As one of the most powerful Christian leaders in Indiana, Pastor Nathan Peternel preaches to his congregation about purity, sexual restraint and the dangers of temptation.
The celebrated megachurch leader is closely connected to powerful politicians, hosting a popular podcast on sex and faith with the state’s Republican lieutenant governor.
He has spent years warning people about lust, moral decay and the importance of safeguarding the home.
But now, Peternel, of Assemblies of God offshoot Life Church, has been forced to step back from the pulpit because of an appalling scandal that has sent shockwaves through his tight-knit community of followers.
His son, 24-year-old Jonathan Wesley Peternel, has been arrested on child pornography charges.
Steadfast congregants are divided over what to do next – some have said they are disgusted by the allegations, while others are standing beside their pastor and insisting his son’s arrest has nothing to do with him.
Publicly, the church insists it is united. Privately, insiders say it is in crisis – shaken by a political and spiritual reckoning they never saw coming.
Court documents reviewed by reporters reveal detectives seized a trove of laptops, hard drives, tablets and phones piled with hundreds of files of child sexual abuse material so revolting that veteran officers were left stunned.
The haul included violent molestation, sadomasochistic abuse, intoxicated minors and even what investigators described as photorealistic AI-generated images of nude pregnant toddlers.
But the horror did not end there. Buried in the stash, police said, were sex tapes of his own parents. WTF?!? SOUNDS ABOUT WHITE!
It remains unclear how Jonathan obtained the personal videos, but the pastor later told congregants that he and his wife had been ‘unwise but not sinful’ in filming themselves – never imagining their intimate recordings would end up in their son’s secret cache.
Authorities charged Jonathan with seven felonies, including child exploitation and multiple counts of possessing child sexual abuse material.
He has pleaded not guilty and is free on bond. His attorney did not return calls from reporters.
The case began with a CyberTip Report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. According to Fishers Police, the tip flagged five suspected child sexual abuse files traced back to a Snapchat account belonging to Jonathan.
A search warrant followed.
Investigators have said that once inside the home, they uncovered even more depraved content – along with chat logs suggesting Jonathan was sharing material in a Snapchat group called ‘Diddy Disciples,’ a reference to disgraced music mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, who is currently serving four years in prison for transporting individuals for prostitution.
Adding to the shock, Jonathan is a member of the Indiana National Guard and works as a Black Hawk helicopter mechanic. Officials have not said whether he has been suspended.
The fallout inside Life Church has been explosive.
‘This is disgusting,’ congregant Joey Carrera told reporters. ‘I come to church to focus on God, not to think about the pastor making sex tapes. And the stuff that [Jonathan] had is disgusting. I’m finding somewhere else to worship.’
Others insist the scandal is a test of loyalty, not morality.
‘I don’t care if Pastor Nathan made those videos with his wife,’ one woman told reporters. ‘They’re married. That’s not a sin. His mistake was being careless.’
But the shockwaves reach far beyond Sunday services.
Pastor Peternel is closely tied to Lt Gov Micah Beckwith, Indiana’s most prominent Christian nationalist.
The pair co-host a podcast called ‘Jesus, Sex & Politics,’ where they preach about modesty, sexual purity, saving intimacy for marriage and avoiding ‘sexual sin.’
They warn listeners against pornography, adultery and homosexuality – all while positioning themselves as accountability partners.
Peternel has served as a GOP convention delegate and donated to Beckwith’s political efforts, campaign finance records show.
Several members of Beckwith’s staff attend Life Church, and the Lieutenant Governor himself pastors the Noblesville campus.
Beckwith issued a brief statement saying he became aware of the allegations on October 23 and would not comment further.
Behind the scenes, insiders say the reaction was far more chaotic.
Leadership scrambled to calm congregants, reassure donors and prevent a revolt. Crisis meetings dragged late into the night. Pastors were instructed to make themselves ‘available’ for questions but not to wade into debates over whether Peternel should remain in leadership.
On the Sunday after the arrest, a broken-looking Peternel stepped onto the stage. His voice cracked as he called his son’s alleged crimes ‘a wicked sin’ and announced he would temporarily step aside. Life Church released its own statement pledging cooperation with law enforcement and offering prayers for victims.
But among members, confusion reigns.
‘There has been transparency,’ one longtime attendee told reporters, ‘but we’re not voting on whether to keep the pastor.
‘That’s not how this church works. They’re telling us to trust the process, trust the leaders and not get distracted from God.’
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