Megachurch Pastor Sued By Couple for $6.6 Million, Says He Had Sex With Man's Wife While in Marriage Counseling

Megachurch Pastor Sued By Couple for $6.6 Million, Says He Had Sex With Man's Wife While in Marriage Counseling

Pastor Dale Lee McFarland is known for his role in the "Purpose Driven Church" movement. He left his position as a Microsoft executive to start a megachurch in Arizona and travel the world with evangelist Rick Warren.

McFarland's congregation, Radiant Church in Surprise, Arizona received the Church Health Award from Purpose Driven Ministries and had grown to be one of the largest Assemblies of God churches in the country.

It all came to an interesting halt when earlier this year, a couple in the church filed a lawsuit, Courthouse News reports, alleging McFarland told the wife to have sex with him with "God's approval" and divorce her husband.

Derek and Jody Gallagher claim McFarland "breached his duty as a pastor and counselor when [he] began manipulating a vulnerable Jody for his personal, perverted sexual pleasures."

World Net Daily reported:

The Gallaghers' sordid story includes charges McFarland told Jody her husband was "dangerous" and convinced her to change her home's locks, sent her salacious and pornographic messages, exchanged nude photographs with her and manipulated her into having sex with him in the church building, even while he was offering the couple marriage counseling.

The Gallaghers, who are reportedly still married and seeking counseling elsewhere, are suing McFarland, Radiant Church Assembly of God and the Arizona District Council of the Assemblies of God in Maricopa County Court for:

• $6.6 million
• claiming breach of fiduciary duty
• intentional infliction of emotional distress
• negligent infliction of emotional distress
• and other claims.

McFarland, meanwhile, is no longer employed at Radiant Church, and in fact, the church has scrubbed all mention of him from its website.

While this has occurred, many of whom had their reservations about the Purpose Driven movement and its founder, Rick Warren, are now renewing their criticism.

 

As many may know, Rick Warren, the founder and pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., is also the author of "The Purpose Driven Life,"  and claimed to be the best-selling nonfiction book in world history, next to the Bible.

But Warren's critics have claimed his Purpose Driven ministry emphasizes only doing good, while dodging the kind of biblical repentance that is needed for a person - or a pastor - to have their life transformed by Christ. The Purpose Driven Church model, or PDC, discounts the fear of the Lord, Warren's critics say, while encouraging pastors to become "masters" of their churches instead of servants.

James Sundquist, author of "Who's Driving the Purpose Driven Church?" is one of the voices in a new video by producer Elliott Nesh called "Church of Tares," which asserts Warren has built his organizations upon secular business management philosophies rather than the foundation of Jesus Christ, resulting in "a great compromise of the Great Commission."

"In all fairness to Rick Warren, there is no direct connection between him and what this pastor is being sued for regarding sexual exploitation," Sundquist told WND. "But there is an indirect connection in that Purpose Driven pastors are pastor as master and [are taught] psychotherapy and enforced covenants, [which can be] used to exploit a vulnerable member. McFarland's struggles are not unique to Purpose Driven churches, but PDC is a template for abuse."

"The fear of the Lord and the wrath of God and the total depravity of man are either not taught at all or are watered down in Warren's PDC programs, so that church growth formulas and seeker-sensitive people are not offended," Sundquist continued. "Now all of the right sermons on fear of the Lord and the wrath of God could be preached and adultery could still happen, but ... if these things are not preached, how can we be surprised that these things happen in a church?"

Church Scandal Report's Take: We just want to know when will some of the women in counseling with the pastors stop falling for the lies? If they are in counseling for their marriage issues, don't they know that sleeping with the pastor will create another issue? Doesn't a sound minded and adult person know that God would never approve of this? Do they have something in their hearts before seeking the pastor's help? We are not blaming the women per say but an adult woman knows right from wrong and can they really call themselves victims? The pastor can still very well be called out on his actions but the women need to stop falling prey or allowing the acts to occur. This does not please God.

Read more on the specific details of the case HERE.

Source

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Chicago Area Pastor Christopher L. Johnson Accused of Sexual Abuse of a Minor

Chicago Area Pastor Christopher L. Johnson Accused of Sexual Abuse of a Minor

An alleged victim claims her former Pentecostal church pastor sexually abused minors but his church members kept it secret and kept him on as pastor even after his wife divorced him for it, says the victim in court claims.

Courthouse News reports:

The plaintiff claims Pentecostal Tabernacle Bible Church Pastor Christopher L. Johnson pastor sexually abused her as a minor, after the church knew or should have known that he had fathered a child with another woman with whom he first had sexual relations when she was a minor.

Cecelia Brown sued Christopher Johnson, Chaun Johnson, Pentecostal Tabernacle Bible Church, New Testament Assemblies of Christ, New Life United Christian Ministries Worldwide Fellowship and Mission of Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, in Cook County Court.

Brown, 19, claims the senior pastor at the four defendant churches, the Rev. Christopher Johnson (Johnson #1), sexually abused her while she was a minor and a parishioner at Pentecostal Tabernacle.

Here's info about Johnson #1

"On information and belief, Johnson #1 fathered a child with a woman other than plaintiff and not his wife with whom he began having sexual contact when she was still a minor and a member of Pentecostal and/or Lutheran, thus establishing a predator pattern of Johnson having committed aggravated criminal sexual abuse with minors," Brown says in the complaint.

Here's info about Johnson #2

"On information and belief, Johnson #2, Pentecostal, Lutheran, Assemblies, and New Life knew or had constructive knowledge of Johnson #1's prior sexual contact with at least one minor since Johnson #1's 2007 divorce from Yvette Johnson was caused in part or in whole by the public revelation of Johnson #1 having had sexual contact with at least one other minor prior to Cecelia Brown." (Citation to divorce case omitted."

Ms. Brown claims the abuse has caused her "serious psychiatric and psychological injury including emotional distress injuries which have greatly interfered with her life as an adult."

She claims the assistant pastor at the defendant churches, the Rev. Chaun Johnson, Johnson #2, "allowed Johnson #1 to be left alone with the minor Cecelia Brown unsupervised." In so doing, he "failed to provide a safe environment at Pentecostal and/or Lutheran where members who were minors could be free from aggravated criminal sexual abuse by a pastor," Brown claims.

Source from Courthouse News

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