Crossroads Church Pastor Brian Tome suspended amid review of 2015 conduct

Senior Pastor Brian Tome of Crossroads Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, has been suspended pending an independent investigation into alleged “inappropriate physical humor” during a 2015 video shoot.

The suspension was announced in a Friday email to church members, which said the Crossroads Spiritual Board had removed Tome from all responsibilities while an outside investigator reviews the matter, according to The Enquirer.

The message said the board is committed to maintaining the suspension for however long the investigation takes and will provide updates as more information becomes available.

The church said the review concerns conduct that occurred in late 2015 during a video shoot. The email did not specify what Tome is accused of doing, and church spokeswoman Erin Caproni was quoted as saying that police are not involved.

Crossroads leaders indicated the issue had previously been examined. Church leaders told members they believed the matter was resolved after the Crossroads Spiritual Board reviewed it in 2024 and hosted what it described as a productive conversation among the parties involved.

Following that earlier review, the board formally admonished Tome and reminded him to be mindful to remain above reproach, according to a statement from the church.

The board reopened the matter after the same community member contacted the church again about the incident, prompting Crossroads to retain an independent investigator.

Tome is a founding member of Crossroads Church, which began in 1995 and has grown into one of the largest churches in the United States, with the ministry operating in multiple locations across Greater Cincinnati and expanding into Dayton, Columbus and Lexington, Kentucky.

The church broadcasts its services to thousands of viewers each week.

In 2020, Tome appeared in a seven-episode adventure reality series on Amazon Prime titled “Phantom Lake,” in which he led nine motorcycle riders on a trip to Phantom Lake in Medicine Bow National Forest in Wyoming. The series was designed to explore relational, spiritual and physical growth through the journey.

Tome told the publication at the time that his goal was to show audiences what being a believer in Christ looks like in everyday life. He also said the project generated controversy among some Christian distributors because of its style and content.

The announcement comes weeks after the church dealt with a separate personnel matter.

In January, Crossroads fired a staff member after police told church leaders the employee allegedly secretly filmed women working out at Crunch Fitness in Oakley, according to the Enquirer.

Tome said at the time that the behavior “grossly violates biblical standards and expectations required of any individual on staff,” and confirmed the employee had been removed. He also said church leadership was working to ensure the dismissal would not negatively affect the ministry.