Bishop charged with arson in connection to 2021 Old Louisville church fire

A Louisville bishop was indicted on one count of first degree arson by a grand jury Monday after being accused of setting fire to his own church nearly three years ago, according to a news release from the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney of Jefferson County.

The fire occurred on the night of March 13, 2021, at the former site of Greater New Hope Community Church in the 200 block of East Jacob Street in Old Louisville. The building the church was located in also once housed the Keneseth Israel synagogue, the first synagogue in Kentucky, the release stated.

One firefighter dispatched to the scene was injured, according to the release. The building suffered "severe structural damage" from the fire.

Jonathan Mullins, who told investigators he was a bishop at the church at the time of the incident, "is alleged to have started the fire based on evidence uncovered in the investigative process," according to the release. If convicted, Mullins could serve 20-50 years in prison.

An investigation into the cause of the fire was conducted by the Louisville Metro Arson Bureau and the Louisville field division of the federal Bureau on Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Mullins' arraignment is set for March 18 at 10 a.m. in Jefferson Circuit Court.

Reach reporter Leo Bertucci at lbertucci@courierjournal.com or @leober2chee on X, formerly known as Twitter