A beloved New Hampshire pastor committed suicide just two days after his church fired him for “sexual abuse of minors.”
Jarrett Booker, 37, was adopted at 18 months and raised in Virginia – before attending Liberty University. He moved to New Hampshire to work as a pastor at Nashua Baptist Church.
Booker's employment was terminated on November 25 after church officials learned of an investigation into sexual abuse allegations against the pastor.
On November 27 – just two days after his discharge – Booker took his own life.
The pastor recently celebrated his 11-year anniversary with his wife Rachel, with whom he shares a son, Eddie.
Jarrett Booker, 37, was adopted at 18 months and raised in Virginia – before attending Liberty University. He moved to New Hampshire to work as a pastor at Nashua Baptist Church
Booker's employment was terminated on November 25 after church officials learned of an investigation into sexual abuse allegations against the pastor
The pastor recently celebrated his 11-year anniversary with his wife Rachel, with whom he shares a son, Eddie
Booker's wife Rachel wrote on Facebook that the past two weeks have been a “blender of emotions” for her.
Rachel said she and her son Eddie are “eternally grateful” for every prayer and word of encouragement as they begin to build a life as a team of two.
In an emotional post she said: 'Sin is dark and destructive. We hate it, we are sad about it, and we continue to pray for all those who were hurt. JB had his demons, I won't pretend he didn't. His choices caused harm.”
Nashua Baptist Church released a statement addressing their decision to fire Booker and their response to the news of his suicide.
“On November 22, we became aware of a criminal investigation into credible allegations of sexual abuse against minors involving Jarrett Booker.
“Jarret was an integral part of our church, serving as Pastor of Worship and Youth Ministry for nearly a decade.
“These allegations prompted an internal investigation, which revealed further evidence of misconduct.
“Regardless of the outcome of any criminal investigation, this conduct was unequivocally inconsistent with the moral and ethical standards we expect from our leaders and inconsistent with the standards of our faith.
Church officials revealed that on November 25, three days after learning of the investigation, they made the decision to immediately terminate Booker's employment.
On November 27 – just two days after his discharge – Booker took his own life
The Nashua Baptist Church released a statement addressing their decision to fire Booker and their response to the news of his suicide
Booker's wife Rachel wrote on Facebook that the past two weeks have been a “blender of emotions” for her
There was an outpouring of support for Booker on social media when friends and family learned of his suicide. A friend even described the pastor as 'one of the best guys I knew'
The elders and deacons of Nashua Baptist Church, in response to news of their former employee's suicide, said: “Unfortunately, on the evening of November 27, Jarrett Booker took his own life and refused to face the consequences of his actions to see. This event has greatly increased the complexity and pain of the situation.”
“The Nashua Baptist Church unequivocally condemns all forms of abuse. It is evil and our God hates it,” the statement said.
There was an outpouring of support for Booker on social media when friends and family learned of his suicide.
A friend even described the pastor as “one of the best guys I knew.”
A family member said Booker was “one of the most kind, loving, kind, godly men I know!”
Sergeant John Cinelli, public information officer and supervisor of the Nashua Police Department's communications division, confirmed that Booker is under investigation for child abuse.
“We learned of the alleged crimes through an investigation by another police department,” he said. “The investigation is still ongoing, even though the suspect has died.”