Assemblies Of God Leaders Address Sex Abuse Scandal That Roiled Chi Alpha Campus Ministry

This article is portion of “Pastors and Prey,” a bid investigating activity maltreatment allegations successful nan Assemblies of God.

Speaking to thousands of pastors gathered Wednesday successful Orlando, Florida, for a biennial gathering of nan Assemblies of God, nan Pentecostal denomination’s elder leader, Doug Clay, began by addressing an rumor that has “put a stain connected nan religion and a scar connected people’s lives” — activity maltreatment successful nan Chi Alpha assemblage ministry.

On Monday, an NBC News investigation examined really Chi Alpha pastors guided hundreds of students to Daniel Savala, a convicted activity offender heralded by immoderate arsenic “the holiest man alive.” In signed statements, lawsuits and criminal filings, astatine slightest 10 men and boys person accused Savala of sexually abusing them, galore astatine his Houston location and successful his backyard sauna. The reporting revealed that elder Assemblies of God officials were warned many times astir Savala but grounded to trim disconnected his influence, allowing much teens and young men to beryllium abused.

Two days later, Clay and different Assemblies of God leaders defended their handling of nan matter and pledged to return steps to forestall thing for illustration it from happening again.

“We’re committed to identifying wrong our system, wrong our structures, what’s broken, what tin beryllium fixed to forestall these kinds of things,” said Clay, nan denomination’s wide superintendent.

Doug Clay, wide superintendent of nan Assemblies of God.Assemblies of God

But nan promises didn’t fulfill immoderate of Savala’s accusers, who opportunity they're still waiting for nan Assemblies of God to merchandise a afloat accounting of what its leaders knew and really they responded to years of warnings astir Savala. Assemblies of God officials said Wednesday that they wouldn’t people an soul investigation into Savala’s abuses to protect nan privateness of those involved.

Joseph Cleveland, a erstwhile Chi Alpha personnel who says Savala sexually abused him for much than a decade opening erstwhile he was 15, said he was disappointed by what he saw arsenic a continued deficiency of transparency.

“In my sentiment nary Assemblies of God minister, astatine immoderate level, took actions needed to free their ministry of Savala,” said Cleveland, noting authorities denomination officials were warned astir Savala arsenic early arsenic 2013. “It’s communal knowledge that pedophiles escalate successful their crimes complete time, and nan Assemblies of God did not moreover analyse these Chi Alphas to find retired what was going on.”

Do you person a communicative to stock astir nan Assemblies of God’s handling of activity maltreatment allegations? Email newsman Mike Hixenbaugh.

The attraction connected nan Chi Alpha maltreatment ungraded brought a somber reside to what’s meant to beryllium a clip of ceremony and reflection. The General Council of nan Assemblies of God — nan U.S. governing assemblage of nan world’s largest Pentecostal denomination — meets each 2 years to elite officers, see argumentation changes and observe victories successful its ngo to dispersed nan gospel. The denomination has astir 3 cardinal members crossed 13,000 churches successful nan United States.

In prepared remarks, denomination leaders spent much than 30 minutes outlining changes they person made successful Chi Alpha, a co-ed ministry connected hundreds of assemblage campuses, including caller training successful activity maltreatment prevention. They besides described their efforts to analyse since respective young men came guardant accusing Savala of maltreatment successful 2023.

Dozens of boys and young men person described really Savala spun his ain twisted type of nan gospel. In a quiet, comforting voice, he publication Scripture and offered answers to life’s deepest mysteries. To get person to Jesus, young Christians from crossed Texas learned, they needed only to get person to Savala. And to do that, nan first measurement was often nan same: stripping naked successful his sauna.

Savala was arrested successful 2023 and charged pinch sexually abusing 4 boys since 2005, each of whom he met done pastors connected to Chi Alpha. He has yet to participate a plea to immoderate of nan charges, and he and his lawyers didn’t respond to requests for comment.

“There are nary words,” Donna L. Barrett, nan denomination’s wide secretary, told nan pastors gathered successful Orlando connected Wednesday. “No words that tin seizure nan sorrow we consciousness for those targeted and impacted by this.”

Barrett acknowledged that nan Assemblies of God’s nationalist agency received reports astir Savala’s relationship to Chi Alpha successful 2018 — six years aft he’d been convicted of kid activity maltreatment successful Alaska. She said nan nationalist agency responded by contacting religion officials successful Texas and believed that Chi Alpha pastors were warned to enactment distant from Savala.

Barrett besides defended nan denomination’s refusal to merchandise nan findings of an investigation by a rule firm, because, she said, doing truthful would break nan privateness of victims and deter others from coming forward. Ultimately, Barrett said, nan grounds showed that cipher successful nan nationalist agency “had accusation that immoderate intersexual misconduct was occurring successful Chi Alpha until 2023.”

“Even if misrepresented successful nationalist forums, we are profoundly committed to travel this principle: What did you know? When did you cognize it? And what did you do pinch nan accusation you knew?” Barrett said.

Ron Bloomingkemper Jr., a erstwhile Chi Alpha personnel and activistic who says Savala propositioned him successful nan 1990s, isn’t satisfied pinch nan answers nan Assemblies of God has provided and is calling for greater transparency. The aforesaid interest drove him to motorboat an online forum successful 2023 to expose abuses successful Chi Alpha. The website triggered dozens of testimonials astir belief and intersexual maltreatment successful nan ministry, followed by a cascade of lawsuits and criminal charges against Savala and immoderate of his protégés successful nan Assemblies of God.

The denomination dismissed six ministers who had ties to Savala — including astatine slightest 1 now facing criminal charges — and suspended 4 others who were ordered into a rehabilitation programme meant to reconstruct them to ministry, Barrett said Wednesday.

Bloomingkemper said those actions didn’t reside what he sees arsenic nan guidelines of nan problem: a activity civilization that he says didn’t return basal action to protect students from a activity predator until nationalist unit built.

“Nothing happened of immoderate value until nan forum was launched, nan news media picked it up, and nan lawsuits started,” Bloomingkemper said. “If those 3 things didn’t happen, Daniel Savala would still beryllium successful there, abusing kids. Nothing would person changed.”