Pastor sentenced to 14 years for abusing congregation member

Paul Lewis, a 63-year-old pastor from East New York, will spend the next 14 years in prison after a judge convicted him of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl. Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Naiburg handed down the sentence on Oct. 26. She also ordered 10 years of post-release supervision.

Lewis founded the Messengers for Christ World Healing Center in East New York. The church also operates branches in Jamaica, Trinidad, and Germany. The victim was a member of Lewis’s congregation, as were her parents.

Court records show the abuse occurred between Sept. 3 and Dec. 23, 2014. Lewis would pick up the girl from her home in his car, telling her they were going to get food. He drove her to the area of 1380 Broadway in Bedford-Stuyvesant, near a McDonald’s. He assaulted her in the vehicle on multiple occasions. On a separate occasion, he took her to a Brooklyn brownstone, removed her clothes, and sexually assaulted her.

The victim waited nearly a decade to report the crimes. She went to the 81st Precinct stationhouse on Feb. 26, 2024. Investigators arrested Lewis following a review of the evidence. A jury found him guilty of first-degree course of sexual conduct against a child on Sept. 24, 2026.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez released a statement addressing the ruling. He said his office would never stop seeking justice for those who have been sexually violated. “With today’s sentence, the defendant has been held accountable for this deplorable crime, affording the victim a measure of closure for the horror inflicted upon her as a child,” Gonzalez said.

Assistant District Attorney Jourdan Thompson and Assistant District Attorney Linda Weinman prosecuted the case. They worked under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Miss Gregory, the bureau chief.