Protesters gathered outside of New Life Christian Church and World Outreach near Warsaw Tuesday evening, as church members met for a meeting /counseling session with Crosswinds Counseling.
Zoie Lamar, an activist with the nonprofit organization Voices Against Injustice, led Tuesday's small gathering. Group members from Voices Against Injustice and Bikers Against Predators also participated in a larger protest outside the church last Sunday, after former church members began coming forward with sexual abuse allegations against the pastor and several other clergy members.
Prior to the scandal's leak, however, Lamar said Voices Against Injustice were ready to take action.
A video of the pastor being confronted by a victim during the church's Sunday service on May 22 has since went viral, sparking a national story. During the recording that was shared widely on Facebook by an attendee, Pastor John Lowe II confessed to the congregation about what he referred to as an adulterous relationship. His confession was immediately corrected when his apparent victim came forward and said she was 16 years old when her abuse first began. More than a week later, the video now has more than 973,000 views.
Lowe has since stepped down, and the church issued a statement May 29, apologizing to that victim, the congregation and witnesses who saw the controversy unfold during the church service.
The church has had four more alleged victims come forward since last week. The case was handed over to the Indiana State Police now for investigation into the claims. Indiana Stae Police are asking anyone who has information as a victim or witness of abuse from the church, to contact them.
Lamar says the victims speaking out aren't the only ones, and believes there could be many more who are choosing to remain silent.
The church recently announced it has suspended regular church service for the next three weeks. They will instead be hosting in-church membership meetings to help the congregation heal and move forward.
Lamar said Tuesday's protest wasn't the first and it won't be the last. Voices Against Injustice plan to gather for every event the church may have in the future, until every last victim has a chance for their voices to be heard.
