Breaking: HeartCry Administrator Arrested for Child Molestation
Many associated with Paul Washer’s HeartCry Misssionary Society and Christ Church in Radford, Virginia, are reeling from shock and lament after a leading administrator for HeartCry and church deacon was arrested for crimes against a minor.
HERE ARE THE FACTS AS THEY ARE ALLEGED
HeartCry Administrator, Kevin Hite, was arrested earlier this week on multiple accounts of ‘carnal knowledge of a child.’ Allegedly, Hite had committed molestation upon a 13-year-old girl over an extended period of time. Christianburg and Radford police (Virginia) coordinated in their efforts to investigate and arrest Hite. He is currently being held at the River Valley Regional Jail without bail.
Protestia spoke to those associated with Hite and we were able to put together an FAQ for those who – understandably – have questions.
FAQS ABOUT THE ORDEAL
How was this discovered? According to a statement released by HeartCry, the victim – now a young adult – told an elder about the account in counseling.
How quickly did the church respond? The elder immediately accompanied the young person to local law enforcement, without hesitation, where a complaint was filed.
What has been done for the alleged victim? The elder immediately assured the victim that the elders, the church, and the entire staff at HeartCry would support, protect, and defend the victim. The church and missionary organization are committed to helping them in any way possible.
What else is HeartCry and Christ Church doing? They are assuring any who may have been affected by this tragedy, directly or indirectly, their ongoing support and assistance, however it may be offered.
Has the church further cooperated with the investigation? Yes, the church has handed over any documentation pertinent to the investigation, including files relating to Hite’s employment. They have spent hours upon hours with investigators answering whatever questions they could.
All said, it appears the church and HeartCry leadership acted quickly, prudently, and responsibly in the care of this victim.
COMMENTARY
I love Kevin Hite like a brother. He called me earlier this week to ask my counsel about a matter and then – as always – I have enjoyed his company. I have found him affable, kind, loving, supportive, and committed to spreading the gospel among the nations. Kevin Hite has been – hands down – one of my favorite humans.
I suppose that changes now.
I want to vomit. My stomach hurts as though someone has died or like the feeling you get when a child goes missing. It is, as best as I can describe it, a mixture of despair and lament with perhaps a topping of nauseausness.
I sent this update to a mutual pastor friend with whom I’ve spent time along with Hite. His response was simple; “I hate this world.“
I hate this world.
My response was, “I want off this ride altogether.”
I had to go tell my 17-year-old daughter who loves Kevin Hite what was going on before she read about it in the news. She mumbled something about depravity amidst her shock. I can only imagine all of the young people whose lives have been touched positively by Kevin Hite when they hear of the allegations that some young people have been touched inappropriately by him.
If this can rock to our core those who are committed and seasoned Christians who are well aware of the dark impulses of the soul and sin in hidden places from years of counseling wretched sinners, then weaker sisters or brethren will be in for an even ruder awakening.
What must we do at a time like this?
First, we must be reminded that “lust when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:15). We cannot – even for a moment – harbor an ounce of sinful desire in our heart. Sin will never be satisfied until it destroys us completely.
John Owen writes in Mortification of Sin…
Sin aims always at the utmost; every time it rises up to tempt or entice, if it has its own way it will go out to the utmost sin in that kind. Every unclean thought or glance would be adultery if it could, every thought of unbelief would be atheism if allowed to develop. Every rise of lust, if it has its way reaches the height of villainy; it is like the grave that is never satisfied. The deceitfulness of sin is seen in that it is modest in its first proposals but when it prevails it hardens mens’ hearts, and brings them to ruin.
Dear God almighty, might we flee from sin like we would flee from the devil (there is little difference). Sin is never pacified until the entire soul, fortune, life, family, and relationships are destroyed. Sin will, if surrendered to, take you all the way to destruction.
Secondly, it should be no mark upon our dear Paul Washer that he tarried for a time with Hite. Sin is decietful. Hebrews 3:13 says that sin deceives the heart that is committing it. But sin also decieves the onlooker and catches people by surprise. Make no mistake about it; sin will find you out.
Luke 12:2 says, “But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.”
And finally, we should use this moment to make us all terrified of our own fall. Those leaders who persist in sin should be rebuked publicly, so that all may learn to fear (1 Timothy 5:20). If any Christian can witness this terrible tragedy regarding Hite and not be afraid for their own soul, or whatever sin their heart may harbor, then their heart is too hard. We should all be stricken with momentary panic and have it lead us to watch our lives and doctrine closely (1 Timothy 4:16).
Everyone hurts over this, first and foremost the primary victim of Hite’s alleged crime. We must pray for them earnestly. But there are lot of secondary victims who are hurt in very real ways, especially those associated most closely with HeartCry and Christ Church.
With an injury to the soul like this, we must ask, “Is there a Balm in Gilead?” What can heal this wound?
There is a balm in Gildead (Jeremiah 8:22). I pray the Lord applies that precious salve post-haste.
There is a balm in Gilead
to make the wounded whole,
there is a balm in Gilead
to heal the sin-sick soul.
