Editor’s note: This article contains descriptions of emotional, physical, and sexual violence that some may find triggering.

Another woman has come forward with her own story of abuse in connection with Pastor John B. Lowe II of New Life Christian Church and World Outreach in Warsaw, Indiana. She says she was married to Lowe’s son, Jeremiah Lowe, for four years, during which time he was violent, abusive and even beat one of her dogs to death.

“Since other brave men and women have come forward with their stories, I am coming forward with a little more of mine,” said the woman, whom ChurchLeaders has chosen not to identify by name. She is at least the second survivor to have come forward alleging abuse at the hands of Jeremiah Lowe. 

Jeremiah Lowe, John Lowe, and New Life Christian Church

Jeremiah Lowe is the son of John B. Lowe II, who until recently was pastor of New Life Christian Church. During the Sunday service on May 22, Lowe stood in front of the New Life congregation and confessed to a past affair, saying it happened 20 years ago, had continued for “far too long,” and that he had remained silent in order to protect himself and others from embarrassment. Now, however, he would be stepping away from his position in order to pursue a biblical process of repentance.

But after Lowe finished speaking Bobi Gephart and her husband, Nate, walked onstage and told the congregation that Lowe had not in fact committed adultery. Rather, he had sex with Bobi Gephart when she was 16 years old. Gephart and her family have since elaborated that Lowe abused and groomed Gephart prior to assaulting her at age 16. 

“Lying to protect the Lowe family for years,” said Bobi Gephart, “I thought I was a horrible person, having suicidal thoughts and not realizing that what had been truly done to me—that I was a victim.” Gephart said she has “lived in a prison of lies and shame” and also alleged that Lowe had protected a former associate pastor by helping him to move on to another church even though that pastor had molested his own daughters. 

After the Gepharts confronted Lowe, a woman named Jessi Kline, published her story on Facebook, alleging that Lowe’s son, Jeremiah, molested her as a child. When Kline’s family confronted John Lowe and his wife, Debra, the Lowes said the matter would be handled internally. The Klines were later ostracized from the church.

Since Kline shared her story, another survivor has come forward regarding her own alleged abuse at the hands of Jeremiah Lowe. She posted a picture of herself smiling on a couch with her two dogs, as well as a pictures of a letter from her mother-in-law encouraging her to remain in her marriage. In her statement, the woman said:

What you can’t see behind that smile was that my life was an absolute living hell.  What you can’t see is that on numerous occasions I thought this was going to be it for me, the walls of that dumpy trailer were going to be the last thing I saw as I finally suffered for the last time at the hands of my abuser.  What you can’t see is the fear I lived in every day not knowing what would set him off or if that day or if would be a day I could just breathe for a moment. What you can’t hear is the sound of items being thrown or broken, the sounds of my abuser screaming at me and calling me horrible names, the sound of me crying, being drug down the hall by my hair, and pleading with him to just stop. What you can’t see in this picture is that a year later that sweet puppy dog in the front would be brutally beaten to death while I was at work one morning and dumped by the side of the road in attempts to make it look like an “accident.” The other one would be taken from my apartment as ransom during our divorce process and I was told by Jeremy that if I did not come talk to him, that he was going to release the dog in the middle of U.S. 30.  This is just a handful of the things I went through and unfortunately there are so many more.