The chapel's founder, Kent Nottingham, told a local TV station that there'd been no suspicion of abuse and that he was "shocked.". Were genuinely interested in you, not your attire. On a Sunday evening in April 2014, thousands packed into Calvary Chapel's sanctuary, a cavernous space that looks more like a midsize city's convention center than a church. Be part of this awesome community for singles as we seek to build friendships, glorify the Lord, and have fun! They'd already sold their Coral Springs house about six months after he resigned; the settlement divided their substantial remaining assets including a $330,000 Hillsboro Beach condo he still owns and defined custody of their two children. photos: Screencap via Youtube/Google Street View, The club has now terminated its relationship with Coy, toured the nation on Evangelical radio and TV shows. "The law enforcement agency makes [its] decision on whether to bring the case to us," says Ron Ishoy, a spokesman for Satz. "We take every allegation of abuse seriously, and our prayers are with the Coy family as they pursue redemption and healing.". Lies Women, Young Women and Girls Believeexposes theareas of deception most commonly believed by Christian women. Others stayed in Smith's original system. Click here to learn how you can get started. When she rebuffed him, she said he stalked her and put a "hangman's noose" in front of her house. Join us for a day of fun for the whole family! Classes are designed to cover topics that help solidify your faith while opening doors that make it easy to engage in outreach, groups, and serving. The most serious claim against Calvary's national church came in 2011, when four men in Idaho filed a federal suit alleging a youth minister named Anthony Iglesias had molested them between 2000 and 2003. "We had a big party at the casino girls, cocaine, alcohol, the whole thing. According to Christianity Today, he'd been fired twice before for sexual misconduct, including once after getting caught having sex on church grounds, but kept getting his job back. So, come as you are, and well see you at service! That lent itself to a very youthful, crazy, wild lifestyle. 
"If Calvary gives these pastors this much authority and they use and abuse it with no accountability, they have to blame themselves.". Jeff Payne, a veteran investigator in the usually sleepy, affluent suburb of 120,000. (It's unclear if he worked there.) Privacy Policy. *Sunday 10:30 am Nursery, Children and Youth Services. Childcare and youth services are available. Terms of Service
Coy's life story is biblical in scope and obvious in moral lessons. Coy says he was never approached by the police about the allegations. "I was brought up in a very religious, traditional Midwestern home," he told Ed Stetzer, a Wheaton College professor, in a 2013 interview for a video series. "These guys have been covering for Coy for a long time," Newnham says, "and they're still covering for him now." It's October 2017, and Bob Coy hunches over a laptop in a far corner of the Funky Biscuit, a dimly lit club in Mizner Park in Boca Raton.
The abuse lasted until she was a teenager, she told the cop. When they first moved in, they noticed there were no Christian churches in Parkland. Just four years after Jerry Sander married his lovely wife, Wendy in 1996, in Laguna Beach, California, the happy couple moved to Florida to start their faith-filled journey into full time ministry at Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale. The next year, he raised an insane $103 million in donations the most by a single megachurch to date. There were ample cases to make that point. It's unclear how seriously they took the claim of the teenager whom New Times is not naming in accordance with our policy on reporting on victims of sexual abuse who said Coy had forced her to have sex even when she was only 4 years old. Watch our most recent mid-week message here. They wanted spirituality but could never go back to their parents' churches. That body recommends candidates for higher legal office to the governor.
He toured the nation on Evangelical radio and TV shows, hung around with Billy Graham, and published books and CDs. Privacy Policy. 8:00AM.
But on February 22 of that year, the case went to Judge Tim Bailey, a member of a powerful conservative family; his father, Patrick, founded the Pompano Beach Republican Club, and both father and son had chaired Broward's Judicial Nominating Commission.
Payne had taken his case against Fort Lauderdale Police Maj. Eric Brogna to the Broward County State Attorney's Office, but prosecutors declined to press charges. Here's an idea of what to expect when you arrive at Calvary . But in 1981, his life changed forever thanks to an epic holiday hangover and his brother Jim, who'd already found religion. A woman told Coral Springs Police she had recently learned something terrible: A South Florida man had molested her daughter for years. Watch our most recent mid-week message here.
As a former educator, youth pastor, and foster parent, he is a passionate advocate for kids in crisis and author of the bookThe One Factor: How One Changes Everything.
