Pastor resigns from Independence church, Blue Springs school board amid abuse allegations
The lead pastor of EPIC Church KC, Bobby Hawk, resigned from his position at the church Friday amid allegations that he groomed children, the church’s board of directors announced in an email to its members.
“The Board of Directors at EPIC Church wishes to inform you as a member of the congregation that Pastor Bobby Hawk has given the board his resignation letter effective June 21, 2024,” the board said in the email.
Hawk resigned from his role as president of the Blue Springs school board earlier in the week after the allegations surfaced in a blog post. Isabelle Davis, 23, told The Star that she wrote the post about her own experience, and was comfortable with The Star publishing her name.
The post described Hawk paying “special attention” to Davis starting when she was around 11 years old. She said during a sleepover at his home roughly 10 years ago, Hawk grabbed her hand and placed it underneath his thigh while they were watching a movie. She said Hawk told her not to tell anyone.
After the allegations surfaced, EPIC Church KC placed Hawk on immediate leave and posted a statement on its social media and the home page of its website.
“You can expect further communication from our board as we navigate through this, but we ask for your patience and your prayers as we try to honor God and his people in the way we handle these serious concerns,” the statement said.
“You have our commitment that we will handle this with integrity and transparency in the timeliest manner possible,” it said.
Sunday services for June 23 were suspended. EPIC Church KC did not respond to requests for comment from The Star Friday.
Since Davis’ blog post, at least two others shared similar encounters on social media, alleging abuse from Hawk.
This story includes reporting from The Star’s Bill Lukitsch.