[Publisher’s Note: Contributed by JD Hall]
About Author
Tragic story. Obviously, the legal process has to play out, but an investigation should be done to see if there any other victims as usually men with this problem who have gotten away with it for years, as this guy has, if guilty, have a longer trail we often see in the Roman Catholic pedophile scandals.
Sexual immorality remains one of Satan’s most powerful temptations. It takes a strong and devout man (and woman) to resist it, but unfortunately many cannot.
I agree.
The man is a fake and a fraud. Unholy, unconverted and just playing a role. These types don’t just all of a sudden “turn bad”. Red flags are always there—lots of people missed them, apparently.
I am actually confused about this. This is in no way accusatory, but sincere questioning. Are there others that saw problems and kept quiet? I recently had a Tion with my pastor. I was planning on leaving the church I currently attend, not over anything as serious as this, but troubling. He asked me why I didn’t stand up and say anything at the time. Never occurred to me. That’s why I brought problems to him quietly. Were the other leaders, mature women especially, developing relationships with this young lady? Why did she not feel safe to say something until now. Again, not accusing. I want to know what to do to be watchful and engaged in my daily church life. I see ChristChurch as a sound church. A good example with good fruit. How much more diligent should a weaker church be?
I agree! There are always red flags! I have another comment in this comment section. The Roanoke Times news gave more details. This happened over an extended period of time so how was Kevin Hite able to have so much access to a child. This is horrendous!
Agreeing with all previous commenters. There are more high profile ministries which appear untouchable. I grieve for the victims and continue to pray that they will not be silenced and have the courage to come out and reveal the sins of the perpetrators. May the victims be healed of such traumatic sin.
There are a whole of “ifs” in here.
IF he is guilty then he should be brought under all applicable church discipline and be prosecuted in a court of law.
IF he is guilty then yes, this is almost certainly not the only victim.
IF it is brought to light that anybody else knew about his perversion, IF he is guilty, then they also should be dealt with in accordance with every applicable biblical principal
IF she is lying, which is certainly also possible, then it should be widely publicized and every righteous effort made to restore his good name.
The trouble here is that at this time these are all IFS.
Proverbs 18:3
“He who gives an answer before he hears, It is folly and shame to him.”
This is a plague in today’s American society. EVERYbody knows EVERYthing about EVERY circumstance before ANYbody actually knows ANYthing about it at all beyond an initial report.
As usual, I will suspend judgement until I am armed with enough information to righteously make one.
Is it appropriate for an elder, presumably male, to counsel a young female?
If this is correct HeartCry is leaving any male that counsels females open to the possibility of unfounded accusations.
Titus 2:3-4 indicate that the older women in the Church have a responsibility to teach the younger women.
John, I’m a woman, and I don’t feel comfortable speaking with older women on theological issues. So many women, even older women, are false teachers, wolves, or weak in the faith that I’d never want to trust a woman with these kinds of issues. If an elder or pastor needs his wife to be present, that’s fine, but passing off women to women who could be undermining the faith of women in a congregation isn’t right. I fully understand there are issues of lust with men, but generally elders and pastors allow false doctrine to come in through women’s ministries because they don’t want to step on women’s toes. I don’t know what the answer is, but does Titus really say that women should teach women theology?
3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good,
4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children,
5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.
(Titus 2:3-5)
It appears older women should instruct in ethical/moral behavior, not doctrine. It’s very harsh to put single women or widows in a situation where they either are forced to speak with women about doctrinal issues and be led astray because women often don’t receive theological training or just keep their doubts/questions to themselves. I just can’t rationalize not finding some solution where women can speak with men about questions.
Please delete the posts from me from earlier. I apologize for posts that could be teaching.
I think you make a lot of sense and the fact that you can address the Titus passage with such an unbiased attitude is really impressive. I think its important to constantly remind ourselves that we all have strengths and weaknesses. All men are not the same and all women are not the same but there are general areas that are are more consistent than others which is what Titus is addressing. That part of the Bible is not putting down, belittling or silencing women! Its pointing them to where they can best serve Christ. And that’s the point of our lives, after all. There are so many things almost all women are so much better at than almost all men. Let’s celebrate where you excel and pour our efforts there. We’ll get much better outcomes that way. You can be a true hero and not be well renowned. And that’s just fine in the eyes of God. Its His opinion we should revere, not the mere opinions of individual people.
actually the last comment was the most right on one….why was he alone with her in the first place…also women should learn to dress modestly instead of the tight leggings like they forgot to put on a skirt…half dressed in church and elsewhere….women should be ashamed for causing a lot of men to sin SAD and yes a women in the church should never be alone with a man for counseling for sure
You are DISGUSTING, victim blaming. People like YOU are part of the problem. It doesn’t matter if she was wearing a BIKINI for crying out loud, rape is RAPE. I can’t believe people like you even still exist.
The guy is obviously a predator and needs to be dealt with as such. However, I didn’t take her comment to mean that the then thirteen year old girl brought the crime upon herself. It was an additional thought related to sexual sins: modesty in dress. Christian men, especially young Christian men, fight against lustful feelings. While the fault certainly lies in the man who has such feelings as our Lord says in Matthew 5:28, “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart,” it’s also true that women are to have “respectful and pure conduct” ( 1 Peter 3). That is what Katie was talking about.
