Elevation Church has terminated Tim Somers, a youth pastor, after receiving claims that he engaged in inappropriate behavior more than a decade ago at Oaks Church in Texas, where he previously worked. The Red Oak Police Department is actively investigating the situation, but it has not filed any charges against Somers to date.

According to the Christian Post, the investigation focuses on alleged misconduct by Somers while he was affiliated with Oaks Church around 12 years ago.

Tim Somers worked with Elevation Church in North Carolina before the allegations emerged. He previously served as a youth intern at Oaks Church from 2009 to 2011 and later joined the staff until 2013. The allegations focus on this period.

Upon learning of the allegations, Elevation Church’s leadership reacted swiftly. They notified Texas authorities and initially suspended Somers from his duties before ultimately deciding to terminate his employment. The church's spokesperson emphasized that they took this action to preserve the integrity of their ministry.

Meanwhile, Oaks Church has been addressing separate but similar accusations. Jerry Nickerson, another former intern and youth pastor at Oaks, admitted to engaging in inappropriate behavior with a minor approximately ten years ago. His confession led several more students to come forward with their claims, prompting Oaks Church to report the situation to local authorities.

Timely Response from Church Authorities

A spokesperson from Elevation Church stated that the church was blindsided by the news but took immediate action to address the matter legally and with sensitivity toward all parties involved. "Recently, someone brought forward allegations about Tim Somers' conduct while he served at a church in Texas approximately 12 years ago," the spokesperson said.

The church announced, "As soon as Elevation learned about these allegations, we contacted local Texas authorities and immediately placed Tim on leave. No charges have been filed. But Tim understands the impact of these allegations on his role in ministry, and we have agreed that he will no longer serve on staff."

Chief Garland Wolf of the Red Oak Police Department described the complexity of the investigation: "No charges have been filed against Somers yet, but we have named him in our ongoing investigation of 'serious allegations that can or will impact a person's life for many years.'" He added that investigators aim to confirm the precise timeline and location of the alleged misconduct, identify the involved suspects and victims, and determine whether any offenses occurred on church property.

Community and Victim Advocacy in Focus

Survivor advocate Amy Smith, commenting on the situation, noted that the allegations against Somers involved sexual abuse, reflecting the severity of the claims. Smith highlighted the importance of rigorous investigation and transparent communication from both the church and law enforcement to ensure justice and healing for affected individuals.

Chief Wolf detailed the investigative efforts: "We are still attempting to narrow down the timeline of events, the actual location of the offense(s), who may have been involved as suspects, and who may have been involved as victims. Further, the investigation is being conducted to determine what and if anything occurred on church property or in the jurisdiction of Red Oak, Texas," he said.

Actions by Oaks Church leadership were also prompt following Nickerson's confession. An email from pastors Chris and Cara Railey described their immediate reporting to the police: "This week, we became aware of a situation that was disclosed by a former youth ministry intern. To ensure the matter is properly investigated, we quickly reported the matter to the Red Oak Police Department."

Past Incidents Promote Transparency and Action

Additionally, Cara Railey reported, "We were devastated to learn this. Since that time (Nickerson's confession) additional students have come forward to share their experiences from the same period approximately 10 years ago. The experiences they shared with us range from inappropriate text messages to inappropriate contact between youth leaders and youth students and we immediately reported this to the authorities," further indicating a pattern that prompted extensive review and precautionary measures.

Chief Wolf underscored the commitment of the Red Oak Police Department: "Our detectives are working and have been working diligently to gather facts and statements to further our investigation which we hope will lead to an ultimate resolution of the allegations against several persons. I cannot speak to what information the Oaks Church is putting out to their congregation or the public or where they have derived their information," he stated.

"These are serious allegations that can or will impact a person's life for many years. We are doing what we need to do to seek justice for the victims, prosecute the offenders, and exonerate the innocent as may be the case. We are scheduling meetings with persons who have come forward and we are conducting interviews and taking statements from those who want to cooperate with our investigation. We hope to move forward soon," concluded Chief Garland Wolf.