Earlier this month, the judicial commission announced Olivetti was required to “refrain from the exercise of office of teaching elder until the judicial process is complete.” At that time, the commission announced that charges had been dropped against two of the 2020 Immanuel elders, Zachary Blackwood and Nate Pfeiffer, who had since resigned their positions.

The pastor and elders of a West Lafayette church accused of mishandling the response to sexual abuse among minors in the congregation will resign.

An IndyStar investigation published in December found Immanuel Reformed Presbyterian Church Pastor Jared Olivetti and elders Keith Magill, Ben Larson and David Carr failed to act with urgency in responding to inappropriate behavior and sexual offenses by a boy at the church.

Olivetti, Magill, Larson and Carr have submitted their resignations, Ken de Jong, Immanuel’s provisional moderator, announced during Sunday morning’s service (a live stream of which is available, but unlisted, on the church’s YouTube page).

De Jong only briefly discussed the resignations, which he said had also been announced during congregation meeting earlier in the week.

Olivetti’s resignation, de Jong told the congregation, will be handled by the Great Lakes Gulf Presbytery over the coming weeks. The church’s current elder board has accepted resignations from Carr, Larson and Magill. Their resignations, de Jong told the congregation, are effective Monday.

“They have done so very reluctantly,” de Jong said, “and do so specifically to encourage the growth and development of this congregation.”

Ecclesiastical charges are pending against Olivetti, Carr, Larson and Magill, stemming from regional and national investigations within the denomination. IndyStar has reached out to each of those men for further comment, as well as leaders in the Presbytery and Synod.

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