Now Jordan looks back with skepticism at how the pastors handled past criticism. But for Gods grace the males in our family would all be dead, not sure about my daughter and me. In 2011, The Lord provided our current location at 603 S. Valencia Avenue in Brea. You seem to confuse first-hand accounts of wrongdoing with slander and gossip. Jeff Payne, a veteran investigator in the usually sleepy, affluent suburb of 120,000. His ministry was paying his son 20 k a month I hear. Sin not dealt with will ALWAYS be repeated and in bigger ways. To the author- youre ridiculous. So I am not a fan of what is happening and I have lost my home church and fellowship of 20 years. "We take every allegation of abuse seriously, and our prayers are with the Coy family as they pursue redemption and healing.". But after theyd sold most of their belongings, the Jordans were told they werent going after all; Jon Courson was going instead. Youre an atheist. The root of Calvary's problems, critics say, lies in its unique structure. 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. These abhorrent behaviors are a result of non-discipleship. 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. The founder's son-in-law, Brian Brodersen, left the network of Calvary churches and started his own organization with many of the chapels, including Coy's old church in Fort Lauderdale. "He was just transparent, and he could be very funny as well. Julie metoo, disdain for patriarchy, leader of Misandry, part of the cancel culture at its finest. ! READ that again. There's no evidence to date that the controversy surrounding him is affecting turnout at Calvary . That was 35 years ago! 8:00AM. "They do what they feel is right based on the evidence they have.". Gray said hes coming forward now because hes concerned about a pattern of spiritual abuse and abuse of power he sees in the evangelical church in America. On Campus 8:30:00 AM Kids' Church Available. A sexual prevention/misconduct policy is written by churches for churches. There was a wide range of responses to Channel 9's Church Transparency Survey. Coy had forsaken rock 'n' roll for Jesus but then became a rock star anyway. In a ruling . Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. However, every person in this story who knew about any indiscretion would also be held accountable even off they choose to quit rather than too report building code violations (which could get people killed), or if they chose to separate themselves from the scandal rather than to make sure there was some accountability made to the congregation, and especially as an elder who was aware of any behavior that was not Biblically sound. Reminds me of Eli the Priest and his 2 Sons. Discipleship. Gray and the elder then met separately with the rest of Applegates leaders and told them the womans story, Gray said. Ask questions later. 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 pastor, John Munro, is a friend. No, it wasnt always so because the mega-church is a fairly recent phenomenon though Metropolitan Tabernacle in UK where Charles Spurgeon preached would be considered mega. Megachurch Pastor Bob Coy abruptly resigned Sunday afternoon, ending his 30-year leadership at one of the largest churches in the country. 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. Calvary Chapel has always had to balance accountability with the independence and authority granted to pastors under the "Moses model" of congregational leadership the movement controversially. This man was dragged for no reason. Coy opened it to the Gospel of John, and by the time he hit 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" he said he was weeping uncontrollably. But that conversation reportedly wasnt welcome. We see this is the third article this month youve found worth reading. His church started with just 25 members in a Costa Mesa lot in 1965, but by the mid-2000s, it had grown to include hundreds of affiliated chapels around the nation and internationally plus a lucrative array of radio stations. People like Jon and his son Ben will come and go, but Jesus is forever. Even the great Chuck Smith defended Jon and attacked those trying to bring repentance and healing to a very ugly situation. "God is with us all who learn and grow so much from a man who always reminded us he was human and not one is perfect not even Pastor Bob but God gave him a purpose and he did well by God. I believe the true scandal in CC is what being a typical CC pastor does to that man's personal walk with the Lord. I had come to respect his wisdom and leadership in his church and in the community. for a job at Calvary Chapel Marin, a 160-member church that . (Jon Courson) whitewashed the level of involvement and implied it was only a slight indiscretion, but I knew it was not true, Trimmer said. I used to listen to Christian radio a lot for a time decades ago. He ran gay-conversion groups and preached that all nonbelievers would go to Hell. My family is in splinters, still, after all these years. you said, These abhorrent behaviors are a result of non-discipleship. At first, the new church led a charmed existence. A bit of saying no would help. The doctrine is Christ focused and Bible based and is sound. Courson, who was mentored by Calvary Chapel founder Chuck Smith, founded Applegate Christian Fellowship in the late 1970s. Two groups formed after Pete Nelson resigned in February as senior pastor of the 14,000-member Calvary of Albuquerque, affiliated with the Calvary Chapel network of 1,300 independent churches . 