The Missouri Conference of the United Methodist Church (UMC) has issued an immediate 90-day suspension for Rev. Stephanie L. Remington following revelations that she served as the property manager for Jeffrey Epstein’s private Caribbean island, Little Saint James.
The suspension, announced by Bishop Robert Farr, comes after church officials discovered Remington’s name appearing in approximately 1,800 pages of Department of Justice (DOJ) documents related to the deceased sex trafficker. Investigative reviews suggest Remington not only worked for Epstein but also allegedly misled the denomination regarding her employment history for several years.
Hidden Employment on ‘Pedophile Island’
According to internal church reports and DOJ filings, Remington served as Epstein’s administrative assistant and temporary property manager from August 2018 to May 2019. This period concluded just two months before Epstein’s July 2019 arrest on federal sex trafficking charges.
While Remington admitted to United Methodist News that she was aware of Epstein’s status as a registered sex offender when she accepted the position, she maintained she witnessed no illicit activity.
“I never saw anything,” Remington stated. “I knew him for the last nine months of his life, well after he served time for the things that he was accused of doing.”
Despite her claims of professional distance, the sheer volume of correspondence—mostly emails detailing day-to-day operations on the island—has raised significant ethical and transparency concerns within the Missouri Conference.
Allegations of Falsified Church Records
The investigation into Remington extends beyond her association with Epstein. The Missouri Conference alleges that Remington systematically obscured her employment on the island in mandatory annual disclosures.
Under UMC policy, clergy in “extension ministry”—those working outside a traditional parish—must report their activities to the Conference. Records indicate:
- Reported Employment: Remington claimed she was performing ministry through the Lewis Center for Church Leadership at Wesley Theological Seminary from 2017 through 2025.
- The Reality: A preliminary review by the episcopal office found Remington was only a part-time contractor for the seminary in 2017 and 2018.
- The Gap: There was no mention of her tenure on Little Saint James in any official paperwork.
“The Missouri Conference had no knowledge of the individual’s association with Mr. Epstein,” the Conference said in a formal statement. “No information indicating this association was disclosed in any of those reports.”
Previous Ministry and Next Steps
Before her transition to Epstein’s employment, Remington was a well-known figure in the Kansas City clerical community. She served in various pastoral roles from 2001 to 2018, including positions at:
- First United Methodist Church (North Kansas City)
- Summit United Methodist Church (Lee’s Summit)
The 90-day suspension is a temporary measure while the episcopal office conducts a full review. While Remington has not been charged with any criminal wrongdoing in connection to Epstein’s operations, the church is evaluating whether her actions constitute a violation of the Book of Discipline, the denomination’s fundamental law.
The investigation is expected to focus on the discrepancy in her professional filings and the ethical implications of a high-ranking clergy member managing assets for a known predator.
