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Koinonia Church's lead pastor returns after Arlington sexual assault arrest

A man in a red suit jacket and white shirt wearing black glasses stands on a stage with a microphone in hand.
Penelope Rivera
/
KERA
Ronnie Goines, right, speaks at Arlington’s Koinonia Christian Church on Oct. 23, 2024. Goines was arrested for sexual assault and briefly left the church before returning this week.

Koinonia Christian Church’s founding pastor Ronnie Goines, who was briefly replaced after he was arrested in July on sexual assault charges, has returned to his position as lead pastor.

The church’s executive pastor, who was filling the interim role since August in Goines’ absence, also abruptly resigned earlier this week.

Goines announced at Wednesday’s church service he would be preaching Thursday for the first time since stepping down.

Goines claimed to KERA he voluntarily chose to step back from preaching following his arrest, but never stopped serving as lead pastor.

“I was never fired, I never stepped down from my position as pastor,” Goines said.

Goines also denied the charges he’s facing.

“That’s just something that I did not do,” he said. “Not guilty, [I am] innocent.”

James Ray Taylor declined to comment to KERA but announced his resignation Tuesday in an Instagram post after meeting with church staff. He did not specify the reason for stepping down.

“Following the request of the Lead Pastor and Core Team of the Koinonia Christian Church, I…tenure my resignation as executive pastor, effective immediately,” the post read.

Goines, 51, turned himself in and was booked into the Tarrant County Jail on July 25 after the Arlington Police Department’s sex crimes unit obtained two arrest warrants for sexual assault and indecent assault, according to a press release and court records.

The church announced James Ray Taylor’s new role in a statement on its website — which has now been removed — a few days after Goines’ arrest.

While it did not address his arrest, the statement honored Goines for his service and said he needed “his full attention focused on becoming healed, whole, and fully restored” amid the “unique challenges [he] is currently facing.”

Criminal charges were filed against Goines after a woman “made an outcry that was reported to the department” in June, and after consultation with the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office.

Apart from the church, Goines is a prominent community figure.

He founded Dr. R.W. Goines STEM Academy in 2016, a private school serving grades 5-12.

He was also part of Arlington city government’s Unity Council, which made recommendations to address disparities faced by marginalized communities in areas including health, housing, and education.

In 2022, Arlington City Council dedicated honorary street toppers to Goines along Southeast Green Oaks Boulevard at Sherry and Sherburne streets.

Goines is also a former member of APD’s Arlington Clergy and Police Partnership program.

Penelope Rivera is KERA's Breaking News Reporter. She graduated from the University of North Texas in May with a B.A. in Digital and Print Journalism.