money Church revokes former West Lafayette pastor's ordination following IndyStar probe
Jared Olivetti, the former pastor of the Immanuel Reformed Presbyterian Church in West Lafayette accused of mishandling child sex abuse in his congregation, has been defrocked following an ecclesiastical investigation and trial.
With this ruling, Olivetti's ordination and status as an elder are revoked — meaning he is forbidden from practicing the powers or duties of office anywhere in the denomination. He has also been suspended from the "privileges of Church membership," including participating in sacraments such as communion.
According to an notification sent Friday to the Presbyteries of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, Olivetti did not attend his trial or the reading of the verdict. The decision, handed down by investigators from the denomination's national governing body, was unanimous.
Read IndyStar's investigation: A boy sexually abused up to 15 kids. His pastor relative protected him.
IndyStar received and authenticated a copy of this announcement and has reached out to Olivetti for comment.
Olivetti and the 2020 elder board of the Immanuel Reformed Presbyterian Church were the subject of an IndyStar investigation published late last year, which found they failed to act with urgency in responding to inappropriate behavior and sexual offenses by a boy at the church.
The perpetrator of the abuse is a relative of Olivetti. Rather than immediately recuse himself, IndyStar found Olivetti took advantage of his position as a leader to interfere with the church’s response.
Olivetti's ecclesiastical trial was preceded by two investigations within the denomination — the first at the Presbytery, or regional level, and the second at the Synod, or national level.
IndyStar has reached out to representatives of the Synod and Great Lakes-Gulf Presbytery, the regional body overseeing Immanuel, for comment.
In the announcement, members of the Synod judicial commission echoed words they said they planned to tell Olivetti directly, had he attended: "May God have mercy upon you, not only because your sin is real, but because Christ’s mercy is great."
'We're not sending a report up'
Olivetti was suspended by the denomination in January and he and fellow elders Keith Magill, Ben Larson and David Carr resigned just over a week later.
Church records indicate the sexual abuse, which involved eight children from multiple families within the congregation, occurred on and off church property between spring 2019 and March 2020.
In addition to Olivetti's clear conflict of interest, several people close to the situation told IndyStar the church's elders chose to publicly minimize the nature of the incidents and protected their pastor over the congregation's children.
Last summer, the perpetrator was found delinquent on what would be multiple felony charges of child molesting. (IndyStar is not indicating the relationship between Olivetti and the boy to avoid directly identifying him. IndyStar does not identify juvenile offenders unless they are charged as adults.)
In a July 2020 meeting, Olivetti told the pastor of a neighboring church he and his elder board were going to hide the allegations from higher authorities in the denomination.
"We’re not sending a report up,” Olivetti said during the conversation, an audio recording of which was obtained by IndyStar. “It’s not going to be in our regular session minutes. It’s going to be in a different (record).”
The first church investigation found Olivetti used "undue, excessive or improper" influence to shape the church's response; that church leaders committed a series of failures "to protect and provide the safety" of those in their care; that elders failed to recuse Olivetti from all discussions and decisions despite giving the impression he had been recused.
Learn more: 5 things to know about church child sex abuse scandal in West Lafayette
Complaints from RPCNA members triggered the second judicial commission, which oversaw the trial. The Synod commission found Olivetti guilty on multiple counts, including failure to conduct himself "in a way that was above reproach ... resulting in distrust and disunity within the church" and failing to protect and maintain a good reputation, "threatening dishonor in the name of Jesus Christ, the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, Immanuel Reformed Presbyterian Church, and himself."
What happens next?
"Interested persons" who wish to submit a complaint or appeal to the Synod may do so within 30 days, according to the verdict announcement.
The findings — the revocation of office and suspension of privileges of membership — will remain in effect indefinitely, or until "penitence and new obedience on his part has shown him worthy of the exercise of those privileges, and until this Court restores his ordination," according to the announcement.
Charges have been dropped against former Immanuel elders Nate Pfeiffer and Zachary Blackwood, who resigned their posts following the investigation at the Presbytery level last year.
Other members of the former elder board — Magill, Carr and Larson — still face charges, although the exact nature of those charges remains largely unknown. Their trial is expected to take place later this month.
Report child abuse to Indiana authorities
Indiana law requires any adult who suspects a child is being abused or neglected to report those suspicions to law enforcement or the Indiana Department of Child Services. Reports can be made anonymously 24/7 via the DCS hotline: 1-800-800-5556.
You can reach IndyStar reporter Holly Hays at holly.hays@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @hollyvhays.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Jared Olivetti loses ordination following RPCNA investigation, trial
