Megachurch Pastor Ousted From Pulpit For Being 'Unloving' Towards His Wife

A prominent Indiana megachurch pastor has been removed from his role as senior pastor after church leadership deemed his marital relationship with his wife, which was characterized by unloving and uncharitable behavior, disqualified him from the ministry.

Dr. Steve Viars was the Senior Pastor of Faith Baptist Church, a multisite church in Lafayette, IN. According to his bio, he was also the “National Association of Nouthetic Counselors Fellow and board president, an instructor and counselor at Faith Biblical Counseling Ministries, and a popular conference speaker on counseling issues.”

Two weeks ago, Faith Baptist Church announced to the congregation that Viars had been dismissed, posting a notice on their website that read:

The pastors and deacons of Faith Church requested and accepted the resignation of our leader of 37 years, Pastor Steve Viars, on 10/17/2024. His marriage condition does not meet the biblical qualifications for being an elder. Please pray for the Viars family and Faith Church during this time of transition. Faith Church will follow its constitution to select interim leadership and the next senior pastor.

The dismissal came a month after pastors and leaders of the church received an email from Viars wife stating that she’d moved out of their home with their son, prompting the church to investigate. They elaborated to their congregants in an email obtained by Ministry Watch:

These investigations have revealed a story that is sad on many different levels and has led our deacons and pastors to determine that Steve Viars is no longer qualified to serve as a pastor of Faith Church. This has been a difficult situation and certainly is not the outcome we would have desired. The pastors and deacons have requested Steve Viars’ resignation, and Steve has agreed to resign. This is effective immediately.”

The church further addressed this during a sermon shortly thereafter, sharing:

Five weeks ago today, Kris Viars sent every pastor and deacon an email informing us that she left the home with [their son] Andrew to an undisclosed location and requested help confronting Steve for his unloving treatment toward her.

To our knowledge, there was no physical violence or sexual immorality.”

As part of the message to the church, they also read a statement from their former pastor, who told them:

Pastors are held to high standards and rightly so. I do not believe my current family situation meets those biblical standards and I therefore am tendering my resignation as your senior pastor.

Thankfully this does not involve a moral issue, but my failures and challenges are serious enough that it is best that I work on them apart from the rigors and requirements of pastoral ministry. Please pray for me, Kris and Andrew in the coming days.