Baltimore Megachurch Removes Pastors Accused of Sexual Misconduct
Greater Grace World Outreach, a Baltimore-based megachurch with global reach, has revoked the ordination credentials of two pastors following longstanding accusations of sexual misconduct. According to internal documents reviewed by The Baltimore Banner, one of the pastors was told he was “required Biblically” to resign immediately.
The two men, Ghanaian pastor Henry Nkrumah and a pastor from suburban Baltimore, were among those granted authority to preach by the church. Their misconduct was first brought to light during The Baltimore Banner’s 2023 investigative series on decades of sexual abuse and cover-up within Greater Grace.
Georgetta Gbumblee, who accused Nkrumah of assaulting her while abroad, expressed a sense of relief, saying she had waited years for justice. Meanwhile, Johanna Veader, who reported abuse by the suburban Baltimore pastor over a decade ago, felt the church’s action was “too little, too late.” The pastor’s name has been withheld at Veader’s request due to concerns about retaliation.
Despite revoking the men’s ordinations, the church did not inform the women or the public, both said.
The church has not publicly responded to media inquiries, but on Friday, it posted a statement reaffirming its commitment to truth and accountability amid the ongoing abuse scandal.
Former church members from the watchdog group Millstones, who have independently tracked the church’s handling of abuse cases, criticized the leadership’s inaction and secrecy. “It remains clear to us that church leadership cares more about their reputation than addressing abuse,” they wrote in a statement.
Enrollment in the church’s three affiliated schools is reportedly down, worsening budget issues. Pastor Peter Taggart, the church’s CFO, attributed the strain in part to hiring a private firm to investigate the church’s response to abuse claims. That investigation, conducted by GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment), has been ongoing for six months. Church leaders say they plan to share its findings and recommendations transparently.
Separately, a former church member recently filed a lawsuit accusing Greater Grace and its youth pastor of years of sexual abuse and emotional trauma.
In Nkrumah’s case, a letter signed by Head Pastor Thomas Schaller and Missions Director Steven Scibelli instructed him to resign, citing 1 Timothy 3:1–7 as the biblical basis. “Your actions have caused significant harm to many, and such behavior cannot be tolerated,” it read.
Church leaders were reportedly informed of Gbumblee’s allegations in 2020, but initially dismissed them. At the time, Scibelli refused to accept documentation from former members Chuck and Sue Heidenreich. “I do not have interest in reading it or receiving accusations against a man of God,” he wrote in an email.
“I’m glad the church finally said something had to be done,” said Chuck Heidenreich. “But they could have done this a long time ago.”
In a separate December letter, church officials acknowledged they mishandled the case of the suburban Baltimore pastor, who allegedly groomed Veader when she was a teenager. The church initially suspended his ordination nearly a decade ago, but only now formally revoked it. They described his conduct as “unethical in the extreme,” supported by “convincing, objective evidence,” including emails in which the pastor professed love to Veader when she was 16 and 17.
Even after his suspension, the pastor continued preaching and visiting church affiliates abroad, as shown by social media posts and the church’s own website. He denied wrongdoing during a 2024 interview, blaming the allegations on “personal animus.”
Church leaders notified pastors of the ordination revocations via email earlier this year. That message also revealed that another pastor, Joseph (TJ) Hassler, had his ordination revoked in 2020, though no details were provided. Hassler told The Banner he returned his credentials voluntarily.
Veader said that if the church truly cared about her healing, they would have told her directly. “Seeing them hit rewind and say, ‘Oops’ all these years later reinforces the betrayal I first felt years ago,” she said.
