A major red flag in one of his messages was excessive self praise of his own preaching, followed by and thats why youre here. He's an engaging storyteller "somewhere between Billy Graham and Billy Crystal," the Miami Herald once suggested with an easy laugh and a voice that excitedly rises into high nasal registers. Let talks about your problems. He had invited KP Yohannan, the billion dollar conman, to his church where I saw him. Once, in 2005, his family was asked to move to Mexico to help with a church ministry. Why is that? SANTA ANA The Rev. Well God bless you anyway. 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 Catechism of the Catholic Church defines scandal as "an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil. People repent, change, grow. Coy's flock, which had followed him for decades as the church became Florida's largest, was devastated. But the senior pastor also resigned. Applegate didnt enact any discipline against Courson, according to Gray. Courson retired in 2020, but still maintains a radio ministry called Searchlight. On the Aug. 25 Wednesday night service, Pastor Alex Heater preached out of I Corinthians 3, urging the congregation not to judge others. That lent itself to a very youthful, crazy, wild lifestyle. Smith walked away from Applegate in 2010. Bob Coy, who founded the Calvary Chapel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in 1985, stepped down after admitting to adultery and watching porn. This is what happens when a church institution doesnt have a sexual misconduct policy in place. Another classic example of spiritual abuse. 17,887 were here. Our purpose is to point people to Jesus by exalting the Lord w 9 Cathedral. Welcome to Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. Yet Trimmer said she had walked in on Courson kissing and embracing the woman in the church office. 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. 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. Pastors should have real jobs and then preach on the weekend or a midweek study. The perpertrator (associate pastor) eventually resigned. His ministry changed my families life, saved my dad, and Jon continues to be an awesome force in this world. Yes, I said affairs my family and others were driven from the church by the elders over addressing the affairs. I am in shock over this story. If a believer (including a minister) is in sin, then that minister needs to acknowledge and repent of that sin (preferably in privateand not to bring a public reproach to the faith). 5 Calvary Chapel/Santa Ana. Remember, Allegations are not truth. Metric Constructors, a Charlotte general contractor, took the structure from . I do feel bad for what you went through. But instead, church leaders reportedly cited Genesis 9 as their guideline, noting that Noahs sons covered up Noahs nakedness. Jr High Service Available. Its training on how to best protect everyone including staff. The devil is a liar and trickster but God is the truth and his will shall be done. She'd never even told her family about the crimes. I'll never forget that meeting.". Pastor Bob will be focusing his full attention on his personal relationship with God and with his family. I went to an organization that wrote sexual misconduct policies for churches and businesses. Without a policy the person hearing might say, Im sure you misunderstood. After graduating, he found a career in the entertainment industry. I think this verse goes well on another thing with that: Our Lord militates against scandal, and even ties a curse to those who promote . The call came from California. Note; if your church leaders are incorporating Hillsong music in worship , RUN for the leaders are blind ! Following the well-researched policy which included believing the victim who comes forward with their allegations of abuse and reporting to authorities within 24 hours no matter what you might think you know about the person accused of abuse, our longtime church, school, and mission threw us to the wolves, and the christian community of our city was thrown into complete fear and disarray. This confusing and eclectic system of beliefs threatened to destroy the Church in its infancy. It puts forgiveness to the test. . Sin not dealt with will ALWAYS be repeated and in bigger ways. He quit the cocaine and strippers, began training as a preacher, met his wife Diane, and moved to South Florida. Who of you has a spotless history? At work. Brodersen, the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, says the pastors of the Calvary Chapel Association saw founder Smith as their common bond. Calvary Church is a non-denominational church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Become a member to support the independent voice of South Florida That same year, the church found itself in a bizarre scandal centered on a lucrative, 400-station radio network and its head, Idaho-based Pastor Mike Kestler. You seem to confuse first-hand accounts of wrongdoing with slander and gossip. My family is in splinters, still, after all these years. His idea was a huge hit, one of the first in a wave that has become known as the Jesus movement. The failure is a failure of discipleship. 197K views 3 years ago People within the Calvary Chapel movement are trying to destroy this video. 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. 5:1-4, see also 1 Tim. "I was living a life of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll, literally," Coy told Stetzer. That's not good enough, critics say. It's unclear how seriously they took the claim of the teenager whom New Times is not naming in accordance with our policy on reporting on victims of sexual abuse who said Coy had forced her to have sex even when she was only 4 years old. 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. Do we really think another policy, law or regulation will solve the problem of sexual sin, bullying, financial fraud or any of the other possible land mines? His gray goatee is neatly trimmed, and he wears a light-blue plaid shirt and expensive jeans. With a sitcom dad's wholesome looks, a standup comedian's snappy timing, and an unlikely redemption tale of ditching a career managing Vegas strip clubs to find Jesus, Coy had become a Christian TV and radio superstar. 