Brian Tome, founding pastor of Crossroads Church, has been suspended following allegations that he used a horse whip inappropriately during a 2015 encounter with a church member. The church announced the suspension in an email to its 30,000 members, describing the incident as "inappropriate physical humor" that occurred more than a decade ago.

Tome addressed the congregation in a pre-recorded video, stating he's cooperating with an independent investigation and welcomes the process. The allegations surfaced when a male church member reported that Tome used a riding crop to whip and rub his crotch after being shown the whip, which had been given to the pastor years earlier as a gift. Church officials first learned of the accusation in 2024.

Crossroads, which has grown to nine locations across Ohio and Kentucky since its founding in 1996, has faced similar controversies before. In January, the church fired an employee accused of secretly filming women at a gym. Church co-founder Brian Wells emphasized that the investigation aims to uncover the truth, noting that "an investigation does not indicate guilt" but represents "an organized search for the truth."