Missouri pastor suspended for prior employment ties to Jeffrey Epstein

A Missouri pastor was placed on leave last Thursday after church officials discovered she had previously worked for and managed properties linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Bishop Robert Farr of the Missouri Conference of the United Methodist Church suspended the Rev. Stephanie L. Remington while the Episcopal office conducts a review. As reported by several media outlets, Remington served as Epstein's administrative assistant and briefly oversaw operations at her private island, Little Saint James, between August 2018 and May 2019. Epstein was arrested in July 2019 on sex trafficking charges and died the following month in prison, in what authorities determined to be a suicide.

Prior to working for Epstein, Remington served in multiple pastoral roles in Missouri between 2001 and 2018, including positions at Kansas City-area churches. Church officials indicated that discrepancies were found in his reported work history. According to the conference, Remington had stated in annual reports that she worked in outreach ministry through Wesley Theological Seminary during the same period she was employed by Epstein, and continued to list that affiliation even through 2025.

Speaking to United Methodist News, Remington claimed that, while she did not witness any abuse during her time on the island, she was aware of Epstein's criminal history when she accepted the position. "I never saw anything. I knew him for the last nine months of his life, long after he served time for the things he was accused of," he explained.

His name subsequently appeared on approximately 1,800 documents included in the Epstein files released by the Justice Department, many of which refer to routine administrative tasks and day-to-day operations, according to the report. Authorities have not charged Remington with any wrongdoing, and church officials emphasized that his suspension is temporary, set at 90 days while the review is conducted.