Academy Update - November 7, 2025
We want to share an important update regarding the leadership transition that took place last month. The resignation of our former founder and head of school followed the unanimous decision of the Church’s Board of Directors on Sunday, October 5, 2025, to suspend Mr. Garner after they received credible allegations of sexual misconduct with adult women and an abuse of power. The allegations we’ve received were not connected to students at The Academy for GOD or The Institute for GOD.
After consultation with legal counsel and ministry advisors, the boards of our church, college, and organization have decided to move forward with an independent third-party investigation. This action will help us clearly understand the extent of what occurred in our ministry and ensure transparency and accountability moving forward.
This investigation will begin this coming week, and last for several months. This investigation will be conducted by GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment), who is widely recognized as the “gold standard” for helping Christian ministries of all types address misconduct and strengthen systems of care. This process is wholly external; it is not led by our staff or board members.
The GRACE process begins with an educational component related to abuse and unhealthy power dynamics in Christian communities. The educational seminar offered will take place this Sunday from 1-5pm in The Church Community for GOD Sanctuary. This seminar lays a foundation for addressing spiritual abuse (including adult clergy sexual abuse, healthy/unhealthy power dynamics) in the Christian context, and will not be a place to share specifics about our situation. As a parent at The Academy, you are welcome to attend this seminar. If you do plan to attend, please RSVP to board@c4god.org. To learn more about GRACE please visit netgrace.org.
As you know, The Academy exists within a broader Christian community including a church, nonprofit organization, and college. Each of these entities are united in pursuing this investigation, believing that the process will strengthen our approach to fulfilling our mission. While there will be an investigation underway, we do not anticipate any changes or interruptions to The Academy's day-to-day operations.
