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People arrive for the Sunday 8:30 a.m. service at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley on December 20, 2020 . A declaration from the other pastor and elder, Brad Klassen, said that the woman came to him concerned about pictures taken by her husband but that she didnt have evidence of the abuse. Immediately after last years coverage in The Roys Report, she said, she learned of even more testimonies of mishandled abuse. Franais, . Cho, the former elder, said that at this stage, elders must unanimously approve cases that go before the church body a few times a year, during monthly Communion services. The church filed its lawsuit on the grounds that the restrictions infringed on religious freedom. Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month. MacArthur, in July 2020, held in-person services with congregants singing and sitting next to each other without masks, flouting COVID-19 public health orders that temporarily banned indoor religious services at the time. Grace Community Church in Sun Valley could receive $400,000 from Los Angeles County and another $400,00 . Contact the City News Service newsroom at 310-481-0404 or news@socalnews.com. On Sunday, MacArthur admitted to congregants that "many people" contracted COVID-19 while it "went through" the church in December and January. (Update: Following publication, Grace Community Church released a statement saying that the elders do not comment on counseling and discipline disputes, but that the church deals with accusations personally and privately. They defended their counsel as biblical, saying, Our churchs history and congregation are the testimony.). John MacArthur, 81, a popular Christian radio broadcaster. Subscribers receive full access to the archives. As a lawyer and one of four officers on the elder board at Grace Community Church (GCC), Cho was asked to study the case. Just because someone quotes a verse to you and theyre in a position of authority doesnt mean theyre doing it well, she said. People arrive for the Sunday 8:30 a.m. service at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley on Dec. 20, 2020. She also uses Phil Johnsons Twitter post, who is the executive director ofGrace to Youand an Elder at GCC, saying he had the virus in December 2020. M-F 8:00 am-5:00 pm 818-909-5500 . (Hamilton did not respond to requests for comment.) Dean Musgrove/The Orange County Register, via Associated Press, California is experiencing a super bloom,. But those admissions mean you need to make it right with the person you wronged; that is utterly basic Christianity.. Eileen Gray was repeatedly disbelieved and accused of being bizarre, which wasnt relevant to the reason for her discipline, and leaders cast doubt on her account despite David Grays history of deceit. "The church is not only a building but is the bride of Christ and exists to proclaim the truth.". 914 talking about this. He argued that the health orders were untenable opinion and policy, which unfairly chipped away at the ability to exercise the most fundamental right at a time when the risk of harm was leveling off. On Sunday, MacArthur told congregants the natural immunity that God has designed is the greatest protection. MacArthur cited a study suggesting those who recover from COVID-19 have more immunity than people who didnt get COVID-19 and got the vaccine. In Sun Valley, congregants filling Grace Community Church's 3,500-seat . According to her account, the trauma and warning signs werent enoughthe pastors wanted evidence of physical abuse, skin to skin adultery, or a conviction of child molestation before agreeing she had biblical grounds for divorce. Its hard for a pastor to conceive of a dynamic where a woman is receiving mistreatment, where at some point along the road, she is not expressly responsible for it, Holmes said. God has a way of taking care of us as we love each other and share our germs, MacArthur told congregants, who laughed in response on Sunday. We need to be together, with our brothers and sisters. His review, drawing from his legal background and training, became part of an initial internal investigation. The county is very concerned about the public health impacts that could come from an event like this if its held, especially as we continue to see high case numbers and large numbers of people in hospitals who are sick with Covid-19, Dr. Muntu Davis, Los Angeles Countys health officer, told reporters earlier on Friday. Obviously, many people contracted COVID. The California state government, which had enacted similar restrictions on indoor church services as the county, will also pay $400,000 to the church for legal fees. Women have hidden, persevered, and tried to handle things on their own until there was no other choice, she added. MacArthur said that both he and his wife "enjoyed" a bout with the virus at the time. Then, on Feb. 5, the high court struck down the indoor worship ban while allowing caps on attendance and a ban on singing, according to the churchs attorneys. The county and the state will each pay $400,000 to Sun Valley's Grace Community Church to settle a prolonged legal battle that began when the church refused to follow Newsom's COVID-19 restrictions last year. Nothing will come to us except the affirmation that the Lord preserved and protected us through this, MacArthur said. Southern Baptist leader Brent Leatherwood calls on the state to restrain evil through Governor Lees plan to keep weapons from those deemed a threat to themselves or others. MacArthur and his wife, Patricia, were among those who contracted the virus during that period, taking about two weeks to recover, he said. The church's longtime lead pastor Rev. According to her own filing, the photos include pictures of her toddler touching her husbands pants zipper and her face being sprayed with water as well as selfies with the child while she was naked. for less than $4.25/month. Grace Community Church will be paid $800,000 by Los Angeles County and the state of California after reaching a legal settlement to a lawsuit over COVID-19 restrictions in churches. I dont know, but I feel horrible about the enabling effect my silence has had through the years, she told CT in an email. Members, be sure to register your attendance via the pew card or the Grace Church app. Would my