The popular megachurch kept its doors open amid sexual abuse convictions and multi-million-dollar lawsuits. Then came insurance adjusters

THE MEETING HOUSE, formerly one of Canada’s most prominent evangelical megachurches, may now only be able to offer its popular Sunday ministry online instead of in person. In June, in the wake of numerous sexual abuse and misconduct allegations against church leadership and facing several multi-million-dollar civil suits, the church announced that it had been denied abuse insurance coverage and was therefore deciding to “pause” its in-person services, including Sunday worship. Without this insurance, the church has been forced to restructure how it offers ministry—and raises questions about the church’s future.

The moment comes as the Meeting House, which once peaked at more than 5,000 members, nineteen satellite sites, and around 200 “home churches” across Ontario, has been reckoning with accusations that it failed to protect its parishioners, including children, from abuse by church leadership over many years. The ministry became embroiled in scandal in 2021 after a wave of sexual assault and misconduct accusations emerged against former lead teaching pastor Bruxy Cavey, resulting in his resignation from the church in early 2022. That year, Cavey was charged with one count of sexual assault against one woman, and the following year, he was charged with two additional counts of sexual assault involving a separate person. Cavey’s first sexual assault charge was dismissed by a Hamilton judge in July due to delays at court. Proceedings for the two outstanding sexual assault charges are ongoing.

  • wise_pancake@lemmy.ca
    10·
    3 months ago

    Good, any church that allows this kind of abuse deserves to be shut down.

    It’s not a place of God anymore. The moment that one minor person was abused that establishment was desecrated of all religious validity.

    Even if they get rid of the multiple pastors accused, I think the mass trauma of such a place necessitates the community to abandon it as a warning to all the other so-called churches that enable these people.

    ETA: according to Wikipedia this church’s issues go back 22 years now. The youth pastor was arrested for incidents in 2002-2005, found to have CSAM, and to have lured and abused minors. In 2014 another youth pastor was arrested for sexual assault. At that time Bruxy Cavey was already in a sexual relationship with someone he was counselling, which an internal investigation found amounted to sexual harassment. And they’re not even the only ones accused of impropriety.

    On June 7, 2022, at a Town Hall event, the church disclosed that they had received 38 reports about clergy sexual misconduct and abuse by former pastors Naidoo, Churchill, Cavey, and Day, along with other leaders and staff.