Assembly of God in the USA faces sexual abuse scandal

2023-10-03 19:05:35

The Assembly of God in the USA is facing a sex scandal involving a well-known preacher in the country, named Daniel Savala, 67, who was arrested on charges of dozens of sexual abuses.

The case involves the Chi Alpha ministry, an organization focused on evangelism at universities that has the support of the Assembly of God. Chi Alpha has more than 300 centers around the world, and since the accusations against its mentor, Daniel Savala, it has been accused of omission in light of the preacher’s behavior.

Savala was arrested in June this year and convicted of sexual abuse. He allegedly sexually abused the minor children of one of his leaders at Chi Alpha. Since the scandal came to light, there is suspicion that he has sexually abused young men for more than two decades.

Last Friday, the U.S. Assemblies of God issued a statement saying it has acted to alert local Chi Alpha leaders about Savala and is taking the necessary steps to fire leaders who failed to protect ministry participants as they continue to investigate the scandal.

Charges

At least three pastors from the Assembly of God in the USA demanded that the denomination take a more forceful stance in the case. The most recent was Pastor JR Armstrong, of the Assembly of God in Orange, Texas, with a direct criticism of the denomination’s general superintendent, Doug Clayfor statements that were understood as an attempt to minimize the scandal.

“On August 4th […] Doug Clay left on record a statement about Chi Alpha Ministries. In his statement, Rev. Clay drew attention to Chi Alpha’s ministry without presenting the dozens, if not hundreds, of victims of sexual and spiritual abuse as a spectrum across ministry lines, which in itself [é] the worst moral relativism”, complained Pastor Armstrong.

He demanded the resignation of current church leaders in the country: “I, as an ordained minister in good standing with the Assemblies of God, appeal to Doug Clay, Donna Barrett, E. Scott Martin, Tim Barker, Don Wiehe, Gaylan Claunch and others to speak up, take responsibility and, when necessary, step down. And with some, this will be necessary,” he said, according to information from the portal The Christian Post.