That’s not what he’s saying. He’s just pointing out everyone has a responsibility in the area of lust. A woman can hugely improve and uplift a social situation by not wearing revealing clothing so isn’t that a better choice to make? Why not make it easier for a man to resist temptation? If we care for each other we will sacrifice our mere temporary wants and desires for the greater good. Its not even asking much. How about no miniskirts whereas something of a business like length is fine. Its just a few inches. Is that asking too much? If going to the beach with a church group would it kill her to wear a more conservative 2 piece instead of a string bikini? Probably not. Christian men really don’t want to lust. They try. And sometimes they fail. If women were more helpful they would fail less. It takes effort from BOTH SEXES. Men are powerfully affected by visual images. Let the wife use that at home to draw them closer together which is what God wants. That’s the way to use men’s weakness when it comes to visual images. And men, conversely, need to abstain from looking at images they know will draw them down that endless rabbit hole of lust and masturbation. Both sexes, both trying.
This is so sad
Calm down Kaye.
Yes it matter if she was wearing a bikini. Females are to dress modestly.
Victims should never be misunderstood or blamed, especially children. I was a child victim of my band teacher years ago. It was never apparent to me that I had been molested until my mid thirties so therefore he was never reported. I am a survivor and at 66 years old I am saved by the blood of Jesus, praise God. I certainly don’t understand this sin however as with a bachelor in psychology, I hear way to often that pedophiles are often victims of childhood molestation themselves but this is no excuse to act upon this sin. I certainly didn’t. Praying for this victim💔
This is what happens when we lean on the arm of flesh. No one is so holy they cannot fall. Are long as we live in the flesh, there is the possibility of failure. As Paul noted, we strive for perfection (a life free of sin), yet our flesh troubles us. The result of that trouble is sin. Sin itself is not an active force. Sin does nothing. WE are the ones who perform the action that brings sin forth. Sin is simply the result of action that violates God’s Word. And that action can be in the form of word, deed, or thought. Finally, the consequence of sin is death. This is not only the death of the body. This is only part of the curse. There is a death that will be eternal. This is the death Jesus came to deliver us from. Jeremiah 17:5, 1 Peter 4:1-2, Romans 7:7-24, James 1:14-15, Romans 5:21, 6:23
I just read about the arrest and all the ‘comments’. As far as I can see…he was only ‘arrested’. Virtually every comment above has this guy convicted, and one comment declared him to be a ‘rapist’. I assume everyone is getting lots of information from another source about a ‘confession’ and the strong ‘evidence’ against him…because I read only that a girl made an accusation and that it was investigated, leading to an arrest. That’s it. Are you kidding? The guy might be completely innocent. Again, strong evidence may exist that I’m not aware of…but in the above article there is nothing that should cause anyone to conclude he is guilty. With an apparent absence of “the other side of the story”…or corroboratory evidence, I would hate to see any of you on a jury. In the church I would hope both sides of the story are heard before someone is declared guilty. -Tom Ps…I’m so offended that anyone would even bring up the idea of the girl contributing to the sexual abuse because she may have worn clothing that You wouldn’t approve of. Really? The argument is what…that her ‘leggings’ are partly what caused a weak fellow to lose all control of himself and rape her? If you ever get called to jury duty please do society a favor and decline. (…scathing rebukes deleted…) Wow…that was a lot more than I intended to write. Sorry if I went overboard…
My husband and I just found out about this story when googling info about Christ Church Radford. In the Roanoke Times, they have a more detailed story on the matter…. Kevin Hite was driving the child around and even took that child to a motel. He also gave that child a cell phone to use to communicate with him and he was paying for the phone and exchanged explicit pictures. The Roanoke Times also state it happened over an extended period of time and even in the same town where the child resided. This is all in the Roanoke Times article. I do believe that the story is true.
My question that I’ve not seen anyone ask is- WHERE WERE THIS CHILD’S PARENTS?? I think they take partial responsibility in this. How was a grown man able to ride around many times alone with a minor and no one get suspicious? How was he able to give the child a cell phone to use and no one raise a red flag? Did the parents not see a change in behavior in their own child? Did Kevin Hite’s family not see a change in behavior with him? In my opinion, THERE ARE ALWAYS RED FLAGS! I believe someone or more than one person had to have known about it. The Roanoke Times states that the victim is now a young adult so years have passed but the story broke last October. PARENTS- DON’T JUST TRUST ANYONE WITH YOUR CHILD JUST BECAUSE YOU BELIEVE THEM TO BE CHRISTIAN AND ALWAYS KNOW WHERE YOUR MINOR CHILDREN ARE AND WHO THEY ARE WITH! With this happening over an extended period of time, I believe whoever was responsible for this child has failed them.
So what happened? Have you noticed the media posts 50 times as many stories accusations and arrests than sentencing. So? What happened?
I listened to the Slick Willie podcast and I am curious about something. Does David have any recent selfies of himself with Kevin Hite posted on social media? It does not make you a bad guy if there is a recent selfie with a convicted child molester. Yahshua forgives, but the public is not so forgiving.