The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.
Dustin Spillers, a former youth pastor at Abba’s House in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and president of the PTA at Wolftever Elementary School in Ooltewah, Tennessee, stands accused of child molestation and aggravated sexual battery. Based on scant news reports, the alleged crimes did not take place at the church or school. Spillers was extradited to Georgia to answer the charges against him.
A former youth pastor at the Abba’s House church in Chattanooga, Tennessee who was also a former PTA president at an elementary school in Hamilton County is facing child molestation charges and aggravated sexual battery charges, according to court documents.
Online records show Hamilton County deputies arrested 34-year-old Dustin Spillers.
Spillers was extradited to Troup County, Georgia, where he faces the charges.
Abba’s House Lead Pastor Dr. Ronnie Phillips, Jr. confirmed Spillers was once associated with the church as a volunteer youth pastor and left the church in 2015.
“Dustin Spillers moved to Chattanooga from Louisiana in 2008 following a former youth pastor, Chris Brooks,” Phillips told WTVC in an email. “He was never on staff nor received any financial compensation from Abba’s House. He left the church in 2015. There were no inappropriate actions by Dustin Spillers known by Abba’s House while he attended here. We are praying for the Spillers family, any alleged victims, and all other churches, individuals, and families that may be affected by the alleged actions.”
Several posts on the Abba’s House Students Facebook page from 2012 share events that list Spillers’ involvement.
Spillers was also the president of the PTA at Wolftever Creek Elementary School.
In a Facebook post on January 2, Principal Gail Huffstutler told parents that Spillers “stepped down from his role on the PTA.”
Hamilton County Schools said Spillers resigned as PTA president during the holiday break.
Sydney Moore, a friend of the Spillers family, told WTVC she met Spillers during his time at Abba’s House and knew him for several years.
This has been a complete shock to us,” Moore said. “He has been living a double life his entire life.”
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
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‘…We are praying for the Spillers family, any alleged victims, and all other churches, individuals, and families that may be affected by the alleged actions..’ That statement, commonly made by their church officials about an abuser in their leadership made me want to vomit. Notice the order of priority…pray for the Spillers’ family…and, oh and the ‘alleged’ victim, (who we don’t believe anyway)…..then pray for ‘all other churches’ in the same situation…oh and as an afterthought…’individuals and families affected.’
Ugh! Any organisation with any integrity would commit to paying for therapy, the best of its kind to support the decades long trauma and pain that sexual abuse causes its -usually young – victims.
Matilda—Now you know one reason why it takes some of us decades to talk about the abuse we suffered as children.
MJ, I was thinking of you when I made that comment. The lengths churches and church organisations go to, in order to keep their pristine public image are astounding to me. As is the fact that the sheeple in most of them, stay and carry on as if nothing had happened – with a mountain-high load of victim blaming too of course.
Gang Rape comment deleted