INDIANAPOLIS (IN)
The Roys Report [Chicago IL]
December 16, 2025
By Jessica Morris
Declaring, “It’s time to build something beautiful with these broken pieces,” disgraced former megachurch pastor, Micahn Carter, has announced he is planting a church in Indianapolis in the fall of 2026.
Carter has not specified the exact location of the church, called “The Place,” or the date of the church launch. The church’s official Instagram account includes a link so people can donate and a post showing footage of Carter, 46, leading worship with an original song.
The announcement comes three years after Carter resigned from Church of The Highlands (COTH) in Birmingham, Alabama, the flagship church of the Association of Related Churches (ARC).
His resignation followed allegations he raped his former secretary Mary Jones during his previous tenure at Together Church in Yakima, Washington — once a thriving ARC megachurch, which has since folded.
Carter, who’s been married for about 20 years and has three children, denied the allegations, saying the sex was consensual. In 2023, he sued Jones for defamation in Yakima County, Washington. That case is currently on appeal.
A ‘nonconsensual and horribly traumatic event’
Carter’s upbeat announcement stands in stark contrast to the allegations Jones released in July 2021, detailing how Carter made sexual advances toward her and accused her of having a “spirit of sexuality.” Jones alleged that on April 29, 2019, Carter raped her twice in her office during a leadership event “while most of our staff, teams and my family stood just outside the door.”
“This nonconsensual and horribly traumatic event left me unable to function,” wrote Jones in a blog online. “I remember being scared. Too scared to go to the police or a hospital or to staff members. … When it came to reporting, that went through the executive pastor, which happened to be his wife. I felt hopeless and like I had nowhere to turn.”
Jones immediately told her mother and connected with a therapist. She was concerned that if she reported the incident, she would harm Carter’s family.
“We developed a plan for me to be able to quit without throwing the pastor’s life away publicly,” wrote Jones. “I truly wanted his family to be okay.”
Four days after the alleged assault, Jones told his congregation that an inappropriate incident had occurred. He did not specify what occurred, just that he was stepping down from his position. He also said he was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder and would receive treatment.
Jones later wrote that Carter confessed to having an affair but said she did not have the energy to fight his claim. Instead, she focused on raising her son and moved to a different city, she said.
Jones said she spoke up only after she saw Carter reinstalled to a ministerial position two years later. This time, he was given a position at COTH, ARC’s flagship megachurch of 43,000 people.
According to a statement by COTH, the nature of Carter’s interaction with Jones was unknown prior to a letter she wrote to founding pastor Chris Hodges in July 2021.
Believing Carter needed to work through some personal issues, COTH had inducted Carter into its ministerial restoration program. Hodges installed Carter onto church staff in 2020 and he later began preaching at the Woodlawn campus.
This approach is common in the ARC movement, where Hodges famously restores pastors to ministry over two years using a non-disclosed 20-step process.
However, Carter’s tenure at COTH was cut short after Hodges received Jones’ letter in 2021. In it, she claimed that Carter was not guilty of an affair during his tenure at Together Church, but sexual assault. She said her motive for reaching out came from a deep love for the church and that she wanted Hodges to do what was best for his congregation.
Ten days later, Jones went public with her claims online. She did not name Carter, who was later identified by AL.com.
Carter resigned from COTH 10 days later and the church released a statement separating themselves from Carter.
“In 2019, Micahn Carter’s Pastoral Overseers from Washington state asked Church of the Highlands to assist them in directing a ministerial restoration process for him,” the statement said.
“Highlands agreed to do so, and since then we have been working with Micahn and his family. Recently, Highlands received correspondence raising new allegations about events that occurred over two years ago in Washington state. When we shared this information with the Carters, they resigned from their positions on staff to work through these issues themselves. Highlands is no longer involved in the restoration process.”
A leaked email later showed COTH staff were advised not to talk to the media about the incident. Shortly thereafter, Hodges announced a $4.5 million restoration lodge at Grant’s Hill, Alabama, for pastors needing restoration. Apparently, Carter wasn’t invited.
Carter sues Jones for defamation
In July 2022, Carter sued Jones for defamation in Alabama. Arguing that the interaction was “voluntary,” he claimed he had “lost his employment and reputation in the community.” Carter also claimed he had “(suffered) mental anguish and torment” and lost “paid publishing contracts and other paid speaking engagements.”
The state of Alabama dismissed his case due to lack of jurisdiction. Carter then filed a second civil suit against Jones in Washington state.
Jones appealed the lawsuit and asked for dismissal, which was not granted. His lawsuit against Jones is currently being reviewed for appeal.
Despite her public allegations against Carter, Jones has not pressed criminal charges against him.
Churches & celebrities welcome Carter back
Churches have been quick to re-platform Carter, despite his admitted sexual misconduct and the allegations of rape.
Carter filled the pulpit in 2022 at The Father’s House Orange County (TFH OC), a Los Angeles-area church associated with ARC and pastored by Matt and Bianca Olthoff.
In October 2024, he spoke at Forward City Church in Columbia, South Carolina. His message encouraged people not to judge sinners.
“You look at people and you disqualify them, but you have no clue what they’ve been praying,” He preached. “Last time I checked, God gets to decide who he puts his hand on.”
The historic Angelus Temple, founded a century ago by Aimee Semple McPherson in Los Angeles, and River Church in New York City also have invited Carter to preach.
Christian leaders and musicians responded in similar fashion when Carter and his wife, April, recently announced they were planting a new church.
“This is looooong overdue!!!!” post Grammy nominated Christian singer Danny Gokey on Instagram.
“WOOOOOOOOOOW LETS (sic) GO!!!!!” said pastor and singer Tauren Wells.
“I’m so for this. I love you guys and prophesied this YEARS ago. Love you,” said Bianca Juarez, pastor at Revere Church in Orange County, California, on Instagram.