Steve Nichols Accused of Slander by Former Saint Andrew’s Chapel Pastor

Over the weekend, Saint Andrews Chapel, the former home of RC Sproul, had a letter circulated on the internet detailing the excommunication of Steve and Heidi Nichols on grounds of contumacy without stating what the underlying charges were that brought about the disciplinary process. This further coincides with Nichols’ departure from Reformation Bible College after twelve years as president.

As this story has progressed, Stephen Adams, former associate pastor of Saint Andrews Chapel, has published his accusation of slander and harassment by Nichols against him. The Twitter/X article is entitled, For the Sake of Truth: My Resignation from SAC, and at length, Adams states the reasons for his departure, which he insists was not a firing, but a resignation.

As rumors are apparently being spread, including that I was fired from Saint Andrew’s Chapel—thus compounding slander upon slander—I have decided that I have no other choice but to explain, in broad outline, what has transpired. This is not a detailed account, though I am fully able to provide one if necessary. I can substantiate every claim with hard facts and evidence. I write this for the record, not for revenge, but for my own heart and mind, for the sake of my family, for the sake of my good name, and for the sake of the truth, for Christ delights in the truth.

This is where he insists that he was not fired, but resigned, though often there is little difference in the positions of higher profile. That said, he contends to have evidence, but does not provide the hard proof.

For more than two years, I have been the target of a campaign of harassment and stalking, accompanied by vile and wicked slander. Think of the worst thing someone in my position could be accused of. Yes, that is what it was. And it came from a family whose betrayal makes the matter all the more grievous. For nearly all of 2024, I was secretly and maliciously harassed, stalked, spied upon, defamed, lied about, and slandered—both directly and to close friends, though I was unaware of much of that at the time. It began slowly, so subtly that it was not immediately discernible, but it intensified as the year progressed. Eventually, I came to understand at least the vague contours of what was being alleged against me. In the middle of 2024, after one particular incident, I informed some of my fellow elders and pastors about what had been done to me. It was shocking. I had no category for it, and even then, the matter was still vague. I had no idea what any of it was about. I was given a fake apology in this instance. But the harassment and slander continued.

Toward the end of 2024, matters intensified. From Thanksgiving to Christmas and into the New Year, things escalated quickly, and I again returned to my fellow elders. It became clearer what the false accusations were. This followed troubling text messages sent at odd hours of the night, a public confrontation with a family member, and then the discovery that dear friends of ours had been receiving anonymous social media messages for most of 2024 insinuating vile things about me and even wishing death upon me. In January 2025, I finally filed a police report against Steve and Heidi Nichols.

He notes that Steve Nichols was at the center of this harassment campaign against him, culminating in a police report being filed. It has been speculated that the lack of a timeline surrounding the excommunication of Nichols prompted him to publish this article, which gives a timeline of events, albeit without specifics as to the nature of the slander, harassment, or stalking that was done to him, only the mere assertion that these things happened.

Regarding the police report, that is a major step of elevation, but little came of it, or so it seems. Moreover, slander is a civil offense, not a criminal offense, so it is unclear what red line was crossed that would have resulted in the police involvement.

It is important to note, especially given the gossip and rumors, that throughout this entire ordeal the only reason anyone knew anything was going on—or that vague accusations were being made against me—was because I myself went to my fellow elders, and then I myself filed a police report after reaching the point of genuine concern for my family and me. The Nichols have never once come forward willingly to make accusations, nor have they willingly spoken to any authorities, ecclesiastical or civil. Much less have they ever offered any shred of evidence. They cannot, because every word of it is false. Categorically false. Wholly false. Wicked slander against an innocent man. Throughout this entire matter, it has been I, and I alone, who have repeatedly gone to both civil and ecclesiastical authorities. Meanwhile, these accusations have been spread far and wide, often under cover of secrecy and anonymity.

He is claiming that the Nichols never produced evidence yet has not substantiated what the rumors were that they allegedly lobbied against him. It would be quicker and easier to assert what rumors were spread about him than to dance around the subject.

It is also important to note, given the gossip and rumors, that all of this began long before any of the other public matters related to Saint Andrew’s Chapel, and it has nothing whatsoever to do with the congregation’s vote in December 2025 to leave the PCA. This began long before any of those other matters were underway, even behind the scenes. I say this for at least two reasons. First, whatever anyone may think about those other matters, this has nothing to do with them, not even tangentially. Second, the timeline of what I have endured clearly predates them. The Nichols began their slander and harassment of me long before they tried to leave Saint Andrew’s Chapel. The Session of Saint Andrew’s Chapel began process against them for what they were doing to me in the Spring of 2025. By that time, the accusation campaign against me had been going on for over a year.

Here is where Adams asserts that the Nichols’ excommunications were entirely unrelated to the vote to leave the PCA, claiming that the events began long before the other scandals involving Burk Parsons. This is only somewhat true since the PCA investigation did begin in 2024 during the time in which this alleged harassment campaign is said to have occurred.

There are still reports that maintain that Nichols left after the vote to leave the PCA, but the letter stated that the charges were levied in 2025, which does coincide with the article.

Adams has since followed up, claiming that he has “emails, texts, Instagram messages, and even video evidence” of the things that “they” did to him.

Analysis

In his attempt to offer clarity, Stephen Adams actually sowed more confusion on the issue. Moreover, his accusations are vague and unspecific, while his writing style is rather melodramatic. His article is twelve hundred words but does not really give any details as to what was done to him. He could be telling the truth, that Steve Nichols is an awful person who harassed him for two years, or he could be a sour grape with extreme paranoia. Perhaps the truth is in the middle. Either way, he wrote a lot of words and a lot of self-pity without substantiating his core claims.

Interestingly enough, the culture of abuse alleged against Burk Parsons at SAC would make Nichols’ behavior par for the course, yet Nichols was himself excommunicated, and Burk Parsons, the figure with a history of these allegations, is nowhere mentioned in the article.

Stephen Adams published his charges against Stephen Nichols, but has not yet provided the much needed receipts that would bolster his credibility. Functionally, he went public without actually making anything known to the public. Overall, this adds yet another layer to the scandals that surround Saint Andrews Chapel and Ligonier Ministries.