One day after being charged with aggravated sexual battery, a longtime Tennessee pastor died by suicide in a hospital bathroom, authorities said. David Mark Baker Sr., 57, was serving at Family Baptist Church in Columbia, had been a jail chaplain, and once ran for Maury County mayor.
On Sept. 10, Baker was charged with aggravated sexual battery in a case that involved a minor, according to Sheriff Bucky Rowland. Baker, released from jail on $200,000 bond, was scheduled to appear in court next month.
Columbia Police Chief Jeremy Alsup said Baker walked into a local emergency room on Sept. 11, “went straight to the bathroom and was soon found deceased in the bathroom.” Video footage shows Baker walking into the ER at Maury Regional Medical Center.
David Mark Baker Dies By Suicide
Baker also had a life-coaching business, wrote books and curriculum, started Independent Baptist Online College, and co-led a ministry called Fallen in Grace. News reports indicate he and his wife were parents of 11 children.
Baker, originally from New Mexico, had planned to become a lawyer. But after receiving a DUI and spending a night in jail more than three decades ago, he decided to become a pastor.
RELATED: NC Pastor Arrested in Las Vegas While Trying To ‘Rescue’ His Daughter
As part of his 28-year prison ministry, Baker assisted inmates who were trying to re-enter society. The pastor “developed a heart” to help restore people, he said. “It’s amazing how God can take one bad thing you’ve been through and use it for good.”
Baker co-founded Fallen in Grace with David Hyles, an Indiana pastor who was accused of raping a minor while serving as a youth pastor. Hyles was never charged. “If a preacher or Christian falls, we should pick them up,” Baker said of their restoration ministry. “So many times, people kick them when they are down.”
Previous Controversy Involving David Mark Baker
When David Mark Baker Sr. ran for mayor of Maury County in 2022, controversy arose about his handling of sexual assault allegations at his former congregation.
Aimee Spires said while she was attending Lighthouse Church as a young teen, member James Earl Lovett sexually assaulted her. But she said Baker, then pastor of Lighthouse, told her not to make a police report because it would “destroy” Lovett’s family.
