Charismatic Megachurch Assumes Leadership of Historic Evangelical Church

Destiny Christian Church (DCC) has announced that their first satellite campus will be the historic Capital Christian Center (CCC) in Sacramento, California.

This move by the charismatic megachurch in Rocklin, California, will assist the financially struggling CCC and the large Christian school associated with the church.

“Destiny Christian Church and Capital Christian Center share over 130 years of ministry in the Sacramento region. We have the same heartbeat to preach the Gospel, teach biblical truth and give people hope. A couple months ago, Pastor Rick Cole and Pastor Greg Fairrington began to dialogue about a formal ministry collaboration. Our priority has always been about the stability, unity and health of the ministry,” the announcement reads.

Both churches are affiliated with the Assemblies of God denomination, and are located relatively close to one another, assisting in a smooth transition process for both the administrations and their congregants.

Destiny Christian Church’s Lead Pastor Fairrington told the Christian Post that his family has personal ties with CCC, a 105-year-old church “that his wife’s family has been a part of for over 70 years.

“The church was the predominant church in Sacramento, and [Glen Cole] introduced this to the church, told people what we were doing, invited people who lived on our side of the town … to attend our church. He financially supported us 34 years ago,” Fairrington said. “He mentored and became one of my heroes. And now, 34 years later, it’s important for my wife and I to stand and help and assist this church that helped us start our church.”

While there is still a process to follow including various legal and technical responsibilities to finalize and votes of approval held by each church this summer, both sides are optimistic about the success and future of the merger.

Fairrington says CC is “one of the leading voices in our region,” highlighting the importance of the church to the community.

“Together, Destiny and Capital have impacted the Sacramento region. We have a legacy of loving people, serving people and providing people an encounter with the presence of God. Over the past few years, Capital has experienced a destabilization of its financial foundation. Collaborating with Destiny, and uniting under their spiritual leadership, provides the necessary financial and spiritual strength to continue its impact in the region for decades to come,” the letter continues.

While the school, Capital Christian School, is flourishing nicely after the pandemic, reporting numbers of nearly 1,000 students, the church is still struggling with financial issues brought on by the lockdowns.

“We definitely want the school to thrive and succeed and create the financial foundation that that can happen,” Fairrington says. “It’s very, very critical that we create an environment for that school to succeed.”

As reported by the Christian Post, “The agreement comes over a year after a lawsuit accused Dave Arnold, a former teacher and coach at Capital Christian School, of abusing several students while he worked there for about three years during the early 1980s.

“The lawsuit also accused the late Pastor Cole of covering up the abuse, according to The Sacramento Bee. Fairrington acknowledged the lawsuit but said he doesn’t know many details about it. He insists that the lawsuit didn’t play a factor in the decision for this collaboration.”

Fairrington has been in the news in recent years as well, for his stand against the COVID lockdowns and offering religious exemption letters to those who did not want to get the vaccine. He was vocal during the recall of California Gov. Gavin Newsom saying that the governor’s policy decisions, “have continually contradicted the Word of God and have been in opposition with the millions of Christians in California.

“This is all about the importance of Sacramento in the state of California,” Fairrington told the Christian Post about the unifying of the two churches. “We want to see California changed and be a move of God in this state. … So, it starts in Sacramento. And so, this is about the kingdom and this is about preserving the strong witness of Capital Christian Center, that its voice in the community and in the region would be strong again.” {eoa}

James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.