Then a second attempt by the man possibly constitutes an offense. 6 Dana Hills. Theres no way of putting 24 people up here, Skeen said he told Applegates leaders. It began when the girl was just 4 years old. It is what has destroyed a number of innocent families and missionaries. Ben Courson, pastor of an Oregon megachurch, recently stepped down amid allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct. Several former Applegate members have also come forward with concerns spanning decades that centered on Jon Coursons control of staff, church members, and church finances. But the case soon stalled. The next year, Santa Ana police investigated the Costa Mesa chapel after a 12-year-old told a staffer that a pastor had been touching her inappropriately. Megachurch Pastor Bob Coy abruptly resigned Sunday afternoon, ending his 30-year leadership at one of the largest churches in the country. Police say Thomas has admitted to the abuse (though his criminal trial is pending). ABC 10 News reported that 43-year-old Matthew Tague, a pastor at North Coast Calvary Chapel in Carlsbad, has been charged with at least 16 counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under the age of 14. He had admitted to a grave "moral failing." Coy says he was never approached by the police about the allegations. (It's unclear if he worked there.) Heater also warned his congregation against division and warned that God would come against anyone who would come against His church.. Many women have been harmed by the Coursons indiscretions throughout the years and families have been destroyed.. I wanted everyone to know and they did. By. Two years later, her family sued Calvary, alleging leaders should have done more to stop Thomas. This principle certainly does not excuse sin. around New Years; I appreciated those teaching a lot; however, Jon did not teach a works based salvation in any way for the 20 + years I was under his teaching it was always by the grace of God. My sheep know my voice and because they know me they will not follow or be misled to another. In the marketplace. Instead, the pastors Smith installed in his hundreds of megachurches, which are similar to Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, had nearly unlimited power over budgets, personnel, and message. Coy's preaching career ended, but his sex scandal was far from the first for Calvary. Mike, a policy which tells people to report to the government is NOT the answer. and help keep the future of New Times, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our. I got counseling in the end and made the church pay for it. 3 & Titus 1 for pastoral qualifications). . ", "Moses was the leader appointed by God," Smith told Christianity Today in 2007. | (Screenshot: YouTube/Liberty University) Bob Coy, founder of Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale in Florida who resigned as senior pastor over moral failings in 2014, has been accused of molesting a girl when she was 4 years old and into her teens. When leaders are allowed to abandon the rules and tenants of the organizations they serve (in this case God and The Bible) and their actions are covered up, it is the responsibility of those who know to bring it to light so healthy changes are made or at least to warn future patrons that the organization is rotten at its core. The New Jersey-based folk-rock band Driftwood is still a few hours from taking the stage, and a handful of early arrivals sip beer and laugh over the canned blues soundtrack. Also, the issue of succession to children is not limited to mega churches. The Scandal of the Church. The Deep Strangeness of the Catholic Church's Latest Scandal. The outing of a top administrator of the nation's conference of Catholic bishops as a regular Grindr user was clearly a story. For some reason, christian culture produces sloppy morals & integrity that are inferior to the world which christians look down on in superiority. He damages virtue and integrity; he may even draw his brother into spiritual death.". Their congregation consists of approximately 20,000 members. At first, the new church led a charmed existence. Even though these didnt pan out, Coughlin said Courson wouldnt apologize. I however think that accuracy and honesty is more important than feelings based statements. Was it always so? "I was brought into the Lutheran church without a choice that's where I learned what a religious environment was like, but I was missing the spiritual thing.". Without a comprehensive policy in place a church is basically sending the message that what one has to report is not welcome. Our tenures on the board of a local seminary had briefly overlapped. Leadership was not happy. Our purpose is to point people to Jesus by exalting the Lord w I just chose for things to be done differently, but it felt right. Pastor Bob will be focusing his full attention on his personal relationship with God and with his family. Bob Coy, who founded the Calvary Chapel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in 1985, stepped down after admitting to adultery and watching porn. Grays church, which at the time had ministry connections to Applegate, disassociated with Applegate because of Applegates response. When asked for comment, Stroble told The Roys Report to save the dime and not call me back anymore.. This was also true of an ad for Searchlight: both the promotion and a sample of him speaking. 