Chet Snyder, pastor of The Journey church in Fairfield, Illinois, who was also the head girls’ volleyball coach at Frontier Community College, is facing multiple sexual assault charges from two young men, including the aggravated sexual abuse of a minor.
In court records reviewed by The Christian Post, the first alleged victim, identified as T.S., charges that on or between Sept. 1, 2016, and Dec. 31, 2016, while holding the position of teacher, coach and youth minister, Snyder “intentionally touched” his “inner thigh, between the penis and upper thigh” for his sexual gratification.
The second male, who was only identified by his initials, H.D., accuses Snyder of criminal sexual abuse, unlawful restraint, and unlawful delivery of alcoholic liquor to a minor. According to H.D., Snyder forcibly touched his “inner thigh and penis for the purpose of sexual arousal” on or about Aug. 14. That same day, the young male alleges Snyder, 51, “knowingly and without authority” detained him in a vehicle and drove him around Fairfield while refusing to let him exit the vehicle. Snyder is further accused of purchasing alcoholic liquor and knowingly giving it to H.D., even though he is not legally allowed to drink.
A WFIW report said Snyder appeared with his attorney, Troy Parrish, in Wayne County Court on Monday and was released under strict pre-trial conditions, including GPS monitoring and an order barring any contact between him and the alleged victims. He was also scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 7.
The Illinois Eastern Community Colleges said in a statement to the Wayne County Press that once they became aware of the allegations against Snyder, he was placed on “non-disciplinary paid administrative leave” and removed from all student contact.
“Illinois Eastern Community Colleges has been made aware that Frontier Community College employee Chet Snyder was arrested on September 4, 2025, and charged with serious criminal offenses. The alleged victim is not an IECC student, and the allegations do not involve the College, its students, or Mr. Snyder’s duties at Frontier Community College,” the community college district officials said.
“IECC first became aware of a temporary order of protection involving Mr. Snyder over the Labor Day holiday weekend. Immediately upon his return to work on September 2, the College placed him on non-disciplinary paid administrative leave, removed him from all student contact, and instructed him to have no involvement in college activities while the matter was being investigated.”
Calls to The Journey church by CP for comment on Tuesday went unanswered.
J.A. Williams, Pastor at Faith Assembly of God in Lisbon, North Dakota, mourned Snyder’s arrest in a post on Facebook.
“When I heard the news from my hometown, my heart broke. I knew Chet Snyder, I respected him, and all of my memories from that time were, and remain, good memories. He and Misty helped me through my parents’ divorce, and he helped me find my way back to God after a time of rebellion. I will never forget the good he did in my life and the lives of so many others,” he wrote.
Williams noted, however, that “people change” while urging prayer for everyone involved in the case.
“The person I was then is not the man I am now, and I know he’s changed too. The news of the accusations is heartbreaking, and if they are true, they do not invalidate the good that was done, because God can and does use a lot of imperfect people to do good things. It’s never an endorsement of wickedness,” he said.
“The church’s duty is to mourn and to call to repentance, yes. But above all, it is our duty to weep for the victims, to pray for his family, and to pray for peace and for justice. It is our duty to stand for truth, and when the truth is revealed, to respond with both righteousness and grace.”
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