Members of New Hope Baptist Church file in the doors Monday night to pray for guidance. Their pastor 40-year old Jonathon Powell is charged with two counts of criminal sexual assault against one girl who is between 13 and 17 years old.
The Winnebago County Sheriff's Department says they're investigating allegations from a second victim as well, but Powell has not been charged in that case.
"Last week, Wednesday night, after our evening service, detectives showed up and from there an investigation ensued," says New Hope Assistant Pastor Josh Rivers. "It's unbelievable. It's like the kind of situation where you just wish it was a dream, that you'd wake up and it would all go away."
Powell is being held in the Winnebago County jail on 250 thousand dollars bond and Rivers has stepped in as interim pastor until the 50-member congregation decides what to do next.
"They've taken it pretty hard. A lot of shock, a lot of disbelief," says Rivers.
New Hope includes a preschool through 12th grade school, that ten students attend, half of whom are Powell's children. His five kids range in age from 10 to 17.
Rivers says he never saw any warning signs when he watched Powell interact with the kids.
"I never really had any inkling that anything like this could have happened. I never noticed anything really inappropriate. At least not in my presence," Rivers says.
Meanwhile parents in the neighborhood say it's unsettling to have these kinds of allegations we hear about across the country hit so close to home. Now they're keeping an even more watchful eye on their children.
"I'm completely shocked. I would have never imagined it being this close," says neighbor Liz Scott.
Church members tell 23 News Pastor Powell means a great deal to them and has done a lot for them. At this point they say all they can do is pray for him.
However, I also spoke with a man who formerly attended the church as a visitor. He says Pastor Powell was very controlling and didn't always like to follow the rules of the church. He also says several people left the church soon after Powell became pastor.
There's no word from the county yet on when Powell will be in court.
Rivers says he's heard rumors of who the alleged victim is, but he declined to tell us.