Religion · Statewide · VT · August 19, 2026
Vermont Church Elder, Child Evangelism Leader Charged With CSAM Distribution
Andrew Buzzell, 34, an elder at Green Mountain Baptist Church in Center Rutland, Vermont, and the state director of Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) in Vermont, was arrested Friday by the FBI and charged in federal court with knowingly distributing child sexual abuse material, according to the Times Argus and ChurchLeaders. Court records show Buzzell allegedly sent a one-minute video depicting a prepubescent girl, age 6 to 10, being sexually abused, and admitted using Kik messenger accounts to distribute such material to gain access to child-pornography discussion channels. He also reportedly admitted discussing traveling to Philadelphia to abuse a 9-year-old and disclosed he had babysat a 10-year-old girl he knew through the church. A federal prosecutor noted his ministry work focused specifically on children, calling the offense 'particularly alarming.' A magistrate ordered him held pending removal of firearms from his home, with strict release conditions including no contact with children. Green Mountain Baptist Church removed Buzzell from leadership and membership in a unanimous vote Saturday. CEF removed references to him from its website. A probable cause hearing is set for August 31 absent a grand jury indictment.
Source: ChurchLeaders
Why Bible-Believing Christians Should Care
This case is a sobering reminder that positions of trust in children's ministry — church eldership, evangelism leadership, babysitting arrangements formed through congregational relationships — can be exploited by predators, and that vetting and oversight failures carry eternal consequences for the vulnerable. Scripture places severe warning on those who harm children entrusted to the church's care. Congregations must not assume that visible ministry credentials, training certificates, or denominational affiliation substitute for rigorous background checks, reference verification, and ongoing accountability structures. The church's quick, unanimous removal of Buzzell is appropriate, but this should prompt every congregation to examine whether its own child-safety policies would have caught similar warning signs before harm occurred.
But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. — Matthew 18:6
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From the book
Churches have to reclaim the training function using the generational transfer model of Chapter 11, prioritizing reliable men over merely credentialed men. A pastor who knows the Scriptures and has been tested in his character is more qualified than one holding a degree from a captured institution who lacks the spine to defend the flock.
— Chapter 17, “Defensive Strategy”
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