sharing sooner have brought about change at Grace Community Church or other churches who follow their leadership model? The change in the legal landscape was set in motion abruptly by the death of the Supreme Courts liberal lion, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, last September, legal experts said. Six pastors and elders were contacted for comment by phone and email repeatedly over a three-week period prior to this articles publication, as well as one former pastor and elder. Charles LiMandri, another attorney for the church, said in a statement, Pastor MacArthur and Grace Community Church refused to bow to government tyranny and they finally obtained the excellent result they deserved.. During select evening Worship Services, Grace Church welcomes new members with the Right Hand of Fellowship. Often, we view the church as something we attend or a place we go, rather than something we are. He repeated pleas to take seriously the concerns about Shannon and the churchs counseling. But the church contended that it was following safety precautions, including requiring masks and social distancing. Heres why we do it. Although churches may avoid legal involvement in marital disputes for liability reasons, its not unheard-of to have pastors siding with the accused. The county then sought contempt proceedings against the Roscoe Boulevard church and its pastor, John MacArthur, for continuing to hold indoor services and for not enforcing masking and social distancing in violation of Beckloffs injunction. . Grace, No One Like Him: A Study of Gods Perfections, Thursday, April 20, 2023 7:00 pm8:30 pm. Judge gives Grace Community Church, LA County a, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Judge gives Grace Community Church, LA County a chance to settle COVID case, While California lifts mask, vaccine mandates, some restrictions will endure in LA County, After three days of learning loss due to strike, LAUSD offers two bonus days, LA Countys COVID emergency ends tonight; heres what that means, LA County to lift COVID emergency declarations; some residents urged to be ready, Senate votes to end COVID-19 emergency in the US, In push to block Biden judicial picks, GOP revolts against plan to replace Feinstein on panel, Man wore armor in Northern California hostage killing, report says, They spent their lives teaching. ,and In court filings obtained by CT, she stated pastor and elder Rodney Andersen told her that she should submit to her husband as unto the Lord rather than provoke him. Grace Community Church, home to pastor-teacher John MacArthur, is located in Sun Valley, California and has been faithfully proclaiming God's Word since 1956. It takes a tremendous amount of courage, humility, and vulnerability to even seek help from the church when there has been abuse in the home, said Wendy Guay, who spoke to The Roys Report last year about abuse by her father Paul Guay while he was on staff at Grace Community Church in the late 1970s. MacArthurcalled Roys accusation that GCC pressured staff and congregants not to report cases to the County Department of Public Health a claim that is entirely false. He said Roys hasnt produced any corroborating evidence that would prove truth to that statement. Black Teenager Shot in Kansas City, Missouri. 65 views, 2 likes, 4 loves, 36 comments, 1 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Kainos Community Church: Live from Mevo 10:00 am & 7:00 pm, Wednesday, April 19, 2023 John 19:16-42 | The Crucifixion of Jesus. In one, a Catholic diocese and a group of Jewish synagogues challenged New York Gov. Grace Community Churchs lead teaching PastorJohn MacArthursubmitted astatementto theSuperior Court of the State of California County of Los Angeleson April 2, 2021 in which hedefendedGrace Community Church (GCC) from allegations regarding the church ever having a COVID-19 outbreak that resulted in some congregants dying. At the end of the day I need to do whats right, as the Spirit and my conscience and prayer and counsel and the Word all lead me, and let God take care of the results, he told CT. And the man who taught me that was John MacArthur.. Though the case settled in January, after the woman sought court-ordered protection last year, two pastors had filed declarations on her husbands behalf. Last Week's Attendance: Cantonese 177, Mandarin 121, English 135, Children 59, Tendercare 18 . People arriving for a service at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, Calif., in December. Local pastors say yes. Grace Community Church 13248 Roscoe Blvd. According to the GCC website, Shannon continues to provide formal and informal counseling to members, teach the churchs premarital and marriage seminar, and preach sermons for an adult small group. 13248 Roscoe Blvd. No One Like Him: A Study of Gods Perfections. "From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Los Angeles County has been committed to protecting the health and safety of its residents.". "We are very pleased to see Pastor MacArthur and Grace Community Church's First Amendment protections fully vindicated in this case,"Jenna Ellis and Charles LiMandri, Thomas More Society special counsel and attorneys for John MacArthur and Grace Community Church, said in a statement to Newsweek. City News Service is a regional wire service covering Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Diego counties. All Rights Reserved. I was doubting if God is real. Sunday after Sunday, people packed Grace Community Church and belted out hymns, openly violating Los Angeles County's prohibitions against indoor services during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. He said pastor John MacArthur told him to forget it. When Cho continued to call the elders to do justice on the womans behalf, he said he was asked to walk back his conclusions or resign. David Gray remains in prison. The remainder was forgiven as part of the settlement. They were saying it was un-Christian of me to seek that legal protection because believers dont take other believers to court.. Because of those rulings, resolving this litigation is the responsible and appropriate thing to do, they said. A woman reported that church leaders had advised her to move back in with her husband and not get a restraining order despite his documented grooming behaviors, infidelity, and angry outbursts. Professor Margaret M. Russell of the Santa Clara University School of Law said the countys decision to settle was pretty pragmatic.. His first civics lesson? He said he needed to talk about a "sad situation." . As it turned out, the womans fears proved true, and her husband went to prison for child molestation and abuse. Beckloff would ultimately issuea preliminary injunction sought by the county, saying the potential consequences of community spread of COVID-19 and concomitant risk of death to members of the community, associated and unassociated with the church, outweighs the harm that flows from the restriction on indoor worship caused by the (Los Angeles County) health order.. In some situations, they implied women were looking for fault in their husbands. If youre new to Grace, or just looking for a place to plug in, check out a fellowship group today or in the coming weeks. 