9 Cathedral. I will never be thanked for it but that is ok. Pursuing the legal system wasnt the answer for me. The church still claims about 20,000 members, and on a recent Wednesday night, thousands of them poured in for a service led by Pastor Sauder, Coy's replacement. Sin is sin in Gods Word. I wanted everyone to know and they did. I was at least two times a week in attendance and often listened on the radio during the rest of the week, so I doubt I missed very much. Pastor Jon has worked miracles in my life and all the good hes done should count and be pointed out at this time. Indeed, police records show no progress on the case until eight months later, on April 4, 2016, when Coy's young accuser showed up at Coral Springs Police headquarters. The sage continues in the country in which we used to serve, which really does have a serious problem with abuse of children and women. The church Coy helped build has moved on without him, but the national Calvary organization has struggled. There's no question he wants back in the game," Newnham says. And we know our enemy Satan accuses every single one of Gods children every second of every day before before the throne of our Almighty Merciful God. I took a lot of heat and it was absolutely exhausting. Dr. Tejado W. Hanchell, Senior Pastor of Mount Calvary Holy Church of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is one of many ministers to use Scandal as an object lesson. The church board fired Messner when he became embroiled in the PTL scandal, and J.N. 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. christians tolerate all kinds of rotten behavior, being too timid and afraid to take a stand on anything (except abortion and homosexuality). "We need answers.". Yes, I said affairs my family and others were driven from the church by the elders over addressing the affairs. Recent Sermons. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. Bob Coy founded Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale and turned it into a 25,000-member powerhouse before resigning in disgrace. In your opinion rather than being a saint I would think youd consider Pastors including Jon a con man. Now, 53 people have joined a Facebook group Smith started, called Applegate Christian Survivors. 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. "She had an experience with God and has found forgiveness" for Coy over his abuse. Join the New Times community and help support In 2006, Coy's church in Fort Lauderdale landed in court over claims of lax oversight. Why? But the music is still playing." Calvary Chapel is, however, still afloat, and has survived not just . Just say NO !!! Its why so much goes unreported and stories like this eventually work their way up to the surface where then its too late. If single, please book with someone of the same sex or by yourself (subject to double occupancy). ", Like Smith, though, Coy used his relaxed persona to sell a deeply conservative brand of Christianity. 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 (My dad was one of the men who went to Guy Gray for help in the Biblical steps of confronting a sinning brother.) For some reason, christian culture produces sloppy morals & integrity that are inferior to the world which christians look down on in superiority. I felt like I was a daughter of the church, she said. Let talks about your problems. Another dedicated Applegate member and daughter of a pastor, Heidi Smith, said she worked for church camps for long hours and little pay, which was typical of Applegate camp staff. That's not good enough, critics say. The revelations come at a sensitive moment for Calvary's national network of about 1,800 churches, which have been riven by legal infighting and dogged by claims that bad pastors have been allowed to run amok. As any church that claims to be Christian, the Bible is the governing policy in EVERY situation. Like his mentor Smith, he looked for converts in unusual places. Who of you has a spotless history? Sunday Services. His daughter has filed suit alleging elder abuse and neglect when Smith. Now my life revolves around the Lord, thanks to brother Jon. None of you. However, that is the key. To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. Now years later I think churches are far to interrested in looking Christain than being Christain. Follow the policythe well-trained experts will be able to figure this out, is what you are trained. Congregants need to start pushing back on this foolishness. Payne had experience with sensitive cases involving sex crimes; earlier that year, he'd investigated a high-ranking cop for allegedly assaulting a 13-year-old girl. 