Key Takeaways
- Jason Barrowman worked in the maintenance department at Cross Church’s Pinnacle Hills campus.
- A minor volunteered with Barrowman during a summer church program.
- The minor reported three alleged incidents of unwanted touching.
- The final alleged incident occurred while Barrowman and the minor worked alone inside a storage container.
- Police arrested Barrowman on August 3, 2026.
- Barrowman faces one charge of second-degree sexual assault.
- Cross Church states that it reported the allegation and no longer employs Barrowman.
- The church must examine why an adult employee worked alone with a minor in an isolated area.
Arkansas authorities have charged former Cross Church maintenance worker Jason Barrowman with second-degree sexual assault involving a minor who volunteered at the church.
Court documents allege that Barrowman, 57, touched the minor on three occasions at Cross Church’s Pinnacle Hills campus in Rogers. The minor reported the alleged conduct immediately after the third incident.
Cross Church operates four locations across northwest Arkansas and offers nine weekly worship services. The Southern Baptist congregation also runs ministries and activities for preschoolers, children, preteens, students, and young adults.
A church that invites children to volunteer, worship, and participate in programs must create safe environments across every campus and department. That responsibility extends beyond pastors and youth leaders. It includes maintenance employees, administrative workers, contractors, volunteers, and anyone else who gains access to children through the church.
Allegations Against Jason Barrowman
According to court documents, Barrowman and the minor were removing old equipment from a Conex storage container on church property. The minor had volunteered to help the church over the summer.
Minor alleges that Barrowman touched their private areas over their clothing while they worked alone inside the container. The minor immediately left the area and reported the conduct to an adult, who contacted authorities.
Victim later described two earlier incidents.
Approximately two weeks before the storage-container incident, Barrowman allegedly grabbed the minor’s buttocks while they gathered tools. Later that week, he allegedly touched the minor’s thigh while they rode together in a golf cart on church property.
The minor initially questioned whether the earlier conduct involved an accident or a joke. However, after the third incident, the minor reportedly said, “That’s enough,” left the area, and disclosed the conduct.
Many children struggle to interpret boundary violations from trusted adults. An alleged offender may test a child’s reaction through conduct that appears accidental, playful, or ambiguous. That uncertainty can delay a disclosure and allow the behavior to escalate.
The minor in this case showed tremendous courage by leaving the area and telling an adult.
Barrowman Denied the Allegations
Barrowman denied intentionally touching the minor, according to news reports. He reportedly acknowledged that the golf-cart incident may have happened but characterized it as a joke.
Rogers police arrested Barrowman on August 3. He reportedly posted a $75,000 bond. The court prohibited him from contacting the minor or having unsupervised contact with children while the criminal case proceeds.
The charge remains an allegation. Barrowman remains presumed innocent unless a court finds him guilty.
Cross Church Says It Reported the Allegation
Cross Church states that it immediately reported the information to authorities. The church also confirmed that Barrowman no longer works there and that it continues to cooperate with law enforcement.
The church’s prompt report and termination of Barrowman’s employment represent necessary steps. However, those actions cannot end the institutional review.
Church leaders must still determine:
- Why did the church permit Barrowman to work alone with a minor?
- Did church policy prohibit one-on-one contact in isolated areas?
- Did the church apply its child-safety rules to maintenance employees?
- What screening and training did Barrowman complete?
- Did supervisors regularly monitor maintenance areas?
- Could security cameras capture activity near the storage container?
- Did anyone observe the earlier alleged incidents?
- Did Barrowman work with other children at any Cross Church location?
- Have other children, parents, employees, or volunteers raised concerns?
A criminal investigation focuses on Barrowman’s alleged conduct. A complete institutional investigation must examine the policies, decisions, and conditions that gave an adult employee private access to a child.
Multisite Churches Need Consistent Safety Standards
Cross Church describes itself as one church with four locations: Springdale, Pinnacle Hills, Fayetteville, and Highway 62 in Farmington.
Large, multisite churches often operate extensive children’s ministries, volunteer programs, camps, special events, and maintenance departments. That size creates more opportunities for service. It also creates more access points that church leaders must supervise.
Churches should enforce child-protection policies across every location and department. Effective safeguards should include:
- A two-adult rule
- Prohibitions against isolated one-on-one contact
- Background checks for employees and volunteers
- Child sexual abuse prevention training
- Clear physical-boundary policies
- Multiple reporting options for children
- Immediate reports to law enforcement and child protection authorities
- Regular reviews of secluded areas
- Centralized documentation across every campus
A church cannot limit its safety protocols to clergy members and youth volunteers. Any employee with access to children must follow the same safeguards.
Churches Must Recognize Boundary-Testing Behavior
The allegations in this case also highlight how children may experience and interpret boundary violations.
The minor allegedly viewed the first two incidents as possible accidents or jokes. Adults who work with children must never use humor to excuse sexualized touching, invasive physical contact, or other conduct that violates a child’s boundaries.
Churches should teach children that they can report any interaction that makes them uncomfortable. They do not need to decide whether the adult acted intentionally, or need proof. They only need a safe adult who will listen and act.
Employees must also report conduct that appears questionable. Waiting for a child to describe unmistakable sexual abuse gives harmful behavior more room to escalate.
Can a Church Face Civil Liability for Sexual Abuse?
Potentially. A church may face civil liability when its negligence creates or increases the risk of sexual abuse.
Relevant civil claims may involve:
- Negligent hiring
- Negligent supervision
- Negligent retention
- Failure to enforce safety policies
- Failure to train employees
- Failure to report prior concerns
- Failure to protect a child from foreseeable harm
The available reporting does not establish that Cross Church knew Barrowman posed a risk before the minor reported the allegations. It also does not establish that the church bears civil liability.
However, investigators should examine the church’s policies, Barrowman’s employment history, prior complaints, staff training, supervision records, and decisions that allowed him to work alone with a minor.
Civil litigation can uncover internal records and testimony that a criminal case may never address. It can also identify safety failures and force institutions to implement meaningful reforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Jason Barrowman?
Jason Barrowman is a 57-year-old former maintenance employee at Cross Church’s Pinnacle Hills campus in Rogers, Arkansas.
What charge does Barrowman face?
Barrowman faces one charge of second-degree sexual assault involving a minor who volunteered at the church.
Where did the alleged conduct occur?
Court documents describe three alleged incidents on Cross Church property. The locations included a storage container, a tool-gathering area, and a church golf cart.
Did the minor report the alleged assault?
Yes. The minor reportedly left the storage container immediately and told an adult, who contacted authorities.
Does Barrowman still work at Cross Church?
No. Cross Church states that Barrowman no longer works for the congregation.
Can a church face responsibility for abuse by a maintenance worker?
Possibly. Civil liability may depend on how the church hired, trained, and supervised the employee. Investigators may also examine whether the church enforced policies against isolated adult-minor contact.
Speaking With a Sexual Abuse Lawyer About Your Rights
Parents trust churches to protect children during worship, volunteer work, youth programs, and other activities. That duty applies to every employee not only pastors and ministry leaders.
When a church employee allegedly sexually abuses a minor, investigators must examine both the individual’s conduct and the institutional decisions that created access to the child.
The sexual abuse attorneys at Andreozzi + Foote represent survivors in civil claims against perpetrators, churches, religious organizations, and other institutions. Our trauma-informed legal team can investigate prior complaints, employment records, supervision failures, and child-protection policies.
Contact Andreozzi + Foote confidentially at (866) 858-3790 or info@vca.law.
Photo courtesy Baptist Press and Church Cross Church webpage
