A pastor at a popular Atlanta church has been dismissed following his arrest on allegations of abusing his stepson.

Kenneth McFarland, 43, was taken into custody on 10th November by police after school staff at Creekside Christian Academy noticed that his 15-year-old stepson had blood on his clothing.

The teen reportedly told the Principal that the injuries were caused when his stepfather struck him with a gaming system cord as a form of discipline after being suspended from school.

Officers observed bruising on the boy’s upper thighs and bottom, according to a police report.

McFarland was charged with second-degree cruelty to children and booked into Henry County Jail.

He later posted bond and was released.

Executive pastor Lonnell Williams confirmed to The Independent that McFarland had been charged with a “serious crime involving the physical harm of a child in his family".

He later told The Independent: “I want to be very clear that 2819 Church will not tolerate violence of any kind, from any member of our team, especially involving children, as this does not reflect our culture and values.”

McFarland has been a minister since 2011 and a full-time pastor since 2022.

2819 Church is known for its concert-style services and has over 1.4 million YouTube subscribers.

They are a fast-growing community with over 6,000 members.

The church released a statement committing to support McFarland’s family.

They later said: “We immediately suspended Kenneth indefinitely so that we could better understand the facts. He agreed to step down until a decision was made about his future employment.”