In 2005, Coy's church rented out Dolphin Stadium on Easter Sunday and drew more than 20,000 people.
Get to know Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, our mission, our beliefs, and the vision God has given us for South Florida. While our multi-cultural, multi-generational campus includes a state-of-the-art theatre, a Pre-K-12 school, and a beautifully appointed on-site restaurant, the driving force of everything we do is to make disciples and to replicate that mission in our city and beyond. Snacks will not be provided during service until further notice. Our main campus, Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, is located at2401 W Cypress Creek Rd, Fort Lauderdale, FL. As his star rose and his congregation grew into the tens of thousands, the Sun Sentinel solicited weekly faith columns written by Coy. Watch our most recent mid-week message here. And somewhere along the line, Coy slipped right back into his old life. They prayed for a way to reach the people there and God soon granted the desires of their heartsto plant a church in their city. He quit the cocaine and strippers, met his wife, and moved to South Florida to preach.
- - He's an engaging storyteller "somewhere between Billy Graham and Billy Crystal," the Miami Herald once suggested with an easy laugh and a voice that excitedly rises into high nasal registers. Campus Pastor Jerry Sander invites you to learn more about discipleship classes, mens and womens ministries, family activities, and youth groups.
In fact, he says Capitol Records paid him to party. He had a staff of 13. So, come as you are, and well see you at service! Childcare and youth services are available. In Coy's case, Bailey made a relatively unusual ruling: All financial documents would be kept secret. Fill in the blank with whatever fear you have about not being accepted: divorced, single parent, broke, recovering addict, gay, transgender, member of another faith group, atheist, skeptic, etc. Young women begged for photos. "It was attractive on both sides, for the Christians who hadn't really gotten into the drug culture but were younger and wanted something new and for the people who had come through '60s free love and drugs and needed some stability.".
In his 1973 senior class portrait, his dark hair, parted neatly down the middle, hangs well past his shoulders. Yes! "That whole approach always ends up hiding pedophiles.". Coy's preaching career ended, but his sex scandal was far from the first for Calvary. - "I was brought into the Lutheran church without a choice that's where I learned what a religious environment was like, but I was missing the spiritual thing.". Learn more below! As churchgoers held their hands up in ecstasy, Sauder read from Matthew and promised that Jesus was ready to heal. ***Translation for the Fort Lauderdale campus will be for Sunday services only***. For our campus-specific info, click here. Long before his epic fall from grace, the pastor used his own struggles with sex and drugs to preach that anyone could find redemption in Jesus. But the case soon stalled. As they sank into plush, arena-style seats and flipped open well-thumbed copies of the Bible, Coy's followers quickly noticed something was very wrong. Coy soon upgraded again, by moving to a warehouse in Pompano Beach, where thousands came every week to watch him preach. Share the love of Jesus! I was feeling horrible.". Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale has 4 stars. Like his mentor Smith, he looked for converts in unusual places.
Calvary Kids and Youth services are available at Calvary Chapel North Lauderdale during Sunday Service at 10:30 am* and Wednesday Service at 6:30 pm**. Calvary Chapel North Lauderdale reflects the ethnic and cultural diversity of the surrounding area. North Lauderdale Elementary Backpack Outreach. Terms of Service Watch our most recent mid-week message here. "Typically, how it goes in these cases is you have a violator in the church, but the leaders will have this notion that if he repents, he's forgiven, and then we don't have to talk about it any more," says Leander James, who specializes in church child abuse cases. At Calvary, our heart is for you to come as you are. In the Coy case, though, Payne never made that kind of headway.
Coy certainly paid a heavy price for his infidelity: His family has broken to pieces, and his chapels packed with thousands of adoring fans have been replaced with a half-full nightclub in Boca. Have you ever wondered what God looks like? He also serves as a leading voice in Church United, a movement of gospel-centered, city-focused churches in South Florida uniting for the sake of one mission. Fill in the blank with whatever fear you have about not being accepted: divorced, single parent, broke, recovering addict, gay, transgender, member of another faith group, atheist, skeptic, etc.
