And sometimes, that sinful drive can lead to extreme behavior. If theres anything that we could do for them for the holidays coming up, how can we help these two kids during the holidays? They were allegedly committed at a recovery center owned and operated by ABC Sober Living. To donate, Analysis: ARC Pastors Enriched Through Hillsong Celebrity Preachers Scam, ARC Pastor Leading Church Delinquent on Mortgage Teaches College Class on Finances, Disgraced Megachurch Pastor Posts Apology After Being Spotted at John Maxwell Leadership Event, Gods Clinic Cares for Thousands in Colorado, Former Georgia Youth Pastor Put on FBI Most Wanted List for Alleged $10 Million Fraud, Partnership On Track to Meet Goal of 20 New Oral Bible Translations, Shaming Signs at Cedarville University Spark Controversy, UMC Rules Disaffiliating Clergy Dont Automatically Lose Credentials, Days-long Revival Sweeping Asbury University in Kentucky, Dante Bowe Posts, Then Removes, Apology for Behavior Causing Split with Maverick City Music, Matt Chandler Steps Aside After Admitting Inappropriate Online Relationship, EXCLUSIVE: John MacArthur Shamed, Excommunicated Mother for Refusing to Take Back Child Abuser, Former Megachurch Pastor Remarried After Adulterous Affair, Resignation, Disgraced Megachurch Pastor James MacDonald Charged with Assault After Allegedly Attacking Woman, Televangelist Creflo Dollar Renounces Past Teachings on Tithing, But Questions Persist. Deputies suspected child abuse and contacted Arabellas father, Brian McCormack. The Rock Church, Rock Church Ministries, Recovery Housing and ABC Sober Living are named as defendants in the suit. These are the most vulnerable of the population. In 2013, multiple anonymous families sued the Rock Church in civil court, alleging another church employee had sexually abused their children. The church told TRR that the coordinator job is a volunteer position. The arrests came after months of investigation by the police, who first responded to a call about a child in distress at a home in Spring Valley on Aug. 30. The church recently made headlines because an ordained elder at the church has been arrested and charged with torture and murder in connection with the death of . We deal with a fragile population and people look to move out for any reason possible. Proof of Service (of demurrer, memorandum of points and authorities, declaration, proposed order) filed by THE ROCK CHURCH. Period. In addition to the murder charge, McCormack faces three counts of willful cruelty to a child and three counts of torture, as do her parents. Filed By: Kaiser, Divina (Defendant). McCormack and her husband became foster parents to the girls in 2017, and the couple adopted them two years later, according to the girls biological family. Mitchell International, Inc. Its shocking and frightening and a reminder that humans are inherently sinners. Hillsong maintains 3 California churches as others across the nation depart ministry amid scandals. According to Sambrano, Leticia McCormack took Arabella and her sisters to work with her every day. Florey told TRR that she once hugged one of her daughters and the daughter said it hurt. Over 15,000 people attend the Rock's Sunday services across multiple campuses. The reason is irrelevant. Aarabellas two younger sisters, ages 6 and 7, were hospitalized for several days. Former employee Andria Donovan said she saw firsthand some of the inappropriate sexual behavior of David Powers toward women under his care in the five years she worked with the program. Theyre people who are really trying to deal with the horrible disease of addiction, and theyve gone there to seek sanctuary. DocketCivil Case Cover Sheet filed by MCWILLIAMS, JASON LEVINE-COSBY. sdrock.com Rock Church | San Diego CA Im really surprised that Miles McPherson has allowed these scandals to happen in his Church without him putting up a fight to clear his name or the Churchs name! Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. Pastor Miles McPherson speaks to congregants at the Rock Church in San Diego, California, on Nov. 13, 2022. Hi. 2009-04-24, San Diego County Superior Courts | Contract | Minutes finalized for Demurrer / Motion to Strike heard 03/13/2020 11:00:00 AM. NBC 7 said CBP would only confirm that one of its employees had recently died by suicide. DocketAmended Complaint dismissed with prejudice as to THE ROCK CHURCH. 