Wayne Blackburn, senior pastor at Victory Church in Lakeland, is no longer a defendant in a civil lawsuit involving claims of sexual abuse by a youth group leader more than 40 years ago.
A lawyer for Christopher Woods Sr., the man who filed the lawsuit in March, voluntarily dismissed all claims against Blackburn in a motion filed Oct. 13 in Circuit Court for the 10th Judicial Circuit. Victory Church Announces Dismissal of Pastor Wayne Blackburn from Lawsuit Lakeland, Florida – October 20, 2025 – Victory Church in Lakeland announced on Sunday, October 19, 2020, that Pastor Wayne Blackburn has been voluntarily dismissed with prejudice from the civil lawsuit filed earlier this year that had named him as a defendant. The dismissal, filed by the plaintiff, officially ends all claims against Pastor Blackburn and permanently closes the case.
Earlier this summer, on July 21, 2025, the Circuit Court for Polk County had already dismissed the Peninsular Florida District of the Assemblies of God (“the District”) from the same lawsuit. The plaintiff’s most recent filing now removes the final claims against Pastor Blackburn.
Trinity Jordan, of the law firm Dentons, who represented both the District and Pastor Blackburn, stated:
“This was a case that never should have been filed. The Court understood that in dismissing the District, and today it is good to see Pastor Wayne too, has finally been dismissed from this lawsuit.”
Heidi Panepinto, co-counsel for Pastor Blackburn, added:
“We are happy that Pastor Wayne can move on in life and not worry about these allegations.”
In a message to the Victory Church congregation, the following statement from Pastor Wayne Blackburn was shared: Church family, I want to take a moment to address something that has been in the news these past months and to share with you directly.
As many of you know, a lawsuit was filed earlier this year naming me in connection with events alleged to have taken place more than 40 years ago. I want to be clear with you today: that lawsuit has now been dismissed by the plaintiff with prejudice. This means that the case is permanently closed, and it cannot be brought again. I also want you to know that there was no financial settlement of any kind between the parties.
From the very beginning, I have maintained-and I repeat again today-that this was a case of mistaken identity. I was never on staff at First Assembly in Lakeland. I never worked at Carpenter’s Church. And I have never worked for or volunteered with Royal Rangers. The claims that suggested otherwise were simply not true.
While I am deeply grateful that the truth has prevailed and that this matter has been brought to a close, I also want to share my heart. I have been praying for all those involved in this lawsuit and their families. Though the claims against me were unfounded, I recognize the pain that the lawsuit spoke of, and I sincerely wish for peace, healing, and God’s blessing moving forward.
I also want to thank each of you-my church family-for your prayers, your encouragement, and your unwavering support during this time. It has meant more to me than I can ever express. My commitment remains what it has always been: to faithfully serve the Lord and to serve this congregation with integrity and compassion.