The Missouri Conference of the United Methodist Church has suspended an ordained minister upon learning of an alleged “professional relationship” with Jeffrey Epstein.
The conference issued a statement on Thursday, stating that this minister worked with Epstein between 2018 and 2019. The suspension is set for 90 days as a “supervisory response process” is undertaken.
The minister in question, Rev. Stephanie Remington, served as Epstein’s administrative assistant from August to December 2018 and also allegedly took on a role as a temporary property manager on Epstein’s private island from January to May 2019.
At the time Remington worked with Epstein, he was already a convicted sex offender. However, he wouldn’t be charged with sex trafficking of minors until July 2019, after which he was found dead in his cell, with authorities ruling it a suicide.
The Missouri Conference and other organizations were made aware of Remington’s past work through Rev. Elizabeth Glass Turner, who was looking into millions of documents released by the Department of Justice.
In her role, Remington was known to have previously developed an online curriculum focusing on sexual boundaries training for churches. She admitted to being aware of Epstein’s status as a registered sex offender when she took the position but has not been charged with any crime. Remington stated to UM News that she never witnessed any abuse during her time with Epstein.
Reflecting on their relationship, she mentioned, “I knew him for the last nine months of his life, long after he served time in prison for the charges he was accused of.” Remington left her job to care for her father, who was diagnosed with cancer.
In blog posts written under the name Jerusha Moon, she discussed themes of Jesus Christ’s outreach to sinners, suggesting a parallel to her work with Epstein. She elaborated, “If I withheld a relationship because of my past with this man, I would be turning my back on every message of hope I’ve ever preached and my mission to be a healing presence.”
She noted that Jesus associated with those judged harshly by society, recognizing that everyone deserves some level of grace—even someone like Epstein, whom she described as not deserving a second chance, but adding, “grace doesn’t work like that.”
During part of her employment, Remington also managed research remotely for the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, connected to the United Methodist-affiliated Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.
Addressing the public’s perception of Epstein, Remington remarked that half of America wishes to link him with the Clintons while the other half connects him to Trump, indicating that Epstein had direct access to various presidential figures.
She concluded by saying, “If association with sinners makes a person guilty, then the church is in a terrible state. I have heard people’s confessions in the pews. We are only human beings.”
The conference stated that it consistently prays for the survivors of Epstein’s alleged actions and approaches their concerns with serious consideration.
