UMC Lifts Suspension of Pastor Who Worked for Jeffrey Epstein, Ends Investigation

The United Methodist Church (UMC) has concluded its investigation into Rev. Stephanie Remington, a UMC minister who was suspended in March after it came to light that she had worked for Jeffrey Epstein from 2018-2019. Although Remington is not accused of any crime and her suspension as a minister has been lifted, she will not be allowed to pastor a UMC church “for the time being,” according to UM News. Epstein, an American financier who was convicted of child sex abuse and was accused of child sex trafficking, died by suicide while awaiting trial in 2019. Epstein is believed to have for years trafficked children to high-profile clients, including politicians and celebrities. Remington worked for Epstein as an administrative assistant and later as a temporary property manager for Epstein’s private island. RELATED: ‘God Has a File on Each One of Us’—Evangelist Franklin Graham Weighs in on the Epstein Files Remington reportedly began serving as a UMC pastor in 2001, but she stepped away from pastoring in 2016 following a divorce from her husband, who was also a UMC pastor. In March, the Missouri Conference of the UMC said in a statement that it “had no knowledge of [Remington’s] association with Mr. Epstein.” The statement added, “Clergy serving in extension ministry operate outside a local church appointment and 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 said. “The Bishop or district superintendent were not contacted about the individual’s interest in or acceptance of the Epstein-related position.” According to UM News, Remington’s name appears in more than 1,800 records in the so-called Epstein files, a cache of documents, photos, and videos related to Epstein that were released by the Department of Justice. RELATED: Bryce Crawford Shares the Gospel With Epstein Survivor Marina Lacerda Remington told UM News that she never witnessed any wrongdoing during her time working with Epstein.