Troubled megachurch wants fresh start after scandals

Another megachurch, this time The Meeting House, a multi-location church in the Toronto area, has announced it is closing due to the sex crimes of its former pastor.

In a recent statement, The Meeting House leadership announced that the megachurch would be closing its doors for good, at least under its current name.

For over two decades, The Meeting House has played a vital role in the spiritual journey of thousands of people. At the heart of our church is the desire to grow communities of Jesus followers who live and share His secular message of love and peace.

It is with sadness that we must end the public ministry of The Meeting House effective August 29th. As of now, there will be no churches running programs or ministries under the banner of The Meeting House.

It’s the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.

We are pleased to announce that beginning September 1, new missional church communities will be forming in many locations across Ontario as part of a new initiative called BIC Church Collective.

If you have questions about what’s happening in your local church in September or the long-term vision for your location, please talk to your local pastor. They would love to have that conversation with you and work with you on the future of your local church.

We are so grateful for the role that so many wonderful people have played in the life of The Meeting House. We are encouraged by the reminder that the church is not an organization or an institution, but a community of people who follow Jesus together. So while this chapter in the story of The Meeting House is coming to an end, we are thankful in the knowledge that the ministry of Jesus and His church (all of us!) will continue in new and exciting ways.

Because Jesus has been faithful to us every step of the way thus far, we know He will continue to be faithful on the journey ahead.

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The church and its community are still dealing with the fallout from numerous allegations of sexual deviance by the former pastor who helped grow the church network to what it is today, Bruxy Cavey. Several other pastors in The Meeting House network are accused of various perverted crimes such as child pornography, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation and sexual misconduct.

The situation at this megachurch got so out of hand that the church had to temporarily close its doors before closing its doors for good. The insurance companies refused to cover liability insurance.

Both Christians and non-Christians need to 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 ravening wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree produces good fruit; but a corrupt tree produces bad fruit.

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Although charges against Cavey were dropped due to the court’s ruling that he did not receive a “speedy” trial, the fruits he produced within his leadership team have proven to be rotten.

Biblical discernment and wisdom through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and a solid foundation in the Word of God must guide us in these days of deception or we risk being made a fool of by the enemy.

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James Lasher is a regular writer for Charisma Media.