2019-02-07, Harris County Courts | Contract | . Powers were referred to ABC Sober Living by the Rock Church. San Diego, CA 92106 619.226.7625 (ROCK) Visit Point Loma San Marcos El Cajon Chula Vista City Heights Oahu Watch Message Archive Current Series . To keep Pure Water on track, city slashes capacity, eyes Lake Murray, Two Escondido teachers sue school district, state leaders over gender identity privacy policy, Search warrants outline early stage of child-porn probe of philanthropist Sanford, Safe Parking lot opens in San Diego, another coming to Vista, New San Diego program offers homeless seniors shelter. In an extended statement on the arrest posted on the churchs website, Rock Church said McCormack had a limited capacity and was mostly focused on administrative coordination during her time as a volunteer at the church. Pastor Miles McPherson speaks to congregants at the Rock Church in San Diego, California, on Nov. 13, 2022. Silence in this case speaks volumes. We are shocked by what happened and grieve over the death of Arabella, as well as the harm done to her sisters. Recent Hillsong whistleblower documents show that Hillsongs alleged celebrity preachers scam didnt just enrich Brian Houston, founder of the global megachurch, with, Jimn Kyles of Anchor Bend Churchan Association of Related Churches (ARC) megachurch in Texasrecently urged his congregation to give more money because, Disgraced megachurch pastor Jeremy Foster this weekend posted a video on Instagram apologizing for the adulterous affair that led to his resignation, Never surprised at what is reported about mega churches. Rock Church is formally associated with ARC, the Association of Related Churches, and Pastor Miles McPherson and his wife, Debby, are on the ARC Lead Team. Filed By: MCWILLIAMS, JASON (Plaintiff), Request to Waive Court Fees filed by Kaiser, Divina. 000 attendees. Beginning at San Diego State University on February 27th, 2000, The . There was also no system for handling complaints about David Powers behavior because he handled all the grievances for the sober living program, Donovan said. SAN DIEGO (CN) - The 16,000-member San Diego Rock Church fired a longtime pastor to try to stop him from testifying in a child molestation lawsuit against the church, the man claims in court. Volunteers are not responsible for church operations and governance and "do not have any leadership or other authority," the spokesperson said. Gathering evidence and conducting interviews must be done methodically while protecting the children and preserving the rights of parents and family members.. The elder, Leticia McCormack, 49, was arrested Monday and faces murder and torture charges stemming from the August 30th death of her daughter, Arabella McCormack, officials said. STARTEX POWER*DBA* ET AL. We categorically deny this allegation. We are in communication with a law firm specializing in libel and defamation issues and we are considering our options., Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All of the signs were dismissed! Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of Jesus v. Evangelicals: A Biblical Critique of a Wayward Movement by Constantine Campbell. There was a comment by a Gary stating to the effect, you shouldnt breed if you cant feed. My comment is in response to that, but it seems to have been removed or maybe I am just having a senior moment. If what a church does is demonic in the depth of the evil it is a Satanic Church. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. It should be noted that none of the accusers were referred to ABC Sober Living by the Rock Church.". Reply to Opposition of Noticed Motion and Supporting Declarations filed by THE ROCK CHURCH; THE ROCK CHURCH. Shameful! The statement said detectives noted signs of possible child abuse during their investigation. We also reached out to Child Welfare Services (CWS) to ask specifically about Sambranos and Floreys allegations but did not immediately hear back. Arabellas biological mother, Torriana Florey, told NBC 7 San Diego that Arabellas adoptive father was Brian McCormack, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent. Peyton, a heroin addict, took part in the program for approximately four months beginning in September 2013. The Rock Church on Wednesday confirmed that one of its former teachers has been accused by some students' families of sexual abuse. Its also bewildering because there were so many background checks that were done, McPherson said in an address to his congregation about McCormacks arrest on Sunday. Again we categorically deny this allegation. Great! A medical examiner has not said how she died. Both Florey and Sambrano told TRR they noticed signs of abuse shortly after their children were placed in the McCormacks home. After all that and nothing revealed that anything like this would happen, could happen. The deceased girl, Arabella*, was the adoptive daughter of Leticia McCormack. I think we can and should agree that they deserved a safe and loving environment once they were placed in this home. I stopped going when they close down during the pandemic I thought that was wrong and so I went back to my old church in City Heights were I raised my kids and Im glad I went back I dont have anything against the Rock Church, but after reading this article, it breaks me that they were notified by the biological parents and they didnt do anything. And there is a whole lot of that going on in this world. The San Diego County Sheriffs Department is investigating the death of an 11-year-old adoptive daughter of an ordained elder at The Rock Churcha San Diego megachurch with a weekly attendance over 19,000, multiple sources told The Roys Report (TRR). Your IP: Maria Sainz leads Red Seal Ministries with her husband. We are so sorry that their family and friends are experiencing this unimaginable loss and pain," the church said. SPRING VALLEY A Spring Valley woman