- December 4, 2025
A worship leader at Riverbend Community Church has been removed from his role following allegations of sexual misconduct with teenaged girls about 20 years ago.
Ormond Beach Police received a call on Aug. 18, from a concerned parent of a child who attends Riverbend Academy after the parent received an email from the school informing that a teacher and worship leader, 48-year-old Heyward Evans, had confessed to church elders that he engaged in misconduct with female high school students who were members of the church while he was in a leadership position.
The email by Pastor Jason Karr informed parents, according to a police incident report, that Evans had been removed from his position with the school and church leadership.
"Mr. Evans has expressed that he has repented and that he understands and accepts these consequences," Karr wrote. "These actions were unacceptable and displeasing in the sight of God, and due to their seriousness, we have reported the incidents."
The church addressed Evans' removal as worship leader in a members' meeting held on Aug. 13, based on a recording sent anonymously to the Observer.
In the meeting, church pastor Josh Brown read a letter stating that Riverbend had been the object of "many pointed comments online" following a social media post made on July 13 by a former female church member, whom he said the church had met with recently.
The Reddit post, Brown said, made the church aware of various past accusations, many involving Evans.
"We began to speak with Heyward about those allegations and where they could be coming from," Brown said. "Heyward denied and still denies the online allegations. However, over the course of multiple conversations, he has willingly recounted all of his romantic history, and acknowledged that there were people in his past that have been emotionally hurt by his actions. During these conversations, as details were discussed, the elders became aware of some sins in his distant past that upon examination, prayer and consideration would make him unable to continue in his position as worship leader, being above reproach."
Brown said that Evans had repented and that he is "right standing with the church."
"This isn't a church discipline meeting," Brown said. "This is just a change in a staff position."
During his 20-minute address, Brown said the church seeks to be transparent in light of ongoing allegations. He said Riverbend is "exploring a third-party organization to potentially do an evaluation to determine where there is any truth, where there is any falsehood, to seek to exonerate any names that are accused, and as well as know how we can improve overall, our church as an organization."
Following the call from the concerned parent on Aug. 18, police spoke with Karr, who said church elders had recently become aware of an internet forum on Reddit where an anonymous user had made allegations that Evans was a "pedophile."
Karr told OBPD that he and other church elders met with Evans to confront him over the allegations, at which point he admitted that he "kissed and groped the breasts (over the clothing) of three female teenaged church members" about 20 years ago, according to the incident report. All three victims were around 16 or 17 years old.
Evans, who named all three victims, was in his late 20s at the time.
OBPD has been in contact with the victims.
The Observer reached out to Brown and Evans for comment, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
