After one woman went public last week to allege that her pastor groomed her a decade earlier, several other women have come forward with similar accusations.
In a June 18 blog post, Izzy Davis, now 23, alleged that Bobby Hawk, founding pastor of Epic Church Kansas City, touched her inappropriately at a youth group sleepover. Since then, at least five women have spoken out, often using the hashtag #istandwithizzy.
Police in Blue Springs, Missouri, confirmed they are now investigating allegations against Hawk, 43. After his church initially put him on leave in the wake of Davis’ allegations, Hawk resigned as pastor last week. He also resigned from the Blue Springs School Board, where he had served as president.
No charges have been filed against Hawk, a married father of two. He hasn’t responded to reporters’ requests for comment, and the church has inactivated its website and social media accounts.
‘Bobby Hawk Groomed Me,’ Izzy Davis Alleges
On her blog, Izzy Davis said she was 12 when Bobby Hawk allegedly groped her while the youth group was watching a movie together. Afterward, she wrote, “He pulled me to the side, told me that ‘we weren’t doing anything wrong,’ but the reason he was hiding it was because people would ‘think things.’”
Davis described how she “stuffed it down,” finally telling her parents about the incident years later, when they were displaying Hawk’s campaign sign. She decided to go public, she wrote, because “I cannot stand the idea of him being an integral factor in the futures of children just like me. He is up for re-election in April 2025, and I urge you to consider my story when it comes time if you are a Blue Springs voter.”
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Of the five other women who have since spoken out against Hawk, three were youth group members and two were church employees. Hawk “abused his position of authority,” alleged Destiny Bounds, who added that Assemblies of God leaders dismissed complaints from families.
“Izzy is not alone,” Kari Jo Crandall wrote in a June 19 social media post. “It’s time I share my story.” The former Epic Church employee alleged that Hawk was manipulative, controlling, and always wanting to hug her.
Ali Terwilliger, another former church employee, wrote on Facebook, “Bobby was incredibly inappropriate with me. He was obsessed with the idea of being swingers with me and was constantly using manipulation to try to get me alone.” Although she shared her concerns, she said, “The church overseers were only trying to cover for him.”
Epic Church: ‘Please Be in Prayer for Pastor Bobby’
According to Epic Church’s board of directors, Bobby Hawk submitted his resignation on June 21. Before then, he had been placed on leave, and worship was canceled on June 23.
The board invited congregants to attend a June 26 information meeting and to “please be in prayer for Pastor Bobby,” his wife, and church staff “as we navigate this difficult time.”
