Missouri churchgoers are stunned as connections between their pastor and Jeffrey Epstein’s private island come to light
What an unholy mess.
A Missouri pastor just found herself suspended after her church discovered she previously managed Jeffrey Epstein’s private island. Bishop Robert Farr of the Missouri Conference of The United Methodist Church placed Rev. Stephanie L. Remington on leave last Thursday, March 13, pending a review by the episcopal office.
According to The Hill, Remington reportedly worked as Epstein’s administrative assistant and temporary property manager of his infamous private island, Little Saint James, from August 2018 to May 2019. It’s a coincidence that Epstein was arrested for sex trafficking crimes just two months later, in July 2019, and then died by alleged suicide in his cell that August.
Despite her association with Epstein, Remington told United Methodist News that she never witnessed him or anyone else commit abuse on the island. She did admit that she knew Epstein was a registered sex offender who had already served 18 months for a prior conviction when she took the job. “I never saw anything,” Remington stated to the publication. “I knew him for the last nine months of his life, well after he served time for the things that he was accused of doing.”
It seems unbelievable that no one did a background check on the pastor
It was later revealed that Remington’s name pops up in approximately 1,800 documents from the Epstein files on the Department of Justice website. Many of these files are emails that detail her day-to-day work operations, according to reports.
Here’s the kicker: church leaders reported they were only recently made aware of Remington’s ties to Epstein and had no idea about her previous employment. “The Missouri Conference had no knowledge of the individual’s association with Mr. Epstein,” the Missouri Conference said in a statement.
They also explained that clergy serving in extension ministry operate outside a local church appointment and simply report their ministry setting through annual paperwork submitted to the Conference. “No information indicating this association was disclosed in any of those reports,” the Conference added. “The Bishop or district superintendent were not contacted about the individual’s interest in or acceptance of the Epstein-related position.”
Remington also allegedly claimed in her annual paperwork that she had performed extension ministry through the Lewis Center for Church Leadership at Wesley Theological Seminary during the time she worked for Epstein, and as recently as 2025. However, an early review process uncovered that Remington had not actually worked for the Seminary for the years she claimed, having only been appointed as a part-time contractor in 2017 and 2018.
This alleged false documentation, combined with the discovery of her past employment with Epstein, prompted the Missouri Conference to issue the suspension. “Clergy are called to uphold the highest standards of spiritual and moral leadership,” the Missouri Conference emphasized. “Concerns of this nature are taken seriously and require careful review.” They also recognized the deep harm linked to Epstein’s crimes and offered prayers for survivors.
It’s important to note that Remington has not been accused of any crime herself, and her suspension is temporary, set for 90 days. Before her time working for Epstein, Remington served as a pastor and associate pastor at several churches across Missouri from 2001 to about 2018, including two churches in the Kansas City metro area: the First United Methodist Church in North Kansas City and the Summit United Methodist Church in Lee’s Summit.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
