Seth Day and Heather Thompson Day
Introduction
Seth Day and Heather Thompson Day are a married couple who built careers writing and speaking about Christian relationships — their bestseller “I’ll See You Tomorrow” urged readers not to walk away from hard relationships, and Heather hosts the Christianity Today podcast “Viral Jesus.” In late September 2026, both were arrested in Keene, Texas, on felony charges accusing them of abusing a child: Heather with injury to a child by omission, and Seth with that charge plus sexual assault of a child. The case is at its beginning, and everything described here comes from arrest records and warrant affidavits as reported in the press — accusations, not findings.
Background Information
Heather Thompson Day, 39, is an ECPA-bestselling author of “It’s Not Your Turn” and “I’ll See You Tomorrow,” a former associate professor of communication at Andrews University, and an interdenominational speaker whose work has been featured by Religion News Service, Christianity Today, Barna Group and Newsweek. Seth Day, also 39, is an assistant professor of psychology at Southwestern Adventist University in Keene; he was a youth pastor and chaplain before leaving full-time ministry in 2021 for graduate study, and previously taught communication at Andrews University. The Days have known each other since sixth grade, have been married more than 15 years, and have three children; they moved to Keene, a Seventh-day Adventist hub south of Fort Worth, in June 2026.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Allegations. Both Days have been charged but not tried. The account below comes from arrest warrant affidavits and police statements described in news coverage; a charging document is an accusation, not proof, and the couple is presumed innocent unless and until a court rules otherwise. Nothing here has been adjudicated.
According to the affidavits, the investigation began on September 22, 2026, when Seth Day allegedly struck a minor — reported as their teenage daughter — in the face and chest with a cellphone, out of anger, leaving lacerations and multiple bruises that Keene police documented. Two days later, a high school teacher reported the girl’s outcry, and Keene police with a forensic interviewer from the Johnson County Children’s Advocacy Center conducted an emergency forensic interview; the affidavits allege Heather Day was present and aware of the incident but did not intervene, and that she had the girl wear a face mask to cover the injuries and told medical professionals she did not know how they happened. Both were booked into the Johnson County jail on September 24 — Heather charged with injury to a child by omission and Seth with injury to a child, both third-degree felonies — and on September 25, after additional allegations of sexual abuse surfaced and investigators recovered evidence under a search warrant, Seth was charged with sexual assault of a child, a first-degree felony. Heather was released on $100,000 bond and Seth on $350,000 total, per the sheriff’s office; prosecutors say Seth faces up to 109 years if convicted on all counts, Heather up to 10.
Public Reaction and Consequences
The arrests reverberated through Adventist and evangelical media, where Heather in particular was a familiar voice; a family friend told The Roys Report she was “as shocked and blindsided as literally everyone else,” and readers expressed shock and horror online. Southwestern Adventist University placed Seth on administrative leave, saying the allegations “do not involve SWAU students, staff, or other faculty members” and that it is “fully cooperating with law enforcement.” A conference spokeswoman said Seth’s pastoral file contained no prior allegations of any kind, and there is no indication he was previously accused of sexual misconduct. Commentary has dwelt on the contrast between the couple’s message — biblical forgiveness and staying in hard relationships — and the conduct alleged against them.
Current Status
As of October 1, 2026, the charges are pending and nothing has been adjudicated; the Days are out on bond, and neither has publicly responded to the allegations — they did not answer interview requests and have not mentioned the charges on social media. Johnson County District Attorney investigators describe the probe as ongoing, and Heather’s automated weekly devotional went out the day after her arrest. Court dates and defense representation had not been publicly recorded at publication time.
Impact on Their Career/Life
The charges effectively ended both public ministries overnight: Heather’s podcast, platform and publishing career — built on vulnerability and grace — now sits beside first-degree-felony coverage naming her, and Seth’s university post is on administrative leave while he faces a charge carrying a possible life sentence. Their three children are at the center of the case, and the family moved to Keene only months before the arrests. The couple’s 2022 book on relational resilience is now cited in coverage of the case, completing a reversal their own writing framed: “There are two sides to everyone we meet,” Seth wrote in it.
Sources
- *New York Post, “Prominent Christian authors who wrote about forgiveness face child abuse charges” — source
- *Adventist Today, “SWAU Professor Arrested on Child Injury and Sexual Assault Charges” — source
- *Adventist Today, “New Details Emerge in Alleged Abuse Case Against Seth Day and Heather Thompson Day” — source
- *The Roys Report, “Christian writers Heather Thompson Day and Seth Day investigated for alleged child abuse” — source
- *Fulcrum7, “Former Andrews Faculty Heather Thompson Day and Seth Day Arrested in Texas” — source
- *ChurchLeaders, “Bestselling Christian Author Heather Thompson Day Arrested on Child Injury Charge; Husband Faces Child Sex Abuse Charge” — source
- *Hoodline, “Heather Thompson Day, Seth Day Face Child Abuse Charges in Keene” — source