8 Quartz Hill. "They do what they feel is right based on the evidence they have.". Pastor so and so would never do that. It's still not clear how Coy's sexual indiscretions came to light in 2014. People like Jon and his son Ben will come and go, but Jesus is forever. He sat on a U.S. presidential advisory board and received weekly updates straight from GOP mastermind Karl Rove. She told Payne she was "moving tomorrow [overseas] on a mission trip with the church, and asked if it was possible to destroy any record of [her] abuse," the detective wrote in a closeout memo. If single, please book with someone of the same sex or by yourself (subject to double occupancy). Newport Beach church vandalized, will require $80K to $100K in repairs, pastor says. In 2007, Christianity Today spoke to numerous Calvary pastors across the country. "When Pastor Bob left, people definitely left too because they wanted to follow him or because they were just hurt," says Healy, the longtime church member. She'd never even told her family about the crimes. Bob Coy founded Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale and turned it into a 25,000-member . (Titus 1:5-9) Why would Scripture give these qualifications if Christians are just supposed to use them to determine if a pastor is qualified for office? "There were no other allegations," he says. He's accused of molesting at least ten children aged 13 to 16 over several years, victimizing members of the youth group he led after taking them back to his apartment. Charles E. Blair, the man who transformed Denver's Calvary Temple into one of the largest nondenominational churches in the country and presided over its . Recent Sermons. April 6, 2020 6:50 pm A Chicago-area megachurchalready under fire for telling staff to keep a pastor's COVID-19 diagnosis secret and allegedly forcing them to work in unsafe conditionsnow is 43 comments The only cure is Christlike character. To reflect our new location, Calvary officially changed its name from "Calvary Church of Placentia" to "Calvary Community Church of Brea." After a 10-year capital campaign, we completed construction on our new Worship Center in March of 2021. Coy certainly paid a heavy price for his infidelity: His family has broken to pieces, and his chapels packed with thousands of adoring fans have been replaced with a half-full nightclub in Boca. He taught how societal trends lined up with scripture and prophesies of the end times, he discussed how new technologies might play a role or be heading toward those prophesies, but I never heard anything that didnt pan out and would require any apology. He had invited KP Yohannan, the billion dollar conman, to his church where I saw him. "I was brought up in a very religious, traditional Midwestern home," he told Ed Stetzer, a Wheaton College professor, in a 2013 interview for a video series. Our pastor, he committed sexual immorality, habitually, through pornography. The previous congregation disbanded in the mid-1990s after a pastor sex scandal. Coy wouldn't be charged over her allegations. He had been in hot water in the '90s when multiple women in his church claimed he'd sexually harassed them, but Smith gave him another chance. The doctrine is Christ focused and Bible based and is sound. Yes, I understand exposing unrepentant sin, but sins from decades ago? Gray got involved with the issue in the 80s because the woman left Applegate and began attending Medford Christian Fellowship, where Gray pastored at the time. We were doing it for Jesus, she said. "Our former pastor was caught in sin," Lowe said April 16, according to the Sun Sentinel. What made this and all betrayal of trust just that, a betrayal of trust, for all parties involved. It is my understanding that Joe Stroble resigned. . In 2009, Calvary of Albuquerque was listed as one of the 15 largest churches in America, with an average weekend attendance of 13,000. (Jon Courson) whitewashed the level of involvement and implied it was only a slight indiscretion, but I knew it was not true, Trimmer said. Though I eventually left it did not make me bitter. What youre doing is a classic example of sin-leveling. Learning to live my life in the way Jesus would if He was me. I would think the bible is the policy the church has. Thank you, Guy Gray, for being the man of integrity youve always been. Brodersen, the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, says the pastors of the Calvary Chapel Association saw founder Smith as their common bond. On the highways and byways. People repent, change, grow. Discipleship. In January 2016, he and Diane filed for divorce in Broward County. So I am not a fan of what is happening and I have lost my home church and fellowship of 20 years. local news and culture, Tim Elfrink Gray said he urged Applegate leaders to follow I Timothy 5:19-20, which instructs church leaders to expose sinning elders. Over two decades, Coy had built a small storefront church into Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, a 25,000-member powerhouse that packed Dolphin Stadium for Easter services while Coy hosted everyone from George W. Bush to Benjamin Netanyahu. Paul Coughlin, said Jon Courson would make prophecies and predictions, often at New Years Eve. We should always be ready to be careful about taking a side in any accusation. What are your secret sins that you think are not as equal to accusations in this article? In 2011, The Lord provided our current location at 603 S. Valencia Avenue in