Judge Rebukes The Assemblies Of God For Failing To Turn Over Records In Sex Abuse Case

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

A Texas judge is cracking down connected nan Assemblies of God for many times failing to move complete documents arsenic portion of a suit accusing nan Pentecostal denomination of mishandling activity maltreatment allegations.

At a proceeding past month, District Court Judge Lauren Reeder, based successful Houston, said nan denomination’s nationalist agency had been “flagrant” successful its nonaccomplishment to comply pinch her orders to nutrient records related to alleged abuses by Daniel Savala, a convicted activity offender and erstwhile missionary. Pastors successful nan Assemblies of God’s assemblage ministry, Chi Alpha, hailed Savala for years arsenic “the holiest man alive” and sent hundreds of teens and young adults to his location for belief guidance, including aft he was convicted of kid activity abuse.

Reeder told lawyers representing nan Assemblies of God connected Aug. 11 she would bid nan denomination to salary immoderate of nan ineligible fees of 2 erstwhile Chi Alpha members who sued complete alleged abuses by Savala. Reeder besides threatened further sanctions — including holding nan religion successful civilian aliases criminal contempt of tribunal — if it grounded to comply pinch her orders to nutrient reports, investigations, unit files and different documents.

“You don’t get to conscionable determine erstwhile to commencement engaging successful nan find process,” Reeder told lawyers representing nan church, according to a transcript.

Assemblies of God officials declined to remark connected pending litigation. John Sullivan, a Texas lawyer representing nan denomination, acknowledged while nether oath and being questioned successful tribunal that his customer had not afloat complied pinch nan court’s orders to nutrient documents, according to nan tribunal transcript. Sullivan testified that his customer had been hoping to debar nan disbursal of going done nan court’s “incredibly wide petition for production.”

The judge’s rebuke comes arsenic nan Assemblies of God — which has astir 3 cardinal members crossed 13,000 churches successful nan United States — faces disapproval from maltreatment survivors and whistleblowers complete its refusal to merchandise soul investigations into nan church’s handling of activity maltreatment allegations against Savala. These advocates person called connected nan Assemblies of God to committee an independent reappraisal of its handling of activity maltreatment allegations nationwide to guarantee susceptible religion members are protected successful nan future.

Daniel Savala aft his apprehension successful 2023.U.S. Marshals Task Force

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. An NBC News investigation revealed past month that elder Assemblies of God officials were warned many times astir nan threat Savala posed but grounded to trim disconnected his influence, allowing much teens and young men to beryllium abused.

Two of Savala’s accusers, identified successful tribunal documents arsenic John Doe 1 and John Doe 2, sued nan Assemblies of God past year successful Houston, alleging that religion leaders were negligent successful allowing Savala to activity pinch students. In November, Reeder ordered nan Assemblies of God to nutrient documents related to allegations of Savala’s misconduct. But astir 10 months later, nan denomination has still grounded to do so, tribunal records show.

Anjali Nigam, nan lawyer for John Does 1 and 2, said nan Assemblies of God’s nonaccomplishment to nutrient documents fits a shape of denomination leaders stating publically that they are doing each they tin to thief Savala’s alleged victims while withholding accusation from her clients successful court.

“They opportunity to nan nationalist they’re letting nan facts shine,” Nigam said successful an question and reply pinch NBC News. “In nan lawsuit, what they are doing is keeping it successful nan acheronian by not producing documents and accusation nan tribunal has ordered them to produce.”

The Assemblies of God office successful Springfield, Mo.Terra Fondriest for NBC News

Dozens of boys and young men person described really Savala, 69, utilized scripture to person them to portion naked successful his sauna. Visiting his Houston location became a rite of transition for generations of Chi Alpha students successful Texas — moreover aft he pleaded blameworthy successful 2012 to sexually abusing 2 boys successful Alaska successful nan 1990s. Over nan decade that followed, authorities and nationalist Assemblies of God leaders were warned many times astir Savala’s beingness astatine Chi Alpha events, according to interviews and emails obtained by NBC News. But Chi Alpha pastors continued to bring students to him for belief guidance.

The erstwhile Chi Alpha student identified successful nan suit arsenic John Doe 2 was 1 of them. He says Assemblies of God pastors sent him and different students connected ngo trips to Savala’s location to do location repairs for nan man they called “Papa Daniel.” Savala sexually abused him for 2 years starting successful 2013, according to nan lawsuit.

John Doe 1, a unsighted student who joined Chi Alpha hoping to find intent and friendship, says Savala groomed and sexually abused him from 2017 to 2022. This included coercing nan student to person oral and anal activity pinch Savala, according to nan lawsuit.

Savala’s alleged abuses became nationalist successful 2023 aft survivors said retired connected an online forum created by whistleblowers. He was charged pinch sexually abusing 4 boys since 2005, each of whom he met done pastors connected to Chi Alpha. Savala has yet to participate a plea connected nan charges, and he and his lawyers didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Assemblies of God officials addressed nan contention astatine their biennial gathering past month, pledging 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 Doug Clay, nan denomination’s wide superintendent.

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

Donna Barrett, nan denomination’s wide secretary, defended nan denomination’s refusal to merchandise nan findings of an soul investigation by a rule firm, because, she said, doing truthful would break nan privateness of victims and deter others from coming forward.

Nigam said Barrett’s comments, which were reported by NBC News, were nan first she’d heard astir an soul investigation by nan Assemblies of God’s nationalist office.

“I do not person that document,” Nigam said. “Those documents should person been provided successful this litigation, and they person not been.”

Reeder, nan judge, is expected to determine astatine a early proceeding really overmuch nan Assemblies of God will beryllium ordered to salary successful ineligible fees and whether she will enforce immoderate further sanctions. In ineligible briefs revenge past week, Nigam asked nan judge to grant $57,000 successful ineligible fees and requested that she further punish nan Assemblies of God by instructing jurors astatine trial that they tin infer from nan denomination’s nonaccomplishment to nutrient documents that nan religion knew Savala was a activity predator and “did thing to extremity aliases pass children and young men from being sent” to him.

The Assemblies of God has said it “took due actions” erstwhile it received reports of intersexual maltreatment by Savala.

Lawyers for nan Assemblies of God said nan religion hoped to settee a suit revenge by 2 erstwhile Chi Alpha members who opportunity Savala abused them.Terra Fondriest for NBC News

At nan adjacent scheduled proceeding connected Sept. 29, Reeder will see whether to enforce sanctions against nan Assemblies of God territory assembly that oversees nan church’s affairs successful South Texas, which besides has grounded to comply pinch orders to nutrient documents related to Savala, tribunal records show.

Lawyers representing nan Assemblies of God South Texas District Council didn’t respond to a petition for comment.

Nigam said she hopes nan court’s moves unit nan denomination to uncover what authorities and nationalist officials did — aliases grounded to do — successful consequence to allegations astir Savala.

“My clients person been wanting to person nan truth travel out, and that is simply a existent driving unit successful why they revenge this lawsuit,” Nigam said. “You can’t conceal facts. That’s not permitted."