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. "She had an experience with God and has found forgiveness" for Coy over his abuse. During the whole time I was a lightning rod. So, we did. His church fought in 2002 to remove LGBT people from protection under Broward's Human Rights Ordinance, and Coy loudly defended George W. Bush's disastrous Iraq War: "I believe in war because it's biblical, scriptural, and religious," he told his followers in one sermon. That was 35 years ago! When she rebuffed him, she said he stalked her and put a "hangman's noose" in front of her house. The evil world sees it all and shakes their head is astonishment & well-deserved disgust. "That changes today. But then, in April 2014, he resigned in disgrace after admitting to multiple affairs and a pornography addiction. Coy aligned his fledgling church with Calvary Chapel, a movement started in Southern California in the 1960s by Chuck Smith, a laid-back West Coaster who wore Hawaiian shirts while he preached a fire-and-brimstone, old-school religion. But after theyd sold most of their belongings, the Jordans were told they werent going after all; Jon Courson was going instead. He had admitted to a grave "moral failing." Our pastor, he committed sexual immorality, habitually, through pornography. Many of the mega church founders are reaching retirement age so we are beginning to see transitions in many of these churches. 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. And even if complaints arose, Smith's answer was often to give wayward preachers second and third chances. (Flores was eventually convicted of sex with the minor.). I know an individual who embezzled money from a bank. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! Jon was very much loved and respected, maybe too much so. What made this and all betrayal of trust just that, a betrayal of trust, for all parties involved. I got saved in the 80s, and thats a long time ago. I find USA lead preachers/teaherssure do have A LOT of time on their hands. I used to listen to Christian radio a lot for a time decades ago. 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. Our accuser was the wolf in sheeps clothingabusing her own daughter and pointing at those who truly loved her. When asked for comment, Stroble told The Roys Report to save the dime and not call me back anymore.. Welcome to America.. Jon is no Saint! "He's contacted many former associates to try to get funding. Then you are thanking the church for handing you such an excellent tool to destroy pastors, families, and churches. "My heart is breaking for my Church, my Pastor and his family," wrote Marie L. Harris in a Facebookcomment. Miami's independent source of But in 1981, his life changed forever thanks to an epic holiday hangover and his brother Jim, who'd already found religion. Jons son, Ben Courson, was appointed to replace his father at Applegate. Learning to live my life in the way Jesus would if He was me. And Coy turned out to be a charismatic preacher. An officer noted the information and called the victim, who was then a teenager. Do these pastors take a class at seminary on how best to gaslight congregants and misuse scriptures to cover their sins?? Goodness, uncovering sin from the 1980s is a bit nuts. They say the church regularly did whatever Jon Courson wanted, even if it meant violating the law or overworking staff to the point of illness. The church board fired Messner when he became embroiled in the PTL scandal, and J.N. ", Anne Marie Giri, a churchmember who was present at the announcement, stated that although the she was disappointed, we must not put our faith in human beings. In a ruling . "There could be other victims out there," says Michael Newnham, an Oregon-based pastor who runs a blog critical of Calvary Chapel. As any church that claims to be Christian, the Bible is the governing policy in EVERY situation. In ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Greece, priesthood was a heredity, government position, a heritable civil service job. "Never.". Test all things ! Please call Kimberly (800.414.1531, ext. Coy shocked his flock and made national headlines by walking away from his ministry, selling his house, and divorcing his wife. They dont tolerate such things in their alliances with people. "Those men cannot call sin sin," one 20-year veteran of the church complained to the publication. May 01, 2014 at 7:43 am. "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. Learning to live my life in the way Jesus would if He was me. Every single control out into place according to the Bible, failed from the top to the bottom. The person who gives scandal becomes his neighbor's tempter. The church won't say, though a spokesman says the chapel was "saddened to hear of the allegations." The senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale's resignation comes amid reports of an affair scandal and admitting tocheatingon his wife, Diane Coy. "We are not led by a board of elders.". But the one time I tried to be a part of a church and my son was unjustly accused as a young child basicly of something that was just silly. "We need to stop him. He had a staff of 13. In 2006, gubernatorial candidates Charlie Crist and Tom Gallagher personally pleaded for Coy's endorsement, though he declined. So I am not a fan of what is happening and I have lost my home church and fellowship of 20 years. Im sure if one of these elders had the courage to confront either Ben or Jon, as it is instructed in Gods Word. The response was essentially to ignore all of it and to move on, Gray said. 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 . Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. Skip Heitzig (born 1955) is the American founder and senior pastor of Calvary Church, a Calvary Chapel fellowship located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Hundreds left or found other churches while Calvary scrambled to find a new leader, eventually settling on Pastor Doug Sauder, a less flashy but respected veteran of the organization. But they never did.. A jury awarded the family $360,000 but ruled Calvary wasn't culpable. It's October 2017, and Bob Coy hunches over a laptop in a far corner of the Funky Biscuit, a dimly lit club in Mizner Park in Boca Raton. It did not go over well. They have violated a sacred trust and they have harmed a sheep that belongs to the Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. Their congregation consists of approximately 20,000 members. But last year, the Jordans began raising concerns when Jon Courson promoted Ben to be lead pastor. "We learned of this report after it was disclosed and reported to the appropriate authorities," says Michael Miller, a church spokesman. Coy himself was not present at the Sunday announcement in which his resignation was announced, but church elders read a statement and answered parishioners' questions. But two weeks after his surprise resignation, Assistant Pastor Chet Lowe filled Coy's followers in on what had happened. Plus, several former church members, including a former elder and staff pastor, are accusing Applegate of a pattern of bullying and lack of transparency. In a 2007 CT interview, one pastor said of Calvary Chapel, "The Titanic has hit the iceberg. The Voice of God is not to the wolves and hirelings but rather to the sheep ! All in that original group were expelled from the church. CalvaryPHX is 1 church in 2 locations. In a lawsuit, a woman named Lori Pollitt said after she had moved from Texas to Idaho to work for Kestler, he repeatedly demanded she divorce her husband, give up her children to adoption, and marry him. 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. This is the WORST tool Ive ever seen for the church to useunless, of course, you happen to be Satan. There were ample cases to make that point. But to this point, numerous people who were truly loving and caring for the under trodden there have been fired from their organizations, traumatized, and one was thrown in jail and has been fighting within the justice system (all the way to the supreme court of the country). As churchgoers held their hands up in ecstasy, Sauder read from Matthew and promised that Jesus was ready to heal. "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. Guess John needs to cover for Benji.a chip off the old rock. I think we all went a little bit crazy. Church government which allows for the pastor to appoint his successor often leads to this kind of situation. Unbelievable. The only cure is Christlike character. 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. The Roys Report has reached out to the woman who reportedly had an inappropriate relationship with Courson through her daughter, but the woman declined our request for an interview. She confirmed the story in stomach-churning detail. Last year, around the release of Ben Coursons latest book, Flirting with Darkness: Building Hope in the Face of Depression, Smith started contacting others the church had wounded. Then a friend told lies about my husband, my daughter, my son, and eventually me. Sin is sin in Gods Word. Coy is friendly and voluble, but his lively green eyes suddenly brim with tears when he's asked about the sexual assault claims. the fact of the matter is that my friends and family who are agnostic, atheist, muslim, hindu, and buddhist have higher personal integrity standards for themselves than many christians. Dont get involved with a married man might be a good place for the first no. More policies and rules will not change our inner character. He quit the cocaine and strippers, met his wife, and moved to South Florida to preach. 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. To critics such as Newnham, there's only one reason to fight for a ruling like that: to hide from churchgoers the amount of cash the church gave Coy to go away. There is no sin greater or less than the other, other than blasphemy. Jeff Payne, a veteran investigator in the usually sleepy, affluent suburb of 120,000. Rebecca Hopkins is a journalist based in Colorado. And a grim-looking assistant pastor, gripping a letter, was walking across the stage. (Liberty University via . Yes, I understand exposing unrepentant sin, but sins from decades ago? He never hid who he was," says Tina Rivera-John, who began attending Calvary in the mid-'90s when she was 12 years old. Theres no way of putting 24 people up here, Skeen said he told Applegates leaders. In one case, victims claimed the church knowingly moved a pedophile to another city without warning parents. 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. Coy's church won the suit plus $81,000 in damages and fees and the city, which organized the event, stopped offering sponsorships out of concern that hate groups might take advantage of the ruling. Unlike the Christian view that the . Try running a dairy farm 24/7 365. Find a Gathering. His ministry was paying his son 20 k a month I hear. But the work came with a cost: a bout of shingles at 19. Coy says he was never approached by the police about the allegations. Its embarrassing. In my neighborhood. "I took a polygraph." 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. christians tolerate all kinds of rotten behavior, being too timid and afraid to take a stand on anything (except abortion and homosexuality). By the end of that harrowing call on August 20, 2015, police knew the accused predator was no ordinary suspect. The battle is not yours but Gods. Newport Beach church vandalized, will require $80K to $100K in repairs, pastor says. Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to help our journalists continue to report the truth and restore the church? Discipleship. She added that at the time, Courson said hed go away to Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa for a few weeks for his time of repentance. He returned to pastoral ministry at Applegate after that, Trimmer said. I think youre overlooking the fact that Scripture gives very specific qualifications for elders/pastors. 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 . If just ONE of those people had honored their role by upholding their responsibility in that position as it is described according to the BIBLE, the situation wouldnt be such a mess or have been dragged out for so long. In fact, at least eight pastors, staffers, and volunteers in Calvary Chapel's network around the United States have been charged with abusing children since 2010. I am not suggesting throwing stones, but again, there were no innocent parties. Huge crowds hung on his every word. Great! Now Jordan looks back with skepticism at how the pastors handled past criticism. Despite the allegations against both Jon and Ben Courson, church pastors havent responded to The Roys Reports multiple requests for comment. Dr. John Munro, senior pastor of Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, will return to church this coming Sunday, weeks after he was placed on paid leave for alleged violation of the employee handbook, a complaint that a third-party investigation did not find support for. Megachurch Pastor Bob Coy abruptly resigned Sunday afternoon, ending his 30-year leadership at one of the largest churches in the country. | (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. I think that the important thing is to remember that NO ONE is without sin. And somewhere along the line, Coy slipped right back into his old life. To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. To donate, click here. 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 abuse lasted until she was a teenager, she told the cop. Wickedness loves companyand leads other into sin., Like father like son. OMG Jon Courson had an emotional affair in the 1980s!! Were there other abuse claims against Coy during the nearly three decades he controlled Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale? Please click here to learn how. After the announcement, the congregation had a prayer and worship service. 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. Easy to join in a witch hunt when you dont have to face who youre accusing. "It was attractive on both sides, for the Christians who hadn't really gotten into the drug culture but were younger and wanted something new and for the people who had come through '60s free love and drugs and needed some stability.". Coy sued Fort Lauderdale in 2003 after the city tried to block Calvary from placing a sign with a Christian message at a Christmas light show. Dont you know what forgiveness is. Its all manipulation to shame and silence the person. Jon should be ashamed of himself, but I remember him saying Keep your eyes of Jesus, Keep your eyes on God. I had to! ", "I haven't prayed enough for my Pastor Bob and his family," Beth Graber wrote. 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. The leader passed the church on to his son and last I knew was planting franchises in England. This is the tip of only one iceberg. (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? Reminds me of Eli the Priest and his 2 Sons. There was a wide range of responses to Channel 9's Church Transparency Survey. Was it always so? Why isnt anyone holding the woman responsible as well? His attorneys, meanwhile, persuaded a judge with deep Republican ties to seal the ex-pastor's divorce file to protect Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale from scrutiny. Im just asking! "But we need to remember it is Jesus Christ who is our leader and not man.". Then a second attempt by the man possibly constitutes an offense. The only reason we are innocent is because of the blood of Jesus. In 2011, The Lord provided our current location at 603 S. Valencia Avenue in Brea. That body recommends candidates for higher legal office to the governor. Coy has never been criminally charged, and if there were other cases of sexual harassment or abuse in the decades he ran Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, neither the church nor cops have revealed them. Bob Coy, at Liberty University's convocation in 2013. Also, the issue of succession to children is not limited to mega churches. I pray we can all ask ourselves, what would Jesus do. Thank you Cindy for reminding us of those words and I have to add, let him without sin throw the first stone. Charles Ward "Chuck" Smith (June 25, 1927 - October 3, 2013) was an American pastor who founded the Calvary Chapel movement. The pastor is true man of God. Hes worth at least 6 million so his ministry has blessed at least him and his family. The case reeks of political favoritism. "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. Gray said the Applegate elder told the woman at the meeting that he believed her story, involving lots of private meetings with Courson. And it was devastating to many of us. Coy wouldn't be charged over her allegations. 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. Unlike many Protestant churches, which set up powerful boards of elders to oversee ministers, Calvary used a management style Smith called the "Moses method. I would think the bible is the policy the church has. "I had been invited to his house for Christmas dinner and I skipped it," Coy told Stetzer. christian culture produces people who are more concerned about their own sinlessness & advancing the gospel than they are about taking a stand on right and wrong and the consequences that bring harm to others. I will never be thanked for it but that is ok. Pursuing the legal system wasnt the answer for me. Gray and the elder then met separately with the rest of Applegates leaders and told them the womans story, Gray said. In January, two families claimed their sons were dismissed because of medical conditions. Again church leadership was not happy with that as I went over their heads and went to the head of the denomination (Presbyterian). In 2009, Calvary of Albuquerque was listed as one of the 15 largest churches in America, with an average weekend attendance of 13,000. It didnt make any difference if its right or wrong, its what Jon says, said Ken Skeen, a former deacon and elder, who was at Applegate from 1989 to 1999. And moved to South Florida to preach suburb of 120,000 was appointed to his... I think we all went a little bit crazy than blasphemy, crazy wild... Invited to his church where I saw him Jon and Ben Courson, to. Attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil these years its training on how to! 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