charged this week with murder, child abuse and torture in the death of her 11-year-old daughter was a Rock Church volunteer, but the evangelical megachurch . As soon as I arrived, David began making inappropriate comments to me. Why is this public record being published online? Taylor Peyton, Andria Donovan and Jaycee Peacock, three of the plaintiffs in the civil lawsuit, alleging inappropriate sexual conduct, harassment and battery, described their experiences with Soledad House. A church spokesperson said Thursday that she was not on staff and that she operated in a volunteer capacity to help with various ministry tasks. Im learning in the 21st century that everything, even within the Lords Church, is really possible! Leticia McCormack was an ordained elder at The Rock Church, an evangelical megachurch in San Diego. We are praying that Gods love and grace will bring comfort and healing.". Florey said when she confronted Leticia McCormack about the childs response, McCormack claimed the girl was just being dramatic. The law firm hired an investigator who did an extremely thorough investigation and turned their findings back over to the law firm. The Rock Church San Diego with Pastor Miles McPherson is becoming apart of the New Apostolic Reformation. Its unfortunate what happened at the Rock church but lets be real and keep in mind thats its a megachurch with almost 20. Hi. The church relies on these volunteers to fulfill its mission of helping others in service to God. That included her adoptive mother Leticia McCormack, and that womans parents. His conduct was so open and notorious youd have to be blind, deaf and dumb not to know. not given to wine(See on 1Ti 3:3; 1Ti 3:8). In the meantime, we extend our deepest condolences to all that are grieving and continue to pray for understanding and healing. Sad for the kid. Totally agree. Filed By: MCWILLIAMS, JASON (Plaintiff), DocketRequest to Waive Court Fees filed by Kaiser, Divina. This case was filed in San Diego County Superior Courts, San Diego Central Courthouse located in San Diego, California. Finally, one place to get all the court documents we need. TRR asked CWS about the reports but has not received a response. Refers to: MCWILLIAMS, JASON. Lawyers for her parents could not immediately be reached for comment. A playbook straight from the pit of hell. Areleasefrom the San Diego County Sheriffs Department said the 49-year-old McCormack was arrested on Nov. 7, along with her parents, Stanley Tom, 75, and Adella Tom, 70. Her mother, Adella Tom, 70, was charged only with torture and willful cruelty to a child. On Thursday, four of the six women involved in the lawsuit will hold a news conference to discuss their case alongside Zalkin. We send our deepest condolences to all that are grieving at this time. It was so obvious its astounding to me that hes been able to get away with it for so long, he added. The childrens biological parents, Chelsey Sambrano and Torriana Florey, previously told TRR that had seen pictures of their children, which show that all three were emaciated. Missions, churches are infected by these satanic persons, where is the accountability. Note: ministers are not merely Church officers, but Gods stewards; Church government is of divine appointment. Order on Court Fee Waiver, filed by Kaiser, Divina, on 10/10/2019, has expired. On 10/10/2019 McWilliams filed a Civil Right - Other Civil Right lawsuit against The Rock Church. San Diego, CA 92106 619.226.7625 (ROCK) Visit Point Loma San Marcos El Cajon Chula Vista City Heights Oahu Watch Message Archive Current Series . ", Through the church's website, they applauded the couple for their work with Rock Recovery described as "a 12-step, Christ-centered, co-ed support group that uses small group interaction, the Bible, and 12-step principles. This year, David Looney, a former teacher at Rock Academy, a K-12 school run by Rock Church, pleaded guilty to crimes associated with the allegedsexual abuseof a former Rock Academy student. Neighbors and relatives say San Diego County Child Welfare Services placed the girls with the McCormacks in 2017. Public Records Policy. Sambrano, whos an Indigenous American, also asserts that his children were adopted by the McCormacks in 2019 in violation of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). The Rock Church, located in Liberty Station at 2277 Rosecrans Street in Point Loma, is home to over 18,000 people in San Diego that attend church services at one of The Rock's five campuses or watch the online broadcast. We should advise all in child ministries to act like mandatory reporters and contact child welfare or the police irrespective of what the senior minister says. When she complained, Murray apologized according to the court documents. This is not the first time Rock Church employees have been linked to alleged child abuse. We have been helping people get sober for 17 years and this is the first time a rumor of this kind has ever come up. It names husband and wife David and Tina Powers and the sober . Why is this happening so often? Get new articles and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Again we categorically deