Women confront the pastor accused of abuse in court decades later
TOI GLOBAL DESK | TOI GLOBAL | Jan 13, 2026, 19:56 IST
Inside an Oklahoma courthouse, individuals who say they endured abuse as children faced a man once trusted as their spiritual guide. Charges brought against him reach back into events long past. Their presence in court marked a moment years overdue. Testimonies unfolded where silence had held sway for decades. A legal process now moves forward amid personal reckonings. What happened in those early years has resurfaced under bright lights and scrutiny.
TL;DR
At the courthouse, four women sat quietly during proceedings involving Joe Campbell, once a church leader. Accused of harming young people decades ago, his trial unfolded under close attention. Should the charges be proven, time behind bars without release could follow. The past actions in question date back to the seventies and eighties. Legal officials presented their case with measured tones. Outcomes remain uncertain until rulings are made.
Attending a Tulsa courtroom were four individuals raised within a Pentecostal congregation, each stating they endured sexual abuse during childhood by Joe Campbell, now 68. His appearance came weeks following detention tied to accusations of first-degree rape and inappropriate conduct toward young people. Once serving as a religious leader, Campbell stood before a district court magistrate in proceedings stirring long-held silence. The event signified a turning point in legal efforts extending across forty years. Though time has passed, testimony resurfaced under judicial review.
Monday's session in Tulsa County District Court addressed conditions surrounding Campbell’s release during his pretrial phase. Despite being a routine legal step, those present felt its impact strongly - survivors noted this marked their first encounter with Campbell after many years apart.
Now grown, Lisa Ball spoke at the hearing. At age fifty-six, she recalled living with Campbell during the nineteen-eighties. He brought her in while she raised a child alone. Years later, she says he took advantage of her more than once. Abuse is what she claims happened back then. Time has passed since those events occurred.
A charge of first-degree rape has been filed against Campbell, tied to claims made by Kerri Jackson, currently aged 53. Abuse allegedly started when she was around nine, according to her account. In statements to journalists, Jackson expressed a sense of release upon witnessing Campbell appear in court. Decades of waiting, she noted, seem to have led to this moment - finally unfolding before her eyes.
Court documents indicate that Campbell has made no plea thus far. A conviction could result in incarceration for life. Following the proceedings, neither Campbell nor his legal representative provided remarks when approached.
A report by NBC News from the previous year brought forward claims involving Campbell, arising during his time with the Assemblies of God - a major Pentecostal group. Women came forward stating he had mistreated them decades earlier. In separate accounts, nine others recalled unsettling interactions with him when they were young.
After the probe concluded, officials in Oklahoma initiated a criminal review. Evidence was shared by prosecutors with a grand jury representing several counties; an indictment followed in December, stated the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office.
Last month, U.S. marshals took Campbell into custody at Camp Bell - an establishment in southern Missouri created by him for young people under Christian guidance. Over the holiday period, he remained held within a correctional facility located in Missouri before transfer proceedings toward Oklahoma. Following the submission of financial assurance valued at $150,000, a release occurred, as documented in official judicial archives.
Approval came from Judge Shannon Taylor regarding changes sought by Campbell’s legal representative. Residence in Blue Eye, Missouri, is again allowed under adjusted terms. Avoidance of educational institutions and youth-focused locations remains required. Participation in worship gatherings can occur if consent is given by those guiding the congregation.
A different accuser, Kim Williams, stated that the court process removed the shield she thought had long covered Campbell. Speaking beyond the courthouse doors, her words carried a quiet certainty: his sanctuary was now gone.
At a 1988 hearing, Jackson gave testimony to a disciplinary group within the Assemblies of God, records show via NBC News. Ministry status for Campbell continued then, under denominational approval. Removal came twelve months afterwards, once a second young person described harm.
Following Campbell’s arrest, leaders of the Assemblies of God offered thanks to those women who came forward with their accounts. Justice, they noted, remains a necessary outcome.
