A Minnesota pastor and his wife have resigned following allegations of abuse and concealing abuses committed by family members on the church staff.
Mark Perryman, the senior pastor of Northridge Church, an Assemblies of God congregation in Owatonna, Minnesota, reportedly resigned last Sunday. His departure comes less than a week after his son-in-law, former associate pastor Sean Masopust, was charged with criminal sexual conduct.
Last Friday, Perryman’s wife, Tammy Perryman, resigned as director of the church’s daycare, Sunshine Tree.
According to The Roys Report, former church members recently alleged that Perryman quietly fired Masopust in 2018 after he was accused of assault. Perryman’s daughter, Felicia Masopust, quietly resigned from her position as the church’s youth pastor last month after she, too, was accused of sexual misconduct.
After Mosopust was arrested, several ex-youth group members and Sunshine Tree employees publicly accused the Masopusts and Perrymans of misconduct.
In a recent interview with The Roys Report, 17-year-old Grace Karsten, who worked at the daycare for two years, alleged that a grown man abused her and that Felicia Masopust failed to report it to authorities or inform Karsten’s mother.
Karsten was 14 years old when she told Felicia about the abuse. In a Facebook post, Karsten noted that after telling Felicia about the abuse, Felicia would say that she looked mature for her age.
Several other former youth group members also shared their experiences at Northridge after Sean was arrested.
For instance, Alysa Heien alleged in a public Facebook post that Felicia falsely spread a rumor that Heien, who was then in seventh grade, had a sexual relationship with an 18-year-old group volunteer. Heien said that Felicia spread the rumor to protect the person who actually had the sexual relationship with the volunteer. The volunteer was dismissed.
Additional allegations were made against the daycare for its poor supervision of children. Former daycare workers Karsten and Jordan Travis shared stories of abuse and misconduct with The Roys Report and on social media.
According to state records, licensing officials found several violations at the daycare in March 2019 and December 2021, including a failure to keep an eye on the children at all times. Records show that Sunshine Tree’s license to care for up to 63 children remains active.
Related:
Venue Church Pastor Issues Apology for Having 'Inappropriate Relationship,' Lying about It
Hillsong London's Lead Pastors Resign after 12 Years of Ministry
Photo courtesy: Unsplash/Ben White
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
