Tag Archives: megachurches

The Gainesville Times reports: A Gainesville man charged with having child pornography was a Free Chapel employee who has since been terminated by the church. Jeffrey H. Shinn, 47, was arrested Thursday, Nov. 3, after authorities searched his home. The Sheriff’s Office said Shinn shared pornographic videos on Aug. 29 and Sept. 19, using peer-to-peer software to download the videos. …

Law & Crime reports: Five woman are suing an international megachurch and its leader, convicted felon Naasón Joaquín García, in California state court over decades of alleged child sexual abuse and human trafficking. The 53-year-old so-called “apostle” of the of the Church of the Living God, Pillar and Ground of the Truth, The Light of the World, admitted to various …

The Roys Report reports: A Tennessee megachurch has filed for bankruptcy and disclosed millions in debts, following scandal concerning Pastor Tavner Smith’s alleged sexual misconduct, federal court filings show. Venue Church in Chattanooga filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Tuesday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Its bankruptcy petition shows the church has more than $3 million …

The Christian Post reports: One of Canada’s largest megachurches says it has substantiated sexual abuse allegations against former pastor Bruxy Cavey, including one involving a minor. Cavey, who was arrested and charged with sexual assault in June, was the former pastor of The Meeting House, which has multiple campuses across the Toronto area. Ontario police arrested the 57-year-old on May …

The Christian Post reports: Megachurch Pastor John Gray has been hospitalized with a life-threatening pulmonary embolism he called an “illegal transaction from Hell” as his wife, Aventer, is urging his followers to bombard Heaven with prayers so her husband can receive a “miracle” from God. Gray, 49, who leads Relentless Church, which has campuses in Greenville, South Carolina, and Powder …

Religion News Service reports: One week after members of the Canadian megachurch The Meeting House saw their former pastor arrested and charged with sexual assault, their leadership revealed that not one but four of its former pastors have now been credibly accused — and two convicted — of sexual abuse. At a church town hall-style meeting last week, The Meeting …

Los Angeles’s NBC News affiliate reports: The leader of a megachurch with 5 million followers worldwide was sentenced to 16 years and eight months in prison Wednesday for sexual abuse. Naasón Joaquín García was sentenced Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court after pleading guilty to three felonies on the eve of a long-awaited trial. García, who is considered the “apostle” …

The Christian Post reports: The 12,000-member Celebration Church in Jacksonville, Florida, continued its legal sparring with founding Pastor Stovall Weems and his wife, Kerri, in a new lawsuit earlier this month demanding that the couple vacate a million dollar waterfront home owned by the church after Weems completely resigned from all work with the church in April. Church officials argued …

The Toronto Star reports: A pastor at one of Canada’s largest megachurches has been arrested and charged with sexual assault by Hamilton police after an external investigation concluded he allegedly abused his power and sexually harassed a parishioner. Bruxy Cavey, a teaching pastor at The Meeting House in Oakville, confirmed his resignation in a blog post acknowledging the investigation, saying: …

The Des Moines Register reports: A man shot and killed two female victims, then killed himself, in a parking lot outside Ames’ Cornerstone Church Thursday night, according to police and officials at the church. “We are grieving deeply,” said a statement from Mark Vance, with the Salt Company youth ministry at Cornerstone Church. “Tonight, a tragic shooting occurred involving two …

The Christian Post reports: Chets Creek Church, a multi-campus Southern Baptist megachurch in Florida, was “shocked and devastated” to learn that former Southside campus pastor Jeff Bedwell was recently arrested for allegedly grooming and sexually molesting a young girl from the age of 12 until she turned 17. “Chets Creek was shocked and devastated to learn of the charges made …

From the far-right Charisma News: After a week of praying for a resurrection miracle, Bethel Church is now planning a memorial service for 2-year-old Olive Alayne Heiligenthal. The little girl’s mother, Bethel worship leader Kalley Heiligenthal, posted a call to prayer on Instagram last Sunday, Dec. 15. Her daughter had stopped breathing the day before, after which doctors pronounced her …