Then, on July 18, police arrested 41-year-old Roshad Thomas, who had spent 13 years as a volunteer youth pastor at Calvary Chapel Tallahassee. Even worse, they said church officials knew full well he was a pedophile: He'd been kicked out of another Calvary youth ministry in California after being charged with sex crimes there. Coy's flock, which had followed him for decades as the church became Florida's largest, was devastated. In 1996, the church paid $21 million for a 75-acre campus just east of Florida's Turnpike off Cyprus Creek Road, where Coy often dipped into politics to guide his massive flock. Win or Lose, Inter Miami vs. Barca Is a Win for the Home Team, Five Celebrities Arrested in South Florida Who Aren't Named Kodak Black, Miami-Dade School Board Capitulates to Right-Wing Groups in Sex Ed Textbook Debate. Click here to check out their latest EP and learn more about to get involved! By the end of that harrowing call on August 20, 2015, police knew the accused predator was no ordinary suspect. Check out todays devo to see how we can get glimpses of His glory. For more info, contact Manuel Diaz Canseco at 954-905-5040. Workouts may include cardio, strength, HIIT, and intervals. The church didn't respond to a detailed set of questions from New Times, instead sending a general statement about the former pastor. Ushers passed tissue boxes down the rows as his followers wept. "There were no other allegations," he says. He found work as the entertainment director at the Jolly Trolley, a storefront casino and strip club, where he said he wasted away his early 20s in a haze of sex, coke, and alcohol. "My job was to make sure that the artists on Capitol Records were happy and entertained when they were in my city. . We want you to know that everyone is welcome at Calvary. At Calvary, our heart is for you to come as you are. Wednesday | 6:30pm 8:00pm | North Lauderdale. She confirmed the story in stomach-churning detail.
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Watch our most recent mid-week message here. . Calvary Kids services are available at Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale during regular service times. Since then, theyve been witnessing the gospel and making disciples beyond the confines of our church property. We dont have a dress code.
"We learned of this report after it was disclosed and reported to the appropriate authorities," says Michael Miller, a church spokesman. Were genuinely interested in you, not your attire.
Fill in the blank with whatever fear you have about not being accepted: divorced, single parent, broke, recovering addict, gay, transgender, member of another faith group, atheist, skeptic, etc. "He's contacted many former associates to try to get funding. He never hid who he was," says Tina Rivera-John, who began attending Calvary in the mid-'90s when she was 12 years old. . Coy shocked his flock and made national headlines by walking away from his ministry, selling his house, and divorcing his wife. Our services are typically 70 minutesthis includes a powerful time of worship and a practical, inspiring Bible teaching.
This class starts off with 15 minutes of devotion from the Word of God followed by 40 minutes of intense, full-body circuit trainingand ends with prayer. "People were really, really hurt," says Colleen Healy, a Broward resident who began following Coy in 1995. The call came from California. The rock band that usually played raucous hymns to start services was missing. Subscribe to Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale updates, Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale Photo Gallery, Calvary Chapel churches in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, Calvary Chapel churches in Florida, United States. Coy has also been dragged through legal battlefields since his resignation from the church. Privacy Policy. .
He would regularly "finger and fondle her" genitals, make her touch his penis, and "dirty talk" to her. Terms of Service - He had been in hot water in the '90s when multiple women in his church claimed he'd sexually harassed them, but Smith gave him another chance. This time, Smith and his son Jeff actually turned on their pastor, pushing him out. (Flores was eventually convicted of sex with the minor.). The sexual assault claims, which have never before been divulged, raise new questions about the pastor, his church, and the police who handled the case. Nearly 20,000 people call Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale their church home. His daughter, Janette Manderson, and his widow, Kay, sued the organization, alleging its leaders conspired to take over Smith's empire and even denied him emergency medical care on his deathbed.
He had admitted to a grave "moral failing." We dont have a dress code. Instead, the pastors Smith installed in his hundreds of megachurches, which are similar to Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, had nearly unlimited power over budgets, personnel, and message. The divorce file includes nearly 30 pages of documents related to their finances and settlements. Childcare and youth services are available. And a grim-looking assistant pastor, gripping a letter, was walking across the stage.
For campus-specific info, visit the campus page in the section above. Coy's preaching career ended with shocking speed, but his sex scandal was far from the first for Calvary Chapel. It began when the girl was just 4 years old. 10:45am: We meet together at theGenerous Cafe.