Brea. I had come to respect his wisdom and leadership in his church and in the community. In his 1973 senior class portrait, his dark hair, parted neatly down the middle, hangs well past his shoulders. Except that it DOES have such a policy. Dont get involved with a married man might be a good place for the first no. Jon is still teaching about Gods Word but is Jon still GODS man to preach to us anymore? I attended ACF from 1981 to about 1985-86 While I was shocked and pleased to see this article, I have to say Jon did bring the allegations of sexual misconduct to the congregation and he did apologize to all of us. They ended up locked in dueling lawsuits, with the pastor accusing Calvary's leaders of skimming profits and the Smiths charging that he used his influence running the radio stations to pressure women into sex. "She had an experience with God and has found forgiveness" for Coy over his abuse. In a 2007 CT interview, one pastor said of Calvary Chapel, "The Titanic has hit the iceberg. In the Coy case, though, Payne never made that kind of headway. But instead, church leaders reportedly cited Genesis 9 as their guideline, noting that Noahs sons covered up Noahs nakedness. Bob Coy founded Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale and turned it into a 25,000-member powerhouse before resigning in disgrace. I am not sure what God plan is, but if nothing else he shows us just how flawed people are and that is why we have to live covered by the blood of Jesus. I had help, but it took two years of my life and much heartache. Skeen said he raised concerns in the late 1990s about Applegates building projects, such as the Bus Barna church property that was used to house people for ministry training. They wanted spirituality but could never go back to their parents' churches. The chapel's founder, Kent Nottingham, told a local TV station that there'd been no suspicion of abuse and that he was "shocked.". its horrendously embarrassing, whether people immersed in christian culture feel it or not. When the elders went to the woman in question home to tell her husband, there were children there, including my daughter who was a teenager at the time. Test all things ! . Young women begged for photos. Now, 53 people have joined a Facebook group Smith started, called Applegate Christian Survivors. "I had been invited to his house for Christmas dinner and I skipped it," Coy told Stetzer. And even if complaints arose, Smith's answer was often to give wayward preachers second and third chances. Part of it is an agenda of fear which leaders have cultivated fear of judging, fear of gossip, fear of being divisive, fear of this, fear of that. But that conversation reportedly wasnt welcome. The Lord says, when they come to church, its a place to be open, to be real, not to judge one another, not to look down on one another, not to say, I cant believe what this person did, Heater preached. They'd already sold their Coral Springs house about six months after he resigned; the settlement divided their substantial remaining assets including a $330,000 Hillsboro Beach condo he still owns and defined custody of their two children. Some complained anonymously that Smith was "dangerously lax in maintaining standards for sexual morality" among his preachers. The Daily News has similarly reported issues with Applegates buildings, including building without permits, building on a neighbors property, and the alteration of a floodplain. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of Jesus v. Evangelicals: A Biblical Critique of a Wayward Movement by Constantine Campbell. The only side that we should take is the side of the Lord (*as the angel told Joshua in Joshua 5:13-14). Im just asking! Proverbs 16:27-29 Smith was among the first pastors to make a startling discovery: Many of the hippies and disaffected youth who'd come for the Summer of Love had realized psychedelic drugs and the Grateful Dead weren't filling the holes in their lives. His name is Bob Claycamp. (The cases were settled out of court.). Especially your leaders as the Bereans tested the greatest apostle ever lived! These religious leaders who fell from grace shocked the world when their crimes and scandals became public. With his tale of drug addiction and strip clubs, the newly redeemed Coy was a perfect fit for Calvary's edgier message. None of you. Registered in England and Wales 5090917, Christian Today, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN, 'Hidden' Bible chapter sheds new light on the Gospels, Former Harvest Bible Chapel pastor James MacDonald charged with assault and battery, Rick Warren reveals 'debilitating' autoimmune disease battle, There's a reason every hit worship song sounds the same, Orthodox Anglicans meet in Rwanda to discuss their future in the Communion, 'Unique' Christian wall paintings discovered in Sudan, Tributes paid to 'trailblazer' OM founder George Verwer, Responding to the NHS strikes in a Christ-like way, Cathedral visitor numbers rebound after pandemic, Police drop 'excessive' bail conditions for pro-life charity worker. Its training on how to best protect everyone including staff. Pastor Jon has taught me so, so much and he is a big part of my life even though I live too far away to go to church there. Yet Trimmer said she had walked in on Courson kissing and embracing the woman in the church office. But on February 22 of that year, the case went to Judge Tim Bailey, a member of a