Luke Cunningham, a former youth pastor who bounced between at least four Texas churches, is now staring down potential federal child sex trafficking charges. Prosecutors allege Cunningham groomed and abused kids not only at camps but also on out-of-state and international mission trips, including one in Guatemala. Yes, the FBI is involved, because apparently, Lubbock scandals don’t do “small.”
Court documents paint him as a serial predator who slapped, choked, and raped victims, deliberately engineering situations like mission trips to isolate them. One alleged assault overseas triggered federal jurisdiction, meaning Cunningham could face 15 years to life if convicted of sex trafficking. His defense attorney asked for a bond reduction from $500,000 to $100,000, insisting he’s “not a threat to the community.” Right, because that’s exactly what you say about a guy accused of choking kids unconscious.
This isn’t just a one-off horror story. Cunningham had stints at Lakeside Baptist (Granbury), Turning Point (Lubbock), North Fort Worth Baptist, and the now-defunct Agape Baptist. Complaints followed him, and even the Lubbock DA once poked around in 2021–22 without filing charges. Meanwhile, churches passed him along with glowing references like a casserole dish at a potluck. Lakeside later admitted he was a “serial offender and church-hopper” and blamed the lack of a proper database for offenders in the Southern Baptist Convention.
Now, as both local and federal cases loom, Cunningham’s story is less about one predator and more about the system that failed to stop him sooner. Churches claim ignorance, pastors pass the buck, and victims are left to pick up the pieces.
Maybe instead of arguing over drag shows, Lubbock churches and politicians could focus on keeping actual predators out of the pulpit. But that would make too much sense, wouldn’t it?