Gain the knowledge and expertise to lead from your instrument from hands-on, practical training combined with leadership coursework, private lessons, and discipleship training.
"I had been invited to his house for Christmas dinner and I skipped it," Coy told Stetzer. Two years later, a Calvary Chapel in Laguna Beach fired its pastor for adultery and embezzlement but Smith quickly rehired him to preach at the nearby Costa Mesa church.
They are praying that what was meant for evil in the shooting, that God will use for good for the saving of many lives through Calvary Chapel Parkland. So, come as you are, and well see you at service! Coy wouldn't be charged over her allegations. Monday | 8:00am 9:00am | Fort Lauderdale, Join us as we take care of our temples, mind, and soul through fitness, faith, and fellowship. Some complained anonymously that Smith was "dangerously lax in maintaining standards for sexual morality" among his preachers. , Sunday | 11:15am 12:45pm | Boca Raton.
Explore one of the most epic and amazing stories in history as we journey with Moses and the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt to a life of freedom. This church page is missing service. We currently do not have regular services on Wednesday nights, but we have Nights of Prayer and Worship several times throughout the year on Wednesdays. We want you to know that everyone is welcome at Calvary.
"We are not led by a board of elders.". "When Pastor Bob left, people definitely left too because they wanted to follow him or because they were just hurt," says Healy, the longtime church member. Even in the chemically altered '70s music business, Coy's appetites were too voracious. . His popularity soared. We strive to provide young skaters with the ability to explore their creative talents and self-expression within a community setting. Located in the heart of one of Floridas largest cities, with an estimated population of 180,072, our church embraces and engages the diversity that comes onto our main campus. Coy aligned his fledgling church with Calvary Chapel, a movement started in Southern California in the 1960s by Chuck Smith, a laid-back West Coaster who wore Hawaiian shirts while he preached a fire-and-brimstone, old-school religion. To critics such as Newnham, there's only one reason to fight for a ruling like that: to hide from churchgoers the amount of cash the church gave Coy to go away. Yes.
Saturday | 9:00am 3:00pm | Boca Raton, Saturday | 9:30am 11:30am | Boca Raton, Join us in thismonthly gathering for fellowship followed by a different live speaker each time we meet! There will be accommodations for those with limited mobility. , Saturday | 10:00am 11:00am | Fort Lauderdale, Join us on Saturdays for an amazing workout experience. Bring, Terms of Service Yes. He quit the cocaine and strippers, began training as a preacher, met his wife Diane, and moved to South Florida. Although he's spent years away from the altar, Coy still looks straight out of central casting for a hip Evangelical preacher. Join us for this eight-week class for both seasoned and new believers. By 1986, his church had outgrown the funeral parlor and attracted about 1,200 regulars to an Oakland Park chapel. Calvary was among the first churches in the nation to air podcasts, stream services online, and simulcast sermons at satellite campuses (the church had opened campuses in Plantation and Boca). Fill in the blank with whatever fear you have about not being accepted: divorced, single parent, broke, recovering addict, gay, transgender, member of another faith group, atheist, skeptic, etc. Propel the mission to make disciples in South Florida! The case reeks of political favoritism. . He met his wife, Margo there and he saw the way she lived her faith out as a single mom, with her son Ethan. The New Jersey-based folk-rock band Driftwood is still a few hours from taking the stage, and a handful of early arrivals sip beer and laugh over the canned blues soundtrack. Watch our most recent mid-week message here.
Before his role as lead pastor, he was a founding member and president of 4KIDS and an associate pastor at Calvary Chapel since January 2000. independent local journalism in Miami. Coy became a key endorsement for local Republicans, including conspiracy theorist U.S. Rep. Allen West, whom Calvary hosted as a keynote speaker at a conference to train more than 100 local conservatives to run for office more effectively. A few months after he accepted Jesus into his heart, God led Brian Quigley to Calvary Chapel Boca. "They do what they feel is right based on the evidence they have.". Saturday | 10:00am 11:30am | North Lauderdale. Our Parking Team will direct you to the closest available spot.
