Judge rebukes the Assemblies of God for failing to turn over records in sex abuse case

A Texas judge is cracking down on the Assemblies of God for repeatedly failing to turn over documents as part of a lawsuit accusing the Pentecostal denomination of mishandling sex abuse allegations.

This article is part of “Pastors and Prey,” a series investigating sex abuse allegations in the Assemblies of God.

A Texas judge is cracking down on the Assemblies of God for repeatedly failing to turn over documents as part of a lawsuit accusing the Pentecostal denomination of mishandling sex abuse allegations.

At a hearing last month, District Court Judge Lauren Reeder, based in Houston, said the denomination’s national office had been “flagrant” in its failure to comply with her orders to produce records related to alleged abuses by Daniel Savala, a convicted sex offender and former missionary. Pastors in the Assemblies of God’s college ministry, Chi Alpha, hailed Savala for years as “the holiest man alive” and sent hundreds of teens and young adults to his home for spiritual guidance, including after he was convicted of child sex abuse.

Reeder told lawyers representing the Assemblies of God on Aug. 11 she would order the denomination to pay some of the legal fees of two former Chi Alpha members who sued over alleged abuses by Savala. Reeder also threatened additional sanctions — including holding the church in civil or criminal contempt of court — if it failed to comply with her orders to produce reports, investigations, personnel files and other documents.

“You don’t get to just decide when to start engaging in the discovery process,” Reeder told lawyers representing the church, according to a transcript.