Outside the courthouse, the women stood close together following the hearing. Speaking with reporters, one recalled decades of waiting. Forty years had passed since the events, said Cheryl Almond, age 62. A long-held hope, she added, now felt real at last.
A few of those who lived through it stated their intention to be present at each upcoming hearing, not only as a gesture of unity but also in pursuit of responsibility being assigned where due.
At the courthouse, four women sat quietly during proceedings involving Joe Campbell, once a church leader. Accused of harming young people decades ago, his trial unfolded under close attention. Should the charges be proven, time behind bars without release could follow. The past actions in question date back to the seventies and eighties. Legal officials presented their case with measured tones. Outcomes remain uncertain until rulings are made.
Attending a Tulsa courtroom were four individuals raised within a Pentecostal congregation, each stating they endured sexual abuse during childhood by Joe Campbell, now 68. His appearance came weeks following detention tied to accusations of first-degree rape and inappropriate conduct toward young people. Once serving as a religious leader, Campbell stood before a district court magistrate in proceedings stirring long-held silence. The event signified a turning point in legal efforts extending across forty years. Though time has passed, testimony resurfaced under judicial review.
Monday's session in Tulsa County District Court addressed conditions surrounding Campbell’s release during his pretrial phase. Despite being a routine legal step, those present felt its impact strongly - survivors noted this marked their first encounter with Campbell after many years apart.
Now grown, Lisa Ball spoke at the hearing. At age fifty-six, she recalled living with Campbell during the nineteen-eighties. He brought her in while she raised a child alone. Years later, she says he took advantage of her more than once. Abuse is what she claims happened back then. Time has passed since those events occurred.
A charge of first-degree rape has been filed against Campbell, tied to claims made by Kerri Jackson, currently aged 53. Abuse allegedly started when she was around nine, according to her account. In statements to journalists, Jackson expressed a sense of release upon witnessing Campbell appear in court. Decades of waiting, she noted, seem to have led to this moment - finally unfolding before her eyes.
Court documents indicate that Campbell has made no plea thus far. A conviction could result in incarceration for life. Following the proceedings, neither Campbell nor his legal representative provided remarks when approached.
A report by NBC News from the previous year brought forward claims involving Campbell, arising during his time with the Assemblies of God - a major Pentecostal group. Women came forward stating he had mistreated them decades earlier. In separate accounts, nine others recalled unsettling interactions with him when they were young.
After the probe concluded, officials in Oklahoma initiated a criminal review. Evidence was shared by prosecutors with a grand jury representing several counties; an indictment followed in December, stated the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office.
Last month, U.S. marshals took Campbell into custody at Camp Bell - an establishment in southern Missouri created by him for young people under Christian guidance. Over the holiday period, he remained held within a correctional facility located in Missouri before transfer proceedings toward Oklahoma. Following the submission of financial assurance valued at $150,000, a release occurred, as documented in official judicial archives.
Approval came from Judge Shannon Taylor regarding changes sought by Campbell’s legal representative. Residence in Blue Eye, Missouri, is again allowed under adjusted terms. Avoidance of educational institutions and youth-focused locations remains required. Participation in worship gatherings can occur if consent is given by those guiding the congregation.
A different accuser, Kim Williams, stated that the court process removed the shield she thought had long covered Campbell. Speaking beyond the courthouse doors, her words carried a quiet certainty: his sanctuary was now gone.
At a 1988 hearing, Jackson gave testimony to a disciplinary group within the Assemblies of God, records show via NBC News. Ministry status for Campbell continued then, under denominational approval. Removal came twelve months afterwards, once a second young person described harm.
Following Campbell’s arrest, leaders of the Assemblies of God offered thanks to those women who came forward with their accounts. Justice, they noted, remains a necessary outcome.
Outside the courthouse, the women stood close together following the hearing. Speaking with reporters, one recalled decades of waiting. Forty years had passed since the events, said Cheryl Almond, age 62. A long-held hope, she added, now felt real at last.
A few of those who lived through it stated their intention to be present at each upcoming hearing, not only as a gesture of unity but also in pursuit of responsibility being assigned where due.