Former church of a rapist suspected of rape had previously experienced a scandal involving Lexington employees

The Lexington church at the center of a sex crimes investigation into a former pastor was previously involved in another scandal about a decade ago, according to previous Herald-Leader reports.

In September 2014, Quest Community Church, now known as LexCity Church, announcedThe senior pastor’s public service was terminated after Peter Hise approved for an affair with a pastor on staff.

Hise and pAstor Sharon Clements told church staff that their relationship “led to the crossing of physical boundaries without sexual intercourse occurring,” a statement on the church’s website said at the time.

Hise founded Quest in 1997 and was best known as a sponsor of the annual Questapalooza Christian music festival. His and Clements’ public work was discontinued and Management and teaching responsibilities have been transferred to other employees, the statement said.

Hise and Clements were married to other people at the time of the incident, so the statement.

Former Pastor of LexCity Church arrested for allegedly had sex with a minor

Now LexCity Church, formerly Quest, is facing another scandal after former pastor Zachary King was arrested for allegedly having sex with a minor between January 2023 and April 2024. King, 47, is charged with first-degree rape, third-degree rape, first-degree sodomy, first-degree sexual abuse and procuring or promoting the use of a minor by electronic means, court records show.

Attorney General Russell Coleman’s office confirmed that King was a former pastor of LexCity Church, located on West Reynolds Road. King’s arrest warrant states that he resigned after being confronted by church staff with allegations that he had an inappropriate relationship with a minor.

King has over 17 years of experience as a pastor in large churches, according to his LinkedIn page. Previously, he served as youth pastor for Westside Church, SBC, central team leader and youth pastor for lifechurch.tv, campus pastor for MET Church in Houston, Texas, and senior pastor for Community of Faith Church in Cypress, Texas.

Reactions to the arrest of the Lexington preacher

News of King’s arrest sparked widespread reaction on social media. The Way Home, a nonprofit that helps churches recover from spiritual abuse, released a statement on King’s arrest, saying it was saddened and outraged by the news.

“This is a devastating and serious abuse of power, position and authority – and in this case, a criminal offense,” The Way Home said in a statement on Facebook. “Clergy sexual abuse, especially of minors, is deeply hurtful to victims, churches and society as a whole.”

The Way Home offers a support group for victims of spiritual abuse on Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. The organization also offers free online resources and prayer support.

“We know the road ahead is difficult. Processing and healing will take time,” The Way Home said in a statement.

King is being held at the Fayette County Detention Center on $250,000 bail, according to jail records. He is scheduled to appear in Fayette District Court for a preliminary hearing on Friday, according to court records.