13248 Roscoe Blvd. John MacArthur called the settlement a "monumental victory for Grace Community Church" in a letter to supporters of his charitable trust, according to The Los Angeles Times. Originally from Arpelar, Okla., theyre a proud graduate of Oklahoma State University. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. At the conference last March, Cho taught on Conscience and Conviction. He spent the rest of the year living out the lesson. We are grateful to the countys faith organizations for their continued partnership to keep their congregants and the entire community safe and protected from COVID-19., This decision also comes just days after MacArthur, during his Sunday sermon, confirmed he and his wife had contracted COVID-19 last winter. 818-909-5500. Sun Valley church cites Supreme Court in saying LA County can't stop indoor services. Sun Valley, CA 91352 Maps and Directions. At the time, the legality of government restrictions on religious freedoms during a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic leaned in the countys favor. Sun Valley and the surrounding areas continue to have among the highest case rates of Covid-19 within the county, and have for some time, Dr. Davis said, and a gathering of this magnitude will create additional opportunities for Covid-19 transmission, both to the people that attend this gathering and the other people in the community.. After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that some public health safety measures could not apply to houses of worship, resolving this litigation is the responsible and appropriate thing to do, read a statement from the countys counsel. Sun Valley, CA 91352 Maps and Directions. He emailed MacArthur and Grace to You executive director Phil Johnson, an influential leader and elder at the church. (RNS) On Easter Sunday, the worship band at Bethel Community Church in Redding, California, opened the service with "This Is Amazing Grace," a 2012 hit that has remained one of the most popular worship songs of the past decade. Over the summer and fall, Cho held out a faint hope that the 37-member elder board would reconsider Grays case, praying that God would soften leaders hearts and change their minds. Responding to Roys report,MacArthursaid, I have never heard or seen any evidence indicating that any of the people on that list believe they were infected with COVID-19 in some gathering at Grace Community Church. Featured; Sunday Bulletin; Newsletter; Videos; Books; Opportunity Sheet . When wives felt like they needed to move out for their safety, they said pastors told them to stay. Servicios en espaol, Grace Community Church Cho never imagined himself being in this position and advocating from outside Grace Community Church. She said she had reported to church leaders evidence of her husbands infidelity, searches for incest porn, and inappropriate behavior with their daughter starting when she was just a couple years old. This undated file photo shows a face mask sitting atop pages of a Bible. My job was not to rile [my husband] up., While the woman was hospitalized due to her husbands physical abuse, Shannon called her and advised her to go home without calling police, she told CT. At times, the torment at home was bad enough that she worried she was going to die, but she said she was told that her situation may be Gods will for your life.. Months after raising his concerns about a 20-year-old case, Cho discovered another grievous GCC counseling case in the fall of 2022. Saturday, April 22, 6:00 am6:00 pm in the Tower Basement. Speech, Jim Jordan's Crime Hearing Takes Surprising Turns, China's 'Artificial Sun' Smashes Nuclear Fusion Record, Putin Issues Ominous Warning About How Russian Navy Could be Deployed, Who Is Ralph Yarl? Its not unique. The cases at Grace Community Church land in a larger debate around what qualifies as abuse and whether Christians should prioritize reconciliation in abuse cases, with the church and its seminary holding a prominent place among conservative biblical counselors and the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC). I really feel like I was spiritually raped.. In response, the church, meanwhile, sued the state and the county, claiming the COVID rules amounted to constitutional violations of religious freedom. The postponement came after county health officials had said they were exploring their legal options in response to the conference. If they had learned that theyd disciplined a man wrongly accused of adultery, wouldnt they want to make that right, even if they found out 20 years later? But after Ginsburgs death and the appointment of ultra-conservative Amy Coney Barrett, the court went in a different direction. I thought, If God is real but were supposed to submit to church leaders when this is going on, Id rather die, the woman said to CT. Even unbelievers wouldnt stand for this., The woman said she saw the Lord work sovereignly to lead her through the process, eventually coming to see that the failure of the church doesnt nullify the existence of God or the justice of God.. Some did and dismissed its findings anyway. Sign up for our newsletter: Your daily news briefing from the editors of CT: European Evangelicals Organize Against Abuse, ERLC President, Covenant Parent Urges Tennessee to Pass Proposed Gun Reform. He tried to convince the churchs leaders to reconsider and at least privately make it right. 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