Zachary Joseph Radcliff (29) has been charged with nearly a dozen counts of criminal sexual misconduct. He served as the worship director and interim youth pastor at Oakwood Church in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and has since been fired from the church.
“This information has ripped our hearts apart,” a statement from the church said.
Editor’s note: This article refers to reports of child sex abuse that some readers might find triggering and/or disturbing.
Former Youth Pastor Zachary Joseph Radcliff Faces Up to Life in Prison for Multiple Counts of Criminal Sexual Misconduct With Minors
Earlier this month, leadership at Oakwood Church learned of a “potential incident,” reported MLive. They suspended Zachary Radcliff of all responsibilities as worship director and interim youth pastor with pay while the church investigated internally.
Police began the investigation on Oct. 2, when they received information that Zachary had “solicited child sexually abusive material from a minor.” Multiple victims have been identified. When the police communicated this information to the church, Oakwood Church fired the pastor immediately.
Zachary’s father, Pastor Frank Radcliff, serves as the lead pastor at Oakwood Church and was “blindsided” by the news and criminal charges. He encouraged his son to turn himself in to the authorities.
Zachary has been charged with one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, two counts of aggravated child sexually abusive activity, two counts of child sexually abusive activity, and six counts of using the internet to communicate with another to commit a crime.
Michigan State Police (MSP) First District posted that “the age(s) of the victims range between 12 – 17 years of age at the time of the crimes.”
The police also said that the “investigation shows the alleged offenses have been occurring as early as 2011,” when Zachary was 16 years old.
Zachary was involved in music ministry early in his life. He attended Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, from 2013-2017 and was involved in music and worship events on campus. Jerry Fallwell Jr., the school’s president at the time, praised Zachary’s performance of “I’ll Stand,” a song Zachary wrote, at the Conservative Political Action Conference on campus. Zachary had served in Oakwood Church’s music department for the past eight years and added the role of interim youth pastor in 2022.
“I have been as freaked out as everyone else has been,” said Frank. Frank mentioned that church members didn’t previously come forward with accusations against Zachary. “The unfortunate thing about somebody that is living a double life is that you are unaware,” said the father.
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