By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Wednesday, June 17, 2026

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David A. Ritchie, a religion instructor and the prominent lead pastor of Redeemer Christian Church in Amarillo, Texas, has been fired following his arrest over the weekend in a prostitution sting.

Redeemer Christian Church did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Christian Post on Wednesday, but it confirmed Ritchie’s firing in a statement to ABC 7.

“[Ritchie] was immediately placed on leave, and our elders met Monday night to officially terminate his employment,” Andrew Merker, a church spokesperson, told the news outlet on behalf of the elders. “We are shocked and heartbroken by this news, and we are committed to exercising appropriate accountability.”

Ritchie, 42, who has been charged with solicitation of prostitution, was one of eight men arrested in the undercover sting conducted by the local Department of Public Safety on Friday and Saturday, ABC 7.
David Ritchie is the former lead pastor of Redeemer Christian Church in Amarillo, Texas. | YouTube/Cantus Firmus

The other men arrested for similar charges and other crimes are John Alexander Grado-Vega, 26, of El Paso; Braiden Deion Sellers, 34, of Pascagoula, Mississippi; William Theodore Bradley, 47, of Amarillo; Jorge Luis Lopez-Najera, 24, of Amarillo; Jerry Mac Rottenberry, 53, of Amarillo; Kody Ray Dick, 37, of Amarillo; and Travis Jordan Brooks, 35, of Clermont, Florida.

Ritchie’s profile has already been scrubbed from the church’s website. An archived page from his own website describes him as a married father of three boys who holds degrees from Amarillo College, West Texas A&M University and Reformed Theological Seminary. He is also listed as a part-time instructor of religion at West Texas A&M.

A university spokesperson told the Amarillo Tribune that he is not employed by the university.

Ritchie, who also serves on the boards of numerous nonprofit organizations and ministries, is the author of Why Do the Nations Rage?: The Demonic Origin of Nationalism.

In a post on Facebook on Wednesday, Madison Jonas, who says he has known Ritchie for nearly 20 years, said that while he doesn’t condone what Ritchie did, why so many men are soliciting prostitutes needs to be examined. Many experts agree that so-called commercial “sex work” is on the rise in America.

“What does that say about our culture, the current state of marriage, loneliness, isolation, and the pressures many men face? What does it say about the expectations placed on religious leaders, who are often held to extraordinarily high standards while carrying immense personal and professional stress?” Jonas asked.

“None of this excuses bad decisions. It simply recognizes that if the same failures keep appearing across churches, businesses, politics, and society at large, then there may be larger cultural forces at work that are worth examining,” he said.

“It’s easy to condemn an individual. It’s harder to ask what conditions are producing the same outcomes over and over again. For those of us who are Christians, I would encourage prayer rather than hatred,” he added. “Pray for David. Pray for his wife. Pray for his family. Pray for restoration, repentance, healing, and wisdom in the difficult days ahead.”

Comment by Truth Uncensored Afrika.   For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.Luke 8:17