powerful conservative family; his father, Patrick, founded the Pompano Beach Republican Club, and both father and son had chaired Broward's Judicial Nominating Commission. So crazy that I became addicted to cocaine.". Coy's flock, which had followed him for decades as the church became Florida's largest, was devastated. Now, witnesses have come forward with allegations that Bens father, Jon Coursonfounder of Applegate Christian Fellowship near Medford, Oregonhad an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the 1980s. He stoped going to church and so did we. Similarly, another former member, Paul Coughlin, said Jon Courson would make prophecies and predictions, often at New Years Eve. Two years later, a Calvary Chapel in Laguna Beach fired its pastor for adultery and embezzlement but Smith quickly rehired him to preach at the nearby Costa Mesa church. In my opinion, if he did this [to one victim], it's just a question of how many others are out there. Welcome to America.. Jon is no Saint! "Scandal" is a word often heard used in recent months by U.S. bishops regarding the best ways to provide pastoral care and communicate authentic church teaching to pro-choice politicians who . "Our pastor, he committed adultery with more than one woman. But change within was. photos: Screencap via Youtube/Google Street View, The club has now terminated its relationship with Coy, toured the nation on Evangelical radio and TV shows. These abhorrent behaviors are a result of non-discipleship. I used to listen to Christian radio a lot for a time decades ago. The leader passed the church on to his son and last I knew was planting franchises in England. There are no stamps, no fire exit. sunday. Yet, regardless, the Lord deals with people individually. His ministry was paying his son 20 k a month I hear. The department assigned the case to Det. Its between Jon and God. Yes, I said affairs my family and others were driven from the church by the elders over addressing the affairs. Pastor Bob had suddenly resigned, the assistant pastor told the stunned crowd. Bob Coy, at Liberty University's convocation in 2013. christians tolerate all kinds of rotten behavior, being too timid and afraid to take a stand on anything (except abortion and homosexuality). 1 Corinthians 11:19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. That case was settled out of court, but the attorney who brought the case says that, in general terms, Smith's habit of forgiving and rehiring pastors who have committed sexual offenses is a recipe for disaster. Youre an atheist. The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. Others stayed in Smith's original system. In 2006, Coy's church in Fort Lauderdale landed in court over claims of lax oversight. My heart is to see true repentance where there has been a long history of denial, cover-up and destruction of womens lives in order to bring restoration, healing and true accountability to all involved, Trimmer said. "How Dare You": LGBTQ Advocates Skewer Rep. Basabe in Advance of Pride Parade, LGBTQ Protesters Confront Rep. Basabe Toe-to-Toe in North Bay Village, John Ruiz's LifeWallet Defers Debt Payments, Warns of Accounting Blunders, Photos: Fort Lauderdale Residents Assess Damage Wrought by Historic Flooding, Open Season: Margate's Lax Safeguards Raise Fear of Fraud and Abuse, OIG Says. She said that in the 1980s, Courson admitted in a Bible study meeting to an indiscretion with a female staff member but said the staffer misunderstood the relationship. A sexual prevention/misconduct policy is written by churches for churches. Yes, we might not have a reason to doubt the claims. "Religious leaders have a tremendous amount of power over their flock," says Scott Thumma, a professor of sociology of religion at Hartford Seminary who has studied the Calvary movement. His daughter, Janette Manderson, and his widow, Kay, sued the organization, alleging its leaders conspired to take over Smith's empire and even denied him emergency medical care on his deathbed. I wrote him and his son a warning about what was going on. He would regularly "finger and fondle her" genitals, make her touch his penis, and "dirty talk" to her. Even in the chemically altered '70s music business, Coy's appetites were too voracious. Im so confused. Thank you Cindy for reminding us of those words and I have to add, let him without sin throw the first stone. But the senior pastor also resigned. Many members expressed disappointment, encouragement, and hope on the church's Facebook page. Yet despite noting illegalities in the building plans, Skeen said he was rebuffed. The governing board of the church is providing counselors and ministers who will help guide him through the process of full repentance, cleansing and restoration.". Nobody else should be judging brother Jon or trying to solve this issue. Congregants need to start pushing back on this foolishness. Against anyone who would come against his church and fellowship of 20 years they feel is based! My family and others were driven from the first for Calvary years old come to his. Noahs nakedness 25,000-member powerhouse before resigning in disgrace Moses was the leader by. An experience with God and has found forgiveness '' for Coy over his abuse to grave. For reminding us of those words and I skipped it, '' Lowe said 16... Church has Jon Courson would make prophecies and predictions, often at years! 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