The pastor of a Baptist church in Gardena claims that allegations made against him from some members of the congregation have been dismissed by a judge as frivolous, while other congregants are wondering why and how the church leader has been allowed to return to the pulpit since his arrest late last year.
Surveillance footage captured on Oct. 7 appears to show a man pushing a female church elder down a set of concrete steps.
Pastor Lorenz Roseman was arrested in connection with the incident that same day. He was released two days later on a promise to appear in court.
On March 1, a cohort of Beulah Land Missionary Baptist Church, many who contend it was Roseman that pushed the woman down the steps, gathered outside their house of worship to hold a demonstration calling for the pastor’s dismissal.
“This is what the pastor did,” Najee Ali, a community activist with Project Islamic Hope, said while pointing to a brace worn by the pastor’s alleged victim. “That’s why the members of the church are asking him to step down.”
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Some congregants are calling for the dismissal Beulah Land Missionary Church Pastor Lorenz Roseman dismal after surveillance video shows a female elder being pushed down cement steps outside the facility on Oct. 7, 2025. (Najee Ali)
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Some congregants are calling for the dismissal Beulah Land Missionary Church Pastor Lorenz Roseman dismal after surveillance video shows a female elder being pushed down cement steps outside the facility on Oct. 7, 2025. (Najee Ali)
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Some congregants are calling for the dismissal Beulah Land Missionary Church Pastor Lorenz Roseman dismal after surveillance video shows a female elder being pushed down cement steps outside the facility on Oct. 7, 2025. (Najee Ali)
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Some congregants are calling for the dismissal Beulah Land Missionary Church Pastor Lorenz Roseman dismal after surveillance video shows a female elder being pushed down cement steps outside the facility on Oct. 7, 2025. (KTLA)
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Some congregants are calling for the dismissal Beulah Land Missionary Church Pastor Lorenz Roseman dismal after surveillance video shows a female elder being pushed down cement steps outside the facility on Oct. 7, 2025. (Najee Ali)
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Some congregants are calling for the dismissal Beulah Land Missionary Church Pastor Lorenz Roseman dismal after surveillance video shows a female elder being pushed down cement steps outside the facility on Oct. 7, 2025. (KTLA)
Elise McTaw, the woman pushed down the steps and out a metal gate said she suffered a fractured wrist and toes from the fall.
“I’m not the same after being hurt by somebody that you trust and love,” she said.
While Roseman did not want to speak about the ongoing legal matter on camera, he explained in a statement emailed to KTLA that his position as pastor of the Gardena church was reaffirmed by a majority vote of congregants during a business meeting.
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The statement went on to say:
“The whole unfortunate event began when I was informed that certain influential members, who held positions of power, might be engaged in unethical or illegal activities. After conducting an investigation and confirming the allegations, I removed them from their positions.
When these individuals could not oust me through our church policies and procedures, they began to attack my character and weaponize the legal system against me. However, judges have dismissed these suits as frivolous and lacking standing.”
Roseman finished by saying he remains confident that he would prevail in any future legal filings.
For some in the church community, like Dr. Ta-Taneisha Thames, the pastor’s explanation of the situation does not resolve the issue at hand.
“He does not get to put his hands on anyone,” she said. “That is not okay. He has to go.”
While KTLA has reached out to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department about the status and conditions of Roseman’s arrest and are waiting to hear back, the case is still working its way through the courts.
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