PA Church Leader, 68, Charged With Additional Child Sex Crimes as More Victims Emerge

A Pennsylvania pastor who was already facing charges for allegedly assaulting a minor last fall is facing new charges after additional victims came forward. Michael Arthur McMullen Sr., 68, had been serving at St. John AME Church in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, since 2021. Last year, he was appointed as Chief Marshall of the 1^st District AME Church in Philadelphia.

ChurchLeaders reached out to inquire about Michael McMullen’s current status and to request comment. We will update this article with any reply.

McMullen also operates the nonprofit organization Robe Gifting International, which collects and distributes clergy robes throughout the world. According to court documents, the Harrisburg pastor used robe-fitting as a way to assault at least one minor.

Editor’s note: This article refers to reports of child sex abuse, which some readers might find triggering and/or disturbing.

Ongoing Investigation Leads to New Charges

Last November, Michael McMullen Sr. of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was charged with felony unlawful contact with a minor, misdemeanor corruption of minors, and misdemeanor indecent assault of a person under 16. Those charges stemmed from a September incident at McMullen’s robe shop, during which a minor told police the pastor touched her inappropriately and also made a graphic sexual comment while measuring her.

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The victim told Susquehanna Township Police that she believed McMullen “wanted sex from her.” On the same day as that alleged incident occurred, McMullen, a widower, announced the date of his upcoming wedding.

Publicity surrounding the case from last fall apparently encouraged other victims to step forward. In January, a 34-year-old woman alleged that McMullen had groped her when she was about 10 and then later removed her breast from her bra and licked her nipple. She also said that during an Easter party when she was about 11, McMullen followed her into a bedroom, removed her underwear, and performed oral sex on her.

The woman reported that the pastor also had sexually abused multiple members of her family, including her mother. The victim’s mother later told police that McMullen had indeed abused her as a minor.