Oh, look at that—another Lubbock youth pastor has graduated from “guiding the youth” to “registering as a sex offender for life.” Luke Cunningham, formerly of Turning Point and Lakeside Baptist, decided that the 140th District Court was the perfect place to finally stop pretending he’s one of the good guys. He pleaded guilty on Monday to two counts of child sexual assault bigamy, a charge that really rounds out a resume of “spiritual leadership.”
Apparently, between 2013 and 2020, Luke wasn’t just busy with bake sales and mission trips. He was allegedly racking up incidents across multiple churches, with prosecutors confirming 16 separate assaults involving two victims. Court documents even mentioned an instance where he used his hands as a “deadly weapon,” which gives “the laying on of hands” a much darker, much more Lubbock-style interpretation than most of us were hoping for.
Judge Douglas Freitag handed down a 40-year sentence, ensuring that Luke will have nearly half a century to reflect on his “ministry” from the comfort of a state prison cell. He did get 650 days of jail credit, so I guess we’re all supposed to be thrilled he’s getting a slight head start on his four-decade retirement plan at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
During the impact statements, one victim noted that while Cunningham was supposed to point people toward God, he chose to play God himself. It turns out the “Turning Point” in his career wasn’t a spiritual awakening, but the moment he realized that 40 years is a very long time to be the most hated guy in a jumpsuit.
I guess when the church sign said “All Are Welcome,” Luke took it as a personal challenge rather than a suggestion, didn’t he?
https://www.kcbd.com/2026/03/30/former-lubbock-youth-pastor-sentenced-40-years-child-sexual-assault/
