The dissolution of New City Presbyterian Church was not an isolated mishap, it was the result of systemic failure within the PCA, facilitated by a culture that prioritizes institutional self-protection over shepherding the vulnerable. The Book of Church Order (BCO) and the Presbyterian model of governance are, on paper, structured to guard against abuse and uphold justice. But documents and procedures mean little when wielded by those more interested in shielding fellow officers than protecting Christ’s sheep. In the hands of a tight-knit, self-reinforcing network, even the most robust polity can be manipulated to obscure truth and deflect accountability.

In a matter of months, what was once a thriving congregation in Hilliard unraveled following revelations of misconduct by its senior pastor, a botched disciplinary process, and a controversial decision by church leadership to dissolve the church entirely. New City Presbyterian Church, a member of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), officially closed its doors in May 2023, but the fallout continues to reverberate throughout the Columbus Metro Presbytery and beyond.

At the center of the controversy is Teaching Elder James Kessler, who served as New City’s founding and lead pastor. While the specifics of his misconduct were never fully disclosed publicly by the PCA, members of the congregation and multiple elders have since described a pattern of pastoral deception, financial mismanagement, and what they believe was a deliberate effort to avoid accountability.

According to multiple former members, including ruling elders, the crisis began when Kessler admitted to a pattern of lying in the context of a sensitive pastoral situation. The details shared with leadership teams at the time painted a stark picture: Kessler not only misrepresented his actions but attempted to involve a ruling elder in a cover-up. When his wife confronted him about an inappropriate meeting he planned to attend, Kessler allegedly claimed an elder would also be present. Then, when challenged, he tried to convince the elder to lie on his behalf. The elder refused.¹

Despite this serious breach of trust, the written confession Kessler later submitted to presbytery under the PCA’s Book of Church Order (BCO) 38-1 omitted those details.² Instead, it framed his wrongdoing in general terms, citing arrogance and vague issues with control. While the presbytery accepted Kessler’s truncated confession and issued only an admonition (the lightest form of censure under PCA rules) it was the congregation and its elders who bore the long-term consequences.³ In a congregational meeting convened by a presbytery commission, this version of the confession was read aloud, leaving many in the room confused and frustrated. One member reportedly asked, “What are we supposed to be forgiving you for?”⁴

That sense of confusion deepened in the months that followed. As church finances deteriorated, the congregation discovered the existence of a secret credit card Kessler had opened in his own name and used for church expenses without any authorization or knowledge of the financial team. For years, the card accrued interest while only minimum payments were made, creating an illusion of healthier finances than actually existed.⁵

These revelations, combined with concerns about pastoral malpractice and a lack of transparency, prompted New City’s ruling elders to ask Kessler to step down—either entirely or to a bivocational role. He refused. Tensions grew as the presbytery commission, tasked with overseeing the matter, continued to meet primarily with Kessler and not with the broader leadership or congregation.

In early 2023, during a critical congregational meeting, Teaching Elder Steve Resch, serving as a member of the presbytery commission overseeing New City, emphasized maintaining “order” and curtailed attempts by elders to elaborate on the actions of the church’s senior pastor, James Kessler. According to attendees, Resch likened the presbyters to “adults” and the congregation to “children,” suggesting they could not be entrusted with the full details of the situation.⁶

Following the presbytery’s decision to accept Kessler’s resignation and dissolve the church, Resch led a service of lament during the congregation’s usual worship hour. This service was intended to provide closure and an opportunity for reflection for the members of New City Presbyterian Church.

Resch’s actions during this period have been a focal point of discussion among former members and observers, with some viewing his approach as prioritizing institutional order over transparency and congregational care.

Chris Mabee, associate pastor at Northwest Presbyterian Church, was appointed to the commission tasked with overseeing New City Presbyterian Church after Teaching Elder James Kessler’s deception came to light. Mabee openly admitted that Kessler had been something of a spiritual hero to him, a revelation that raises serious concerns about his ability to serve impartially on a body meant to hold Kessler accountable. His personal admiration for Kessler calls into question the integrity of the commission’s oversight during a crucial and sensitive time in New City’s life.

After nearly six months of repeated requests, I was finally granted access to the Columbus Metro Presbytery’s minutes—but only under restrictive conditions. I was required to review the documents in person at Northwest Presbyterian Church, under the direct supervision of Chris Mabee. I was not permitted to take notes, photos, or make any recordings. In those minutes, I discovered a report by the commission that had overseen New City, which concluded with a recommendation that James Kessler not be allowed to serve as a senior pastor in another PCA church for the foreseeable future. It remains unknown whether Columbus Metro ever communicated this recommendation to the Metro New York Presbytery or North Shore Community Church prior to Kessler’s hiring.

While Kessler has since transferred to a new PCA congregation (North Shore Community Church in Oyster Bay, New York⁷) many former members of New City remain disillusioned. For them, the story is not simply about the failings of one pastor but a deeper dysfunction in the denomination’s systems of oversight.

“The PCA claims to be presbyterian and robust in terms of accountability structures, but clearly they are not if the system protects wrongdoers, punishes the right doers, and makes the path to truth an impossible upstream swim,” wrote former member Timothy Cho in a widely shared public reflection.⁸ He argued that the presbytery’s actions reflected a systemic failure to hold pastors accountable and instead punished those who sought transparency.

Columbus Metro Presbytery, which oversaw New City and its dissolution, has faced mounting criticism not only from former members but from within the denomination. The PCA’s Review of Presbytery Records (RPR) cited Columbus Metro for irregularities and failures in its handling of the New City matter.⁹ As a result, the presbytery has been required to appear before the PCA’s Standing Judicial Commission (SJC)—the denomination’s highest court—where questions of misconduct, failure to provide due process, and lack of pastoral care are expected to be reviewed.¹⁰

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¹ Testimony from a former ruling elder, shared with this reporter.

² PCA Book of Church Order, Chapter 38: “The Ending of the Process.”

³ PCA BCO 36–38 outlines disciplinary procedures and censures.

⁴ Attendee recollection from the congregational meeting, 2023.

⁵ Internal financial documents reviewed by members and corroborated by elders.

⁶ Eyewitness accounts from multiple attendees at the meeting led by Steve Resch.

⁷ PCA church directory (pcaac.org) confirms Kessler’s current post at North Shore Community Church.

⁸ Cho, Timothy. “Why I Left the PCA,” public statement circulated among former members, 2023.

⁹ PCA General Assembly 2024, Review of Presbytery Records Committee Report.

¹⁰ Agenda and proceedings of the PCA Standing Judicial Commission, 2024.