REDDING (CA)
Premier Christian News [Crowborough, England]
February 17, 2026
Content warning: This article discusses sexual assault.
A pastor at Bethel Church has been placed on leave after allegations of sexual assault surfaced in a YouTube video.
In a February 15 statement, leaders of the charismatic megachurch said they had become aware of a video “containing serious allegations of clergy sexual abuse” against pastor Ben Armstrong, dating back to 2009.
In a separate statement issued two days earlier, the church said that “an accusation from 2008-2009 involving Ben Armstrong and a former BSSM student” had been made, and that it pre-dated what the church described as “a known moral failure in 2009″.
For that earlier matter, leaders said Armstrong “publicly repented, was removed from ministry, and walked through a multi-year healing and restoration process”.
Citing what it called “new and previously unknown allegations”, Bethel said Armstrong has now been placed on “administrative leave” pending an investigation.
“He will not be ministering while an independent third-party investigation takes place,” church leaders said.
“This step forward is not a verdict, but a necessary measure intended to reflect the care and sobriety with which we approach matters of this nature and our desire to operate in transparency and truth. We are also currently reaching out to those who have brought these allegations to light.”
Bethel added that it is “actively engaging outside counsel and independent experts to help ensure thorough, impartial, and trauma-informed processes”.
“We are committed to health and accountability as we pursue spiritual, physical, and emotional safety across our organization,” they added.
Premier has reviewed the YouTube video in which the victim, identified as “Sarah”, alleges that Armstrong manipulated, groomed, and sexually assaulted her.
Speaking on the Wake Up and Win Podcast, Sarah said she was invited to live with Armstrong and his family while serving as an intern at Bethel Church.
She claimed that soon after moving in, Armstrong began encouraging her to trust him and initiated physical contact, including repeated hugs. He allegedly told her she “struggled with vulnerability” and needed to view him as a father figure.
Sarah described going on a trip away with Armstrong and his family during which she said she was booked into a room alone with him.
“I remember thinking this is a little bit weird, maybe I should mention it to his wife, but I’m sure they all know,” she said.
Sarah claimed that during the night, Armstrong got up to use the bathroom and sexually assaulted her when he returned to the bedroom.
“He comes back in from the bathroom and starts touching me inappropriately, and I remember completely freezing and not knowing what to do,” she said, adding that Armstrong pulled her down into the bed and “sexual boundaries were crossed”.
Sarah said that the following morning Armstrong described the incident as a “spiritual attack” and referenced his seniority within the prophetic movement.
She also described a second alleged assault.
According to Sarah, Armstrong invited her to his home while his wife was away, saying she could help with the children. When she arrived, she said the children were not present and Armstrong offered her alcohol.
“He keeps giving me beer and by this point I probably had four or five, and I can’t drive now, so I have to stay here,” she said.
“Ultimately, he pulls me onto his lap, takes my shirt off, and sexual boundaries are crossed again.”
Sarah added: “I don’t remember much, I know we wound up on the couch together and ultimately he pulled me into the room…I have a memory of him dragging my arms, pulling me, and me saying ‘no’ out loud at least once or twice.”
She said they “wound up in bed together” and that she woke the next morning feeling “traumatised” and “completely confused”.
“I remember being super angry,” she said. “I remember completely imploding. I couldn’t eat, I was super sick.”
Sarah said she considered reporting what had happened but claimed Armstrong persuaded her not to, telling her it was “all a test” and dismissing her concerns.
“I remember he grabbed a pastor walking by behind him and was like ‘hey, pray for Sarah, she’s having a bad day’ – so he prays for me and then leaves,” she said.
Sarah said she remained at Bethel for a time after the alleged incidents, but struggled with the fact Armstrong was publicly commended after confessing what he described as an affair with a woman from work.
Armstrong and his wife, Heather, have actively spoken about infidelity and restoration in several podcasts and sermons at Bethel.
Sarah said she eventually left the community, and felt many of her former Bethel contemporaries turned their backs on her.
“I lost everything,” she said. “I lost my faith, my community, my family… who I was, my identity. I had to start all over.”
Ben Armstrong has not yet commented on the latest allegations.