Former Eastview Senior Pastor Announces New Church: Six months after resigning as senior pastor of Eastview Christian Church in Bloomington, Illinois, after his son, Caleb Baker, was fired from his job as a pastor at Central Christian Church following an extramarital affair with another church staffer, Pastor Mike Baker has launched a new church set to begin gathering this month.
Baker, who made the announcement on his YouTube channel on Aug. 20, has named his new ministry Song & Sword Church after his online ministry and will begin meeting at The Chateau Hotel and Conference Center in Bloomington on Sept. 10.
“I’m encouraging you to attend our opening day of worship September 10, at nine o’clock at the Chateau Hotel and Conference Center,” he said. “The Chateau Hotel is our place where we’ve signed a contract. And we’re going to meet there, at least for the next year, foreseeable future, and it’s a great location.”
Baker said the last six months for him and his family has been like going through “a Category 5 soul hurricane” that came with “spirit-tossing winds and tidal waves [of] just emotional pain.”
Through it all, he said, they learned that “God was still in charge,” and they received spiritual direction for the new ministry.
“God blessed us, and I believe in the Holy Spirit moment. God directed us to Psalm 149, and so that’s what we’re going to be today as we look at His vision for the Song and Sword ministry,” Baker said.
Eastview Christian Church has been accused of using Pastor Caleb Baker’s position to encourage sexual activity, citing a “serious conflict of interest.” The report, produced by Wagenmaker & Oberly, revealed Baker’s cover-up and the impact of power dynamics on staff and the congregation.
The allegations emerged after Baker’s firing in February after an extramarital affair. The church only became aware of the abuse allegations after Baker left in 2016.
Mike Baker, a former member of Eastview Christian Church, has resigned from the church amid allegations of cover-ups against his son. Baker, who was questioned about the allegations, denied any involvement and said there was no conclusion.
He stated that his new church, Song and Sword, is not about competing with Eastview or seeking revenge. He urged followers not to join the church in retaliation, as it is about Jesus and not seeking harm or competition with other churches.
Baker believes that God will never bless a church that seeks harm or competition with another church.