BATES CITY, Mo. -- Just up the road from the search site where investigators are looking for clues in the case of a family caught up in a sex abuse ring is the little Bates City Community Church.

Three of the five men charged in the case were active members of the church, until Wednesday.

Hope, love, joy and peace are messages the Community of Christ church espouses.

Burrell Mohler Sr., was a lay minister at the Central Missouri Mission and his sons David Mohler and Jared Mohler were also active ministers in other churches.

"The church takes seriously the allegations that have been made and has suspended the priesthood licenses of three lay ministers," a spokesperson told KCTV5's Eric Chaloux.

KCTV5 has learned that none of the three served in leadership roles, nor did they teach children. They were not paid by the church.

"Leaders and members of the Community of Christ in the greater Kansas City area are prayerfully upholding those families that are touched by the recent arrests of five members of the Mohler family," the spokesperson said.

"I don't know about that religion, I'm a Baptist, and there's no way I was brought up like that," neighbor Cail Lewis said. "It upsets me a little bit."

Lewis said he is familiar with one of the men who were charged -- Roland Mohler.

"He was OK to me," he said. "He never gave me no problems or anything, but he was always kind of pushy."

Lewis and others in the small community are waiting for more details to surface as the investigation continues.