Megachurch Shuts Down Permanently After Pastor Charged with Seven Child Sex Abuse Felonies
LexCity Church in Lexington, KY, is no more after their former executive pastor, Zachary King, admitted in July to law enforcement that he’d been engaging in a ‘sexual relationship’ with a 15-year-old girl over the last year and a half, prompting the beleaguered congregation to shutter their doors for good.
By ‘sexual relationship’, we mean that the 47-year-old pedophile impastor groomed and sexually abused her repeatedly. According to WHAS11, on August 15, a Fayette County Grand Jury indicted him on the following charges:
One count of first degree rape.
One count of first degree sodomy.
One count of unlawful use of electronic means to induce a minor to engage in a sexual or prohibited activity.
One count of unlawful transaction with a minor with a victim under 18.
One count of third degree rape.
One count of third degree sodomy.
One count of first degree sexual abuse.
Shortly after the arrest, the church announced that “the leadership team of Lexington City Church has voted to permanently cease our ministry’ on account of “the continued effects of the financial situation our church inherited several years ago and the impact of the ongoing investigation of a former staff member” which has resulted in them losing “the ability to remain financially viable and fulfill our God-given mission.”
Noting that “Our hearts are broken for those who have been hurt and are hurting,” they pledged to “cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation,” while admitting “we feel it is in the best interest of the Kingdom and our community that we discontinue our ministry.”