For generations, Black churches have served as pillars of faith, activism, and community. But like any institution, they have also faced moments when trusted leaders became the center of deeply troubling allegations and public scandals. Just last week, that reality hit home once again when a pastor was found guilty in court, bringing the issue of pulpit accountability right back into the spotlight.
To be very clear, some of the accusations over the years were flatly denied, fiercely disputed, or ultimately resolved without any criminal charges being filed. Yet in other cases, investigations uncovered criminal conduct, financial greed, or sexual misconduct that left permanent stains on several church leaders’ legacies.
Regardless of whether the allegations ended in a conviction or denial, each controversy sparked difficult, necessary conversations about power, vulnerability, and trust within the sanctuary. Here is a look at the Black church leaders whose controversies shook congregations and dominated the news for all the wrong reasons.
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Pastor Dale Sanders
This week, a federal jury has convicted Louisiana pastor Kenneth Major of the Fifth African Baptist Church in New Orleans and Second New Guide Missionary Baptist Church in Metairie of wire fraud, access device fraud and obstruction charges after prosecutors, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Authorities alleged he stole more than $340,000 from churches and used the funds for gambling, travel and personal expenses, then attempted to conceal the scheme during the federal investigation.
His sentencing is scheduled for October. He’s facing up to 20 years in prison, as we previously told you.
Eddie Long
In Georgia, Bishop Eddie Long was a revered hero in the Black Christian community. As the leader of DeKalb County megachurch New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, Long built the congregation is a staggering 25,000 members, NPR reported. But his reputation took a hit in 2010 when he was accused of sexually abusing four young men. Long was also well-known for his anti-LGBTQ+ views, making the allegations against him even more polarizing. Each of the lawsuits against the bishop was settled out of court. He died in 2017.
Creflo Dollar
Pastor Creflo Dollar Jr. founded the Christian World Changers Church International in Georgia, but in 2012, he was accused of doing the unthinkable. Dollar was arrested for assaulting his daughter, CBS News reported. Dollar denied the allegations, saying he “would never use my hand to ever cause bodily harm to my children.” The charges were dismissed in 2013.
Gregory Wayne Jones
In April 2025, Gregory Wayne Jones, who worked as a pastor at Liberty Christian Fellowship Church in Idaho and as a daycare instructor, was arrested and charged with sexual penetration with a foreign object and human sex trafficking, we previously told you. He had been investigated by authorities for months leading up to his arrest. Police say they expect more victims to come forward as the investigation continues. In May, a judge denied his motion to drop the case, KIVI reported.
Kemtal Glasgow
The Gateway Megachurch in Texas first made major headlines after a pastor was accused of child sex abuse, we previously reported. But ever since then, it seems like the church has not found the right pastor to be the replacement. In August 2024, Kemtal Glasgow stepped up to the plate, but according to reports, he resigned citing a “moral failure.” It’s unclear what exactly led to Glasgow’s recusal.
Israel Houghton
Cheating is a big no-no in the church. So when Israel Houghton admitted to a “personal failure” in a 2016 Facebook post, his marriage became the center of attention, we reported. He was married to his first wife for over 20 years, but they divorced in 2016 after he fathered two children with another woman. Interestingly enough, Houghton went on to marry singer Adrienne Bailon that same year.
John Gray
Megachurch Pastor John Gray publicly apologized to his wife and to his thousands of followers after being exposed for having inappropriate relations that almost ended his marriage and career. In 2020, a woman accused Gray of allegedly paying her for explicit photos. This led to a three-hour interview with Gray and his wife. During the program, Gray got candid about childhood trauma that he claimed was responsible for his infidelity, according to the Christian Post.
Errol Wright
In February 2024, a victim filed an official complaint against a man she said sexually abused her while serving as her legal guardian, WFIE reported. That man was quickly identified as Errol Wright of Community Christian Church in Indiana. The victim told police she was allegedly forced to have sex with Wright in several places, including inside the church. He was fired from the church and now faced charges of sexual misconduct with a minor, child seduction and child solicitation.
James Cleveland
Known as the “King of Gospel” and the founder of the Gospel Music Workshop of America, James Cleveland’s life and career as a pastor were well-revered but also riddled with rumors. After he died in 1991, a series of lawsuits were filed against him, including from Cleveland’s former foster son, Christopher Harris, who alleged that the pastor had sexually abused him and given him HIV, we reported. The case was ultimately settled out of court.
Bertheophilus Maurice Bailey
In September 2024, Bertheophilus Maurice Bailey, a reverend at St. Andrew Church in Tulsa, resigned from his position after a woman accused him of years of sexual abuse. Harmony Bailey Oates said in a Facebook statement that Bailey had been assaulting her since she was in the sixth grade, we told you. As an adult, she also claimed Bailey broke into her house and sodomized her shortly after she gave birth, according to police. Bailey was charged with rape, child sex abuse and incest, pleading no contest earlier, according to KJRH News.
Jesse Jackson
Rev. Jesse Jackson built a decades-long reputation as one of the leading Christian voices during the civil rights movement and beyond. He was even a spiritual adviser to former President Bill Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky scandal. But in 2001, a scandal hit when he publicly admitted to having an affair with Karin Stanford, who worked for him, ABC News reported. Stanford gave birth to Jackson’s child in 1999, despite him being married. Jackson died in February.
Tony Evans
The founding pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Texas made headlines in 2024 after he was welcomed back into the ministry under questionable circumstances. Last June, Pastor Tony Evans confessed to an undisclosed moral “sin,” CBS News reported. He apparently underwent an extensive “restoration process” allowing him to come back to the church. He described his absence as “an extremely challenging time– a time of being separated from what I love most – the proclamation of God’s word,” Evans said. He will not step back in the position of head pastor, the church announced.
William C. Pounds III
William C. Pounds III, the former pastor of King’s Chapel Memorial CME Church in Perry, Georgia, was accused of killing his girlfriend back in 2015, we previously reported. He originally told police the victim, Kendra Jackson, committed suicide, but investigators quickly realized he lied about many details. In truth, Pounds had two girlfriends, the other of whom was set to marry Pounds. He reportedly went to Jackson’s house and shot her dead, according to the Macon Telegraph. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Henry Lyons
In 1994, Reverend Henry Lyons was elected as president of the largest Black Baptist organization in the country, the National Baptist Convention in Florida. But three years later, Lyons was facing criminal fraud and extortion charges, according to the Tampa Bay Times. A five-year prison sentence on top of cheating rumors ultimately led to Lyons losing his reelection campaign.
