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.
Matthew Reiber, pastor of New Life Christian Church in Chickasha, Oklahoma, stands accused of five counts of lewd acts to a child under the age of sixteen.
Chickasha Police officials say Matthew Reiber has been booked into the Grady county jail on the following charges listed in the image below from a Grady County affidavit:
Police officials confirm that earlier this month, they were contacted about a possible Sexual Assault, and allege that Reiber touched a child in an inappropriate manner.
He is listed as the Senior Pastor at New Life Christian Church of Chickasha according to their website.
A senior pastor at a church in Grady County resigned after police said he inappropriately touched a 7-year-old girl.
Matthew Reiber, 38, was charged with three counts of lewd or indecent acts to a child under 12. Each count carried at least 25 years in prison.
According to the probable cause affidavit completed by the investigating Chickasha police officer, a woman contacted him on Feb. 7, saying two girls may have been sexually assaulted.
One of those girls, a 7-year-old, said she and a 6-year-old girl were playing with Reiber’s own 6-year-old daughter, the affidavit stated. The 7-year-old said Reiber then took her to his bedroom, where he allegedly touched her genitals and made her touch his genitals, according to the affidavit.
New Life released the following statement:
The leadership of New Life Christian Church learned this weekend of serious allegations made against senior minister Matt Reiber. His alleged actions did not occur at our church or during a church function,” the church said in the statement. “Such allegations, if true, are reprehensible and inexcusable but were not consistent with what we observed of Matt’s service to our church and community for over a year. Matt has denied these allegations and although he is presumed innocent under the law, the legal system will determine the merits or lack thereof in due time. Regardless, Matt has resigned his position and is no longer associated with our church, effective immediately. We ask for prayers on behalf of everyone involved in this horrible situation.
Someone affiliated with New Life posted the following text messages on my Facebook page:
According to news reports, contrary to the texts above, Reiber has been arrested and charged with three counts of lewd or indecent acts to a child under 12. Each count carries at least 25 years in prison.
The person above also posted the following court document:
According to Reiber’s LinkedIn page, he is a graduate of Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. Previous work history includes: youth pastor at First Baptist Church in Aberdeen, North Carolina, and youth pastor at His Grace Community Church.
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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Yeah, Grand Canyon U. Nice christian college.
Grand Canyon, as beautiful as it is, is still a hole in the ground. But not as big as the not-so-beautiful hole in his heart.
Oh wow !! And this guy has kids himself ! He shouldn’t have ANY contact with ANY kids,his daughter included. Where was his wife while all this was going on ? I never saw anything like this with the pastors I observed over the years. If I had, I’d have clocked said pastor. Dang! These people !🤮
Yulya—Good point. If someone is abusing other people’s children, how safe is that person’s children?
That, of course, is a rhetorical question.
Yes I am from the same small town. I actually live a block away from the church where the pastor worked. This was 2 months ago. The church took his side, and since the social service worker didn’t properly interview the victims, the charges were dropped. Yeah he stepped down. To the youth minister. What I’d wrong with people. Just because they go to church with someone they think they can trust them with their children. You know it’s probably all true, supposedly he left his last church, in another state because of similar accusations. He has also been to prison for unrelated charges, not saying that makes him a pedophile. Open your eyes people.