The Next Level Church has closed its doors amid allegations of bullying and financial misconduct by its leadership team.

Somersworth-based Next Level Church, a subsidiary of the Association of Related Churches, had seven locations in Massachusetts, Florida and New Hampshire, including one in Peterborough; services were conducted via a livestream on a movie screen in the church.

An investigation by the Roys Report interviewed 25 former NLC pastors, staff and volunteers who alleged lead pastor Josh Gagnon and his executive team had created an abusive environment of bullying within the church’s staff and an inappropriate lack of transparency and oversight for church finances.

Following the report, Gagnon and his executive team resigned on Friday, leaving four pastors to maintain the church’s seven locations nationwide. Those four pastors, including Michael Grayston, who served Peterborough, issued a statement announcing their own resignations, calling for further investigation into the allegations and informing their constituents that the churches’ doors were closing and that Peterborough had seen its last Sunday service.

“Given the leadership departures and accusations against them, coupled with an unsustainable debt load and various other challenges and complexity, we do not feel we can lead forward,” the four pastors wrote. “We believe the seriousness and volume of the accusations being aired require an investigation to establish the facts, accountability, and any appropriate restitution and reconciliation.”

The Peterborough church sits on a 28-acre piece of land off Route 101 West owned by Next Level Church, an 11-acre parcel of that land was listed for sale on Feb. 14.

Former staff interviewed by the Roys Report said they were forced to strip during a staff meeting at the church’s Somersworth location. They also alleged that the church received funds for a charitable trip to Guatemala and a fundraising 5K race that were never paid out. Further allegations claim that NLC purchased a $500,000 home in Dover for Gagnon and sold it to him for $250,000. Staff also claim they were required to plaster their towns with signs advertising the church in spite of any town ordinance violations.

NLC made waves over the years as one of the fastest-growing churches in the country, though former staff allege their attendance numbers were inflated to impress. The church held an annual egg drop at Easter, contracting helicopters to drop Easter eggs from the sky for children to claim. 

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