OHIO
Gospel Herald

By SUZETTE GUTIERREZ-CACHILA (NEWS@GOSPELHERALD.COM) Jun 09, 2015

Seth Oiler, pastor of First United Methodist Church in Newark, Ohio, committed suicide last month after confessing that he had an adulterous affair with a church staff. He took his own life in the parsonage where he lived with his wife and children.

Oiler reportedly met with Bishop Gregory Palmer and “confessed to a sexual misconduct with an adult in the congregation.” The pastor then requested for a voluntary leave of absence.

“He agreed with the bishop that stepping aside from his current appointment at First United Methodist Church was best in order to provide a time of counseling for himself and his family,” said Lisa Streight, communications director for the West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church, in a statement published in the Newark Advocate.

After Oiler’s confession, the church decided to extend support to him by…