And dont be surprised when you discover that we areconnectedfor a purpose. Having started as a Bible study in a clubhouse in a local community before moving to a coffeeshop, this new campus is a vital part of Vision 2023 as we seek to bring the hope and healing of the gospel to the Parkland community. We'll meet at the North Lauderdale campus. We dont have a dress code. Join usfor as we get together for a time in the Word, fellowship, fun, and food!
In January 2016, he and Diane filed for divorce in Broward County.
He ran gay-conversion groups and preached that all nonbelievers would go to Hell. Discover how the power and love of God can change your life forever!
Coy, who was never charged with a crime, lay low after leaving Calvary but recently turned up at Boca Raton's Funky Biscuit, where he helps manage the club. In Person Services Saturdays: 7pm (Spanish)Wednesdays: 6:30pm & Sundays: 10:30am, 5pm (Kreyl), 6177 Kimberly BoulevardNorth Lauderdale, FL 33068954-905-5040. Is there a Wednesday Bible Study? Become a member to support the independent voice of South Florida Thank you! This an opportunity to sort and pack backpacks with the necessary school suppliesas we prepare to distribute to families in need this summer! "If you're broken, Jesus will be gentle with you in your anger and disillusionment," Sauder said. "Never.". Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, Upload Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale image. "They have been at war ever since.". - There will be accommodations for those with limited mobility. Police say Thomas has admitted to the abuse (though his criminal trial is pending). After watching service this weekend, check out this our latest study guide for Exodus 3536. Coy had forsaken rock 'n' roll for Jesus but then became a rock star anyway. And Coy turned out to be a charismatic preacher. We want you to know that everyone is welcome at Calvary. Our coaching staff is comprised of experienced players and coaches with national and international backgrounds.
(The cases were settled out of court.). His name was Bob Coy, and until the previous year, he'd been the most famous Evangelical pastor in Florida. Here's an idea of what to expect when you arrive at Calvary . He was ready to give his life to the church. and if yes what time? Join the New Times community and help support
Our services are typically 70 minutesthis includes a powerful time of worship and a practical, inspiring Bible teaching. Calvary Women Parkland Study: Lies Women, Young Women, and Girls Believe, Calvary Chapel Parkland Mens Bible Study: Breakthrough. Watch our most recent mid-week message here.
Volunteers will be able to help with backpack distribution, games with children, food distribution, and resource distribution for parents. Thank you! At Calvary, our heart is for you to come as you are. Coy rented space for his church from a funeral parlor in Oakland Park and made ends meet by selling shoes while his wife worked as a waitress. Our parking volunteers are so excited to welcome you onto campus, easily park, and guide you onto property. In May, Matt Tague, an assistant pastor at North Coast Calvary Chapel in San Diego, was arrested on 16 counts of lewd and lascivious acts on a minor under 14 years old. We dont have a dress code. HSM and Six78 services will be available on Saturdays at 6pm and Sundays at 11am. They ended up locked in dueling lawsuits, with the pastor accusing Calvary's leaders of skimming profits and the Smiths charging that he used his influence running the radio stations to pressure women into sex. Were so excited to hang out with your kids! Circuit Trainingwhere the M.A.D.
Bob Coy founded Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale and turned it into a 25,000-member powerhouse before resigning in disgrace.
He and his wife Suzanne have been married since February 1993 and are raising their three sons of thunder, Jackson, Kaden, and Kennedy. (Judge Bailey didn't respond to messages from New Times to comment on this story.). Calvary Music Youth exists to make disciples by investing in Middle School and High School students, both musically and spiritually. Yes. Sunday | 10:40am 2:30pm | Fort Lauderdale. Join our Parkland men's Bible study as we discuss and read through the Bible. Our campers will have the unsurpassed opportunity to learn exciting skills and grow as skaters, Saturday | 8:00am 9:00am | Fort Lauderdale, Welcome to M.A.D. Broward State Attorney Mike Satz says he was never notified about the investigation. That case was settled out of court, but the attorney who brought the case says that, in general terms, Smith's habit of forgiving and rehiring pastors who have committed sexual offenses is a recipe for disaster. In fact, the church had been battling accusations nationwide for years that it empowered predatory pastors while demanding little accountability.
Why?
. Smith was among the first pastors to make a startling discovery: Many of the hippies and disaffected youth who'd come for the Summer of Love had realized psychedelic drugs and the Grateful Dead weren't filling the holes in their lives.