Lawsuit Alleges Arkansas Church Leaders Ignored Reports of Pastor’s Abuse for Years

Six women filed a lawsuit this week in Craighead County Circuit Court accusing Refuge Church in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and regional and national leaders of the Assemblies of God of ignoring repeated reports of sexual abuse by longtime children’s pastor Tony Waller.

The complaint states that girls told church leaders as early as 2000 about hidden cameras in a church bathroom, forced nudity during stretches, and physical contact that made them uncomfortable. According to the suit, a senior pastor briefly suspended Waller around 2004 after a hidden camera was discovered, then returned him to ministry.

The lawsuit says Waller began working at the church, then known as Jonesboro First Assembly of God, in 1999. Within a year, Jonesboro police and school officials investigated reports that he had visited an 11-year-old girl’s school, bought her clothes, taken her to a hotel parking lot, and had her spend the night at his home.

Police closed the investigation after the girl denied any inappropriate conduct, though school officials barred Waller from campus. A detective, school resource officer, and principal met with senior pastor Mike Glover to inform him of the reports.

Around 2004, girls in Waller’s homeschool program reported being required to strip naked for stretches and discovered a hidden camera in the bathroom. One girl, Stephanie Davis, said Waller gave her a drink that made her woozy. She and another girl, Elizabeth Dryer, said their families reported the incidents to Glover.

The suit states that church leaders removed the camera, patched the bathroom door, and suspended Waller for two to four weeks before restoring him to his position. The abuse ended in 2015 when Waller’s wife found images of naked children on his computer and contacted police.

Waller pleaded guilty in 2016 to raping two girls and was sentenced to life in prison. The General Council of the Assemblies of God stated it first learned of the allegations in 2015 and reported Waller to authorities at that time. Stephanie Davis said she filed the lawsuit to hold church leaders accountable and to push for stricter child-protection policies.

Her attorney, Joshua D. Gillispie, said church leaders chose to shield the denomination’s reputation rather than protect children. Refuge Church said it implemented background checks, mandatory reporting, and security cameras after Waller’s arrest. Glover, who left the church in 2007 and retired in 2024, denied all accusations of negligence through his lawyer.