It does occur in smaller churches, again where church government invests most of the decision making with just the pastor who chooses his own successor. According to Western seminary adjunct professor Guy Gray, Applegate leaders knew of an inappropriate romantic relationship between Jon Courson and a female staff member in the 1980s. Are we really ready for His Return? Jon remained unrepentant and the elders defended him entirely. They dont have to give an explanation. "He was just transparent, and he could be very funny as well. 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. As they sank into plush, arena-style seats and flipped open well-thumbed copies of the Bible, Coy's followers quickly noticed something was very wrong. The only side that we should take is the side of the Lord (*as the angel told Joshua in Joshua 5:13-14). Young women begged for photos. With his tale of drug addiction and strip clubs, the newly redeemed Coy was a perfect fit for Calvary's edgier message. A woman told Coral Springs Police she had recently learned something terrible: A South Florida man had molested her daughter for years. Genesis 4:7, Numbers 32:23. 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. 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. This is what happens when a church institution doesnt have a sexual misconduct policy in place. The battle is not yours but Gods. Becoming apprentices to Jesus. She confirmed the story in stomach-churning detail. These religious leaders who fell from grace shocked the world when their crimes and scandals became public. "I was living a life of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll, literally," Coy told Stetzer. Teach them to do what I do and speak as I speak. Jesus. Call the cops. 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. 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. 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. I think we all went a little bit crazy. They wanted spirituality but could never go back to their parents' churches. Except that it DOES have such a policy. The future needs of others was more important than what happened to me and that is what kept me going. Yes, I said affairs my family and others were driven from the church by the elders over addressing the affairs. Again church leadership was not happy with that as I went over their heads and went to the head of the denomination (Presbyterian). Any kind of suffering, any kind of personal conflictthats the rug we slipped it under, because we would do anything for the expansion of the Gospel.. Stay up to date with the latest Christian news! That whole incident really brought out the crazies too. The woman told him "she had an experience with God and has found forgiveness" for Coy over his abuse. To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. Even his mentor Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, CA defended JonI saw the letter Chuck wrote to my dad castigated my dad for trying to get Jon to repent and change his ways. Gray said the Applegate elder told the woman at the meeting that he believed her story, involving lots of private meetings with Courson. However, that is the key. He acually wanted to do it the Bibles way and talk to his accuser and the church refused. In 2011, The Lord provided our current location at 603 S. Valencia Avenue in Brea. In my opinion, if he did this [to one victim], it's just a question of how many others are out there. The church board fired Messner when he became embroiled in the PTL scandal, and J.N. The leader passed the church on to his son and last I knew was planting franchises in England. . 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. He would regularly "finger and fondle her" genitals, make her touch his penis, and "dirty talk" to her. It would be highly illegal.. I found out I am not a very forgiving person. His daughter has filed suit alleging elder abuse and neglect when Smith. for a job at Calvary Chapel Marin, a 160-member church that . I was a victim of sexual abuse in my own church. "I can't discuss it on the record," he said, before adding cryptically: "If you're foolish enough to go through with this story it would hurt a lot of people.". and help keep the future of New Times, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our. In 2007, Christianity Today spoke to numerous Calvary pastors across the country. That doesnt mean that there isnt forgiveness and some other ministry opportunity, but they cant be pastors. The church didn't respond to a detailed set of questions from New Times, instead sending a general statement about the former pastor. (Judge Bailey didn't respond to messages from New Times to comment on this story.). In 2003, John Flores, a pastor at Smith's flagship in Costa Mesa, was arrested for having sex with the 15-year-old daughter of another pastor. But the music is still playing." Calvary Chapel is, however, still afloat, and has survived not just . His ministry was paying his son 20 k a month I hear. In a ruling . 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Your sister in the Lord. The Bible warns that gossiping and slandering is also a sin. We should always be ready to be careful about taking a side in any accusation. 3 & Titus 1 for pastoral qualifications). The leaders also said they had prayed against the spirit of sensuality that had descended on the church, Gray said, and believed this would take care of the problem. The department assigned the case to Det. Gray said he urged Applegate leaders to follow I Timothy 5:19-20, which instructs church leaders to expose sinning elders. "We need answers.". 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. Apparently context does not matter. This is ridiculous. "Everyone was visibly upset," she wrote on Facebook, according to the Christian Post. Why is that? 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 Catechism of the Catholic Church defines scandal as "an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil. At the time, Courson was married to his first wife, who later died in a car accident. 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. "Never.". I encourage you to listen to this podcast. For some reason, christian culture produces sloppy morals & integrity that are inferior to the world which christians look down on in superiority. The Rev. Huge crowds hung on his every word. John H. Munro, M.Th., D.Min., . OMG Jon Courson had an emotional affair in the 1980s!! In May, Matt Tague, an assistant pastor at North Coast Calvary Chapel in San Diego, was arrested on 16 counts of lewd and lascivious acts on a minor under 14 years old. But change within was. Pastors and church leadership loving their families and the sheep would be helpful!!!!!! 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 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. The only cure is Christlike character. 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. In his 1973 senior class portrait, his dark hair, parted neatly down the middle, hangs well past his shoulders. I got counseling in the end and made the church pay for it. Pease Associates Architects modified and completed the design. He takes in the homeless, he ministers to prostitutes and in the prison. In Coy's case, Bailey made a relatively unusual ruling: All financial documents would be kept secret. I have not forgiven Jon or Garnet Page or the Elders for the way handled that. ", "Moses was the leader appointed by God," Smith told Christianity Today in 2007. 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. What has become of the name of Christian? 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. But then, in April 2014, he resigned in disgrace after admitting to multiple affairs and a pornography addiction. Hes a saint. Unbelievable. Note; if your church leaders are incorporating Hillsong music in worship , RUN for the leaders are blind ! 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. The Voice of God is not to the wolves and hirelings but rather to the sheep ! The church Coy helped build has moved on without him, but the national Calvary organization has struggled. It is not for us or me to slander someone or judge them. The abuse lasted until she was a teenager, she told the cop. There's no question he wants back in the game," Newnham says. In truth, we dont know the veracity of these reports. 838) and use booking ID 88715385. . "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. It didnt matter if a guy didnt believe in Amun, Marduk, or Apollo, and it didnt matter if he was a total creep. Courson simply went away for a time and then returned to the pulpit without any official restoration or safeguarding. Calvary was among the first churches in the nation to air podcasts, stream services online, and simulcast sermons at satellite campuses (the church had opened campuses in Plantation and Boca). I never expected him to be perfect. Follow the policythe well-trained experts will be able to figure this out, is what you are trained. The response was essentially to ignore all of it and to move on, Gray said. 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