A pastor in North Carolina was jailed over allegations of child sexual abuse.
Trent Holbert was charged with two counts of statutory sex offense and one count of indecent liberties with a child. He is being held at the Buncombe County Detention Facility with $300,000 bond, the Biblical Recorder reported.
Holbert was the former lead pastor of The Ridge Church, affiliated with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSCNC).
The convention released a statement, conveying its support for the victims.
"As a pastor, Trent has been a speaker at convention-related events for adults in the recent past. He underwent background and reference checks prior to his participation in those events. We are not aware that he had any contact or dealings with minors as part of those events. The care and protection of children and minors is both a biblical and moral mandate that we take very seriously," the BSCNC said.
"We are praying for everyone who has been impacted by these alleged heinous crimes. N.C. Baptists are offering support to the local association and the church as they face these challenging times, as well. We stand with any and all victims of abuse and are committed to cooperating with authorities during their investigation," the convention further stated.
Drew Wheeler, a church elder, said that Holbert has already resigned from the church, per the Baptist Press. He also expressed the congregation's support for all the families involved.
"The care and protection of children and minors is a biblical and moral mandate that is taken seriously by the Ridge Church. We do not condone such actions as the alleged, and our prayers are with the victims of any such abuse," Wheeler continued.
Members of the church also shared their reactions, WLOS reported.
Nancy Hanson said that she cannot believe Holbert would do the alleged abuse, describing him as "an absolutely phenomenal pastor." She added that she wants "justice to be done" once the case is proven.
"That's not something a pastor should do," a neighbor, Cindy Morris, stated.
Another neighbor, Norman Morris, shared that for him, being a pastor is supposedly "being a standout in the community."
On May 18, detectives of the Special Victims Unit of the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant at Holbert's residence in Black Mountain. They seized electronic devices from the former minister and found evidence for his case. He was then arrested and charged with Contributing to the Delinquency of a Juvenile.
Last Thursday, he appeared before the judge and said that he has retained a lawyer.
Holbert also ministered at Epoch Fellowship Church in Owento, Kentucky until 2017. But in 2018, he and his wife, Mandy, along with their two children, moved to North Carolina and founded The Ridge Church.
In his 2019 interview with The Black Mountain News, he disclosed that he used to work in a ministry, planting churches for almost 10 years. A fitness enthusiast, Holbert maintained the site, trentholbertfitness.com for his blog and podcast on nutrition, fitness and health.
