season of restoration. In the long term, the plan is for me to remain the Lead Pastor of Life Church as I walk through and complete the restorative process,” he said. “Chrissy and I are approaching this season with humility and expectancy. When this restorative process is complete, I look forward to returning with renewed vision and a refreshed heart to continue leading Life Church forward as we pursue our mission and the vision of reaching beyond what we currently see.”

A press statement from the Fishers Police Department last October said an investigation into Jonathan Peternel began after authorities received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The CyberTip was submitted by the messaging app Snapchat and showed five files of suspected child sex abuse material involving prepubescent children.

A search warrant was subsequently issued for Jonathan Peternel's Snapchat account, where investigators said they found more child sex abuse material. They also found evidence suggesting that the younger Peternel was sharing the material with other users. Detectives reported finding more than 200 files of child sex abuse material during a search of the Peternel residence in Pendleton.

"Some of this included sadomasochistic child abuse, children that appeared to be drugged or intoxicated while being abused, violent child molestation, and photorealistic AI-generated photos of nude pregnant toddlers," investigators said.

Jonathan Peternel was charged with one count of child exploitation, a Level 4 felony; two counts of possession of child sex abuse material, Level 5 felonies; and one count of possession of child sex abuse material, a Level 6 felony.