Its to get all parties to forget or minimize the incident. (Liberty University via . I was part of Applegate Christian Fellowship when Jon had his first affairs. In the huge sanctuary, a ten-piece band including four guitarists, a drummer surrounded by glass sound walls, and two keyboardists rocked out in front of a laser display that wouldn't be out of place on a Justin Bieber tour. "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. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. 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. 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. Yet, regardless, the Lord deals with people individually. He received probation before judgment, but he is not allowed in the banking industry the remainder of his life. He can't be put in a position of power ever again.". When she rebuffed him, she said he stalked her and put a "hangman's noose" in front of her house. Gray and the elder then met separately with the rest of Applegates leaders and told them the womans story, Gray said. 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. 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. The call came from California. Guess John needs to cover for Benji.a chip off the old rock. Smith even launched a music label and began fusing Evangelical faith with electric guitars and drum kits. Hes worth at least 6 million so his ministry has blessed at least him and his family. With his tale of drug addiction and strip clubs, the newly redeemed Coy was a perfect fit for Calvary's edgier message. If you are 50+, join us September 18-22 for a Royal Caribbean Cruise! 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. For some reason, christian culture produces sloppy morals & integrity that are inferior to the world which christians look down on in superiority. 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. (Jon Courson) whitewashed the level of involvement and implied it was only a slight indiscretion, but I knew it was not true, Trimmer said. Id be ashamed to publish such he said she said. for a job at Calvary Chapel Marin, a 160-member church that . Bob Coy founded Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale and turned it into a 25,000-member powerhouse before resigning in disgrace. Pastor Jon has worked miracles in my life and all the good hes done should count and be pointed out at this time. Two years later, her family sued Calvary, alleging leaders should have done more to stop Thomas. @Cindy, A pastor who sexually abuses someone in his congregation is disqualified from being a pastor, no matter how long ago it was. More policies and rules will not change our inner character. Also, the issue of succession to children is not limited to mega churches. Dont you know what forgiveness is. Its all manipulation to shame and silence the person. The Roys Report reached out to Heater for further comment, but he didnt respond. "They have been at war ever since.". Shame on you. Gray said he urged Applegate leaders to follow I Timothy 5:19-20, which instructs church leaders to expose sinning elders. But Jon Courson. Were there other abuse claims against Coy during the nearly three decades he controlled Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale? At first, the new church led a charmed existence. 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. Dont get involved with a married man might be a good place for the first no. This is the tip of only one iceberg. 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. 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). "Our former pastor was caught in sin," Lowe said April 16, according to the Sun Sentinel. But he was publicly punished and recieved a private apology. I will never be thanked for it but that is ok. Pursuing the legal system wasnt the answer for me. Thus, Costa Mesa split from the CCA and is now part of the Calvary Chapel Global Network. Pastors and church leadership loving their families and the sheep would be helpful!!!!!! Go and make disciples. 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. 10,000 lies does not make it truth. In my opinion, if he did this [to one victim], it's just a question of how many others are out there. 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. Plus, several former church members, including a former elder and staff pastor, are accusing Applegate of a pattern of bullying and lack of transparency. Coy's flock, which had followed him for decades as the church became Florida's largest, was devastated. Jeff Payne, a veteran investigator in the usually sleepy, affluent suburb of 120,000. "Never.". Now my life revolves around the Lord, thanks to brother Jon. 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. He sat on a U.S. presidential advisory board and received weekly updates straight from GOP mastermind Karl Rove. But the work came with a cost: a bout of shingles at 19. 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. Church government which allows for the pastor to appoint his successor often leads to this kind of situation. SANTA ANA The Rev. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines scandal as "an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil. He claims his record as pastor at Calvary Chapel was unblemished by sexual harassment or molestation claims. I started attending a Calvary Church 18 months ago. A copyright claim was filed against this original video by "Skip Heitzig" of Calvary Church. The only cure is Christlike character. Genesis 4:7, Numbers 32:23. His name was Bob Coy, and until the previous year, he'd been the most famous Evangelical pastor in Florida. Ben Courson, pastor of an Oregon megachurch, recently stepped down amid allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct. Im so confused. These religious leaders who fell from grace shocked the world when their crimes and scandals became public. He stoped going to church and so did we. As his star rose and his congregation grew into the tens of thousands, the Sun Sentinel solicited weekly faith columns written by Coy. In another, he called adultery "the ultimate betrayal of trust in human relationship" and cautioned that "repentance is not just being sorry that you were caught.". What youre doing is a classic example of sin-leveling. Tim Elfrink November 14, 2017 8:00AM. Especially your leaders as the Bereans tested the greatest apostle ever lived! In 2006, Coy's church in Fort Lauderdale landed in court over claims of lax oversight. "People were really, really hurt," says Colleen Healy, a Broward resident who began following Coy in 1995. I used to listen to Christian radio a lot for a time decades ago. That kind of policy includes reporting procedures. Somehow it lacks the signs of divine leading, IMHO. Even in the chemically altered '70s music business, Coy's appetites were too voracious. Was it always so? Our pastor, he committed sexual immorality, habitually, through pornography. 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. I found out I am not a very forgiving person. They all are reading from the same book. What Im still confused about, is WHY Christian stations are still broadcasting SEARCHLIGHT podcasts on their stations. She confirmed the story in stomach-churning detail. Thats how these guys operate, Coughilin said. What are your secret sins that you think are not as equal to accusations in this article? 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. I pursued change so that this church (and others in the system) could not ignore or dismiss victims in the future. 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. But change within was. "If we go off the record, I could tell you a lot," he says. To the author- youre ridiculous. The recent think Robert Schuler Crystal Cathedral, helped pioneer the mega church movement (along with the church growth) methodology. Neither Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, the movement's flagship, nor the Calvary Chapel Association returned messages from New Times seeking comment for this story. . That's not good enough, critics say. 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. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. 10 Norco. 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. Our accuser was the wolf in sheeps clothingabusing her own daughter and pointing at those who truly loved her. I just chose for things to be done differently, but it felt right. The divorce file includes nearly 30 pages of documents related to their finances and settlements. 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