Jamie Ivey, a preacher, podcaster, author and social media personality, is back on social media after a scandal broke involving her husband Aaron Ivey, a pastor who was fired from Austin Stone Community Church. She wrote a message on her Instagram page announcing her return, and she treaded lightly when discussing the scandal, which has gotten worldwide attention over its salacious nature. Read on to find out the whole story.
For background: The Iveys are a highly visible family Southern Baptist family in a mostly white community in Texas. They are seen as progressive, with Aaron appearing as the “cool” pastor, decked out in tight, torn jeans, hats and tattoos. He was the head worship pastor at the church, and the couple has four children, one biological son named Caden, and three adopted (one from Texas named Deacon, and Story and Amos from Haiti). Jamie has a pretty popular podcast called The Happy Hour With Jamie Ivey where she has conversations about faith and family. “Each week Jamie and a guest invite you into their conversation, and you will be inspired, encouraged, and pointed to Jesus through every show,” the podcast description says. She also just released a book called Why Can’t I Get It Together, which was released right as the scandal broke.
What was the Aaron Ivey Scandal about?
Pastor Aaron Ivey was dismissed from the Austin Stone Church on Feb. 5 after elders became aware of “inappropriate and explicit text messages with an adult male.” After they investigated more, they found more instances of inappropriate behaviour that goes back to 2011. They said Aaron exhibited “a very clear pattern of predatory manipulation, sexual exploitation, and abuse of influence.”
The first instance they know of happened in 2011 with a teenage male victim, and included “inappropriate and explicit communications, indecent exposure, and the use of alcohol and illegal substances.” Two other instances included explicit texting and behaviour with two separate adult males. In all, the church is aware of four instances, but thinks there are many more situations they aren’t aware of at the present time.
The elders reviewed the text messages and terminated Aaron’s employment on February 4th. They cited 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and 1 Timothy 5:19-20 in the Bible as “clear biblical standards” for the firing. Those texts say that Christian leaders have to be faithful to their wives. In the past, Aaron has appeared on a podcast called FamilyLife Today, where he talked about how people shouldn’t hide things when married, and should bring “the dark parts of marriage to light.”
The elders went on to say they were “deeply grieved” by everything but “we do not need to fear because our Good Shepherd is with us. Jesus is still King, He will build His church and we can trust Him to bring good even through the hardest days.” They said they contacted “the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services” in regards to the minor, and that the Austin Police Department instructed them the adults involved needed to file their own reports, which they are “encouraging.”
“We rigorously train all our staff and leaders to prevent this with our partners at MinistrySafe. We are devastated to learn that those measures have been circumvented,” they said. “MinistrySafe has been informed and will walk with us to ensure that we do everything possible to serve the victims and those who have been sinned against.”
Aaron scrubbed his social media after the scandal broke, removing his Instagram and Facebook pages. His personal website is also gone. He has yet to comment publicly on the scandal.
What happened to Jamie Ivey after the scandal broke?
Jamie was on the road promoting her new book Why Can’t I Get It Together? when news of the scandal broke. Her team quickly released a statement that the tour was being postponed due to an “unexpected crisis.” In an Instagram post, her team said that Jamie “will also be taking a break from social media and public appearances until she has had time to process, discern and recover. Please continue to hold all involved in your prayers.”
The couple actually wrote a book together in 2018 called Complement: The Surprising Beauty of Choosing Together Over Separate in Marriage, which gives guidelines on how to build a marriage that’s happy and healthy. On March 22, Jamie returned to the public eye and told her followers that she’d be back on the podcast and social media soon, but needed a break to process everything going on with her husband. She said she would be returning to social media on May 3.
In the post, she thanked fans for their patience in the wake of the scandal as she dealt with the “shock and grief” of everything going on. She said she was grateful for the “grace and space” gifted her by the community “over the past few weeks.” “I am blown away by the kind messages and support I have received and the patience you have shown while I take a break from podcasting, speaking, and social media,” she said. She also said the “our community is my pillar and strength” and that the compassion she’s received has shown her what “God’s love is really about.”
As for the book, she said it came out at the perfect time because she’s balancing caring for her family and herself while also trying to process the “heartbreak for everyone involved.” “It almost seems poetic that my book ‘Why Can’t I Get it Together?’ hit the shelves right as this crisis hit. I had unknowingly written the words I would need to hear and embody today. I’m looking forward to talking more about that in the future,” she said.
Comments on the post have been disabled, as have like counts. In a subsequent post from “Jamie’s Team,” she highlighted her podcast, saying that she’s had some “incredible guests sharing their stories of change, healing, and forgiveness!” She told her followers that if they haven’t had a chance to catch up, they should “do so now.” That post has over a thousand likes so far.