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Jarrett Booker, a youth pastor at Nashua Baptist Church in New Hampshire died by suicide just two days after his church fired him over "credible allegations" of the "s*xual abuse of minors." He was the Pastor of the Worship and Youth Ministry for nearly a decade and the church's elders and deacons said in a statement:
"Regrettably, on the evening of November 27, Jarrett Booker took his own life, refusing to face the consequences of his actions. This event has added immeasurably to the complexity and pain of the situation."
Booker is survived by his wife Rachel, their son Edward, his parents Lee and Aileen Booker, and his brother Garrett Rockafellow along with his extended family, as per his obituary in Legacy. The couple had recently celebrated their 11th anniversary.
Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of child abuse and suicide.
New Hampshire pastor Jarrett Booker takes own life after being fired for allegedly s*xually abusing minors
Jarrett Booker served as the Pastor of Worship and Youth Ministry for almost a decade at Nashua Baptist Church. He was born on January 24, 1986, and was adopted by his parents when he was 18 months old.
The young preacher was fairly popular within the New Hampshire community and worked "specifically with teenagers," according to the church’s archived website. He described himself in his Facebook profile as "an unfaithful and unholy sinner changed by a faithful and Holy God."
His employment was terminated on November 25, three days after church officials reportedly learned of an investigation into s*xual abuse allegations against the pastor, as per The New York Post. They issued a statement and said:
"These allegations prompted an internal review which revealed further evidence of misconduct. Regardless of the outcome of any criminal investigation, this behavior undeniably violated the moral and ethical standards we expect of our leaders and did not uphold the standards of our faith."
The church officials said that they communicated the decision of his termination and news about the investigation to the congregation on November 26. They stated that they refrained from sharing details about the allegations to maintain the integrity of the legal process. As per The Christian Post, they continued:
"Our hearts are heavy for the victims, Jarrett's family, and our congregation, many of whom knew and respected him for years. We are dedicated to supporting everyone affected by Jarrett's inexcusable actions, both within our church and beyond. We ask for your prayers as we navigate this devastating situation."
Seargent. John Cinelli, the Nashua Police Department's public information officer and communications division supervisor, confirmed with the Christian Post that Jarrett Booker was being investigated and said:
"We learned of the alleged crimes through an investigation by another police department. The investigation is still ongoing even though the suspect is deceased."
Jarrett Booker took his life on November 27, 2023, at the age of 37, just two days after his termination. Further details about his death were not revealed to the public. His wife Rachel took to her Facebook account and said that the "last two weeks have been a blender of emotions."
She stated that the pastor "had his demons" and that his "choices caused harm" as she continued:
"Sin is dark, and it destroys. We hate it, we are grieved by it, and we continue to pray for all of those who have been hurt. JB had his demons, I won't pretend that he didn't. His choices caused harm."
A memorial service for Jarrett Booker was held on Saturday, December 2, 2023, at 5 pm local time at Davis Funeral Home, 1 Lock St., Nashua, NH 03064.