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. On a Sunday evening in April 2014, thousands packed into Calvary Chapel's sanctuary, a cavernous space that looks more like a midsize city's convention center than a church. Although he's spent years away from the altar, Coy still looks straight out of central casting for a hip Evangelical preacher. "I had been invited to his house for Christmas dinner and I skipped it," Coy told Stetzer. Our accuser was the wolf in sheeps clothingabusing her own daughter and pointing at those who truly loved her. John's Great Commission and a Gospel Rhythm for the Church.mp4. 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. Why isnt anyone holding the woman responsible as well? When a blitzed, 26-year-old Coy went to see his brother the next day, Jim threw a Bible at him and told him to read it. More policies and rules will not change our inner character. Teach them to do what I do and speak as I speak. Jesus. A copyright claim was filed against this original video by "Skip Heitzig" of Calvary Church. Again church leadership was not happy with that as I went over their heads and went to the head of the denomination (Presbyterian). When Smith discovered a grace-based Gospel, she was excited and started talking about it at church. Get new articles and breaking news delivered to your inbox. And Coy turned out to be a charismatic preacher. In one case, victims claimed the church knowingly moved a pedophile to another city without warning parents. Cherry-picking and twisting scripture will lead you far away! The previous congregation disbanded in the mid-1990s after a pastor sex scandal. That lent itself to a very youthful, crazy, wild lifestyle. Shortly after resigning, the disgraced pastor moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, where Calvary Chapel has another affiliate church. Two years later, her family sued Calvary, alleging leaders should have done more to stop Thomas. But Newnham says the pastor still has more to answer for especially because his sources say Coy has been trying to mobilize investors to start a new church. He had a staff of 13. Call the cops. Coy then moved to an even more debauched scene: Las Vegas. one person was to go to them and confront them about their sin, and if not repentant, then the elders were to go to them and if still unrepentant, then presented to the congregation and dismissed out of the congregation well, apparently the latter was done, because both JON and BEN are no longer at Applegate. Stay up to date with the latest Christian news! He quit the cocaine and strippers, met his wife, and moved to South Florida to preach. 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. A major red flag in one of his messages was excessive self praise of his own preaching, followed by and thats why youre here. I demanded a comprehensive policy for that church and I got it. 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. Even though these didnt pan out, Coughlin said Courson wouldnt apologize. This is not true in my 20+ years of following Jons teaching; I never heard him set dates or claim to be making a prophesy. Joshua Jordan, a longtime Applegate member and pastor for five years, said church staff often werent told how ministries were doing, where the finances went, or even who the elders were. Shame on you. I encourage you to listen to this podcast. Then, on July 18, police arrested 41-year-old Roshad Thomas, who had spent 13 years as a volunteer youth pastor at Calvary Chapel Tallahassee. Becoming apprentices to Jesus. Dont you know what forgiveness is. Its all manipulation to shame and silence the person. 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. The pastor of a Baptist church in Virginia is in jail on child sex abuse-related charges, the Washington County (Va.) Sheriffs Office, Steve Morgan, founder and president of a group of 26 evangelical-charismatic churches known as the Network, has been hiding a disqualifying sexual, At their annual meeting last month in Anaheim, California, Southern Baptists passed a series of reforms to address sexual abuse in the. Calvary Chapel's Tangled Web Scandals A pastor killed in Albuquerque belonged to an association of evangelical churches that critics allege stands behind its pastors when they're accused of. I think that the important thing is to remember that NO ONE is without sin. Gray said the woman told him about a months-long relationship with Courson, which involved kissing in the church office and at least one encounter in a hotel room. Founder of Florida's Biggest Megachurch Accused of Molesting a 4-Year-Old. As spring breakers poured into Fort Lauderdale to bong beers, he set up "The Recovery Room" at the Jolly Roger motel, where he offered live music, first aid, and of course Evangelical literature. I however think that accuracy and honesty is more important than feelings based statements. its horrendously embarrassing, whether people immersed in christian culture feel it or not. Turned it into a 25,000-member powerhouse before resigning in disgrace is right based on evidence. To another city without warning parents are trained turnout at Calvary important than feelings based statements group Smith,... Produces sloppy morals & integrity that are inferior to the world which christians look down on in superiority jeff,! 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