Scandal-Plagued Megachurch Hopes to Leave Horrid Past Behind
Another megachurch, this time The Meeting House, a multi-site church in the Toronto-area, has announced a shutting down of sorts amid its former pastor’s sexual misdeeds.
In a recent statement, The Meeting House leadership said the megachurch would close its doors for good, at least under the current name.
For more than two decades, The Meeting House has played an important role in the spiritual journey of thousands of people. At the heart of our church has been a desire to grow communities of Jesus followers who live and share His irreligious message of love and peace.
It is with sadness that we are required to bring the public-facing ministry of The Meeting House to an end as of Aug. 29. Going forward, there will no longer be churches operating programs or doing ministry under the banner of The Meeting House.
It’s the end of a chapter; and the start of another.
We are pleased to announce that as of Sept. 1, new missional church communities will be launching in many locations across Ontario as part of a new initiative called the BIC Church Collective.
If you have questions about what is happening at your local church in September or the longer-term vision for your location, please talk to your local pastor. They would love to have that conversation with you and work with you to build the future of your local church together.
We are so thankful for the role that so many amazing people have played in the life of The Meeting House. We are encouraged by the reminder that the church is not an organization or institution, but a community of people, following Jesus together. So while this chapter in the story of The Meeting House is coming to a close, we are grateful knowing that the ministry of Jesus and His church (all of us!) will continue in new and exciting ways.
As Jesus has been faithful to us every step of the journey thus far, we know he will continue to be faithful in the journey ahead.
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The church and its community are still dealing with the fallout of a myriad accusations of sexual deviance by the former pastor who helped grow the church network into what it is today, Bruxy Cavey. Several other pastors in The Meeting House network are being charged with various perverse crimes such as child pornography, sexual assault, sexual exploitation and sexual misconduct.
Things became so bad at this megachurch, that prior to the church shutting its doors for good, it had to temporarily close due to insurance companies refusing to cover them for liability insurance.
Christians and non-Christians alike must be able to biblically discern the wolves in sheep’s clothing. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:15:
Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruit. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit. But a corrupt tree bears evil fruit.
While the charges against Cavey were stayed due to the court ruling he did not receive a “speedy” trial, the fruit he produced within his leadership team has shown to be rotten.
Biblical discernment and wisdom through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and a firm foundation in the Word of God must guide us during these days of deception. Otherwise we will be at risk of being taken as fools at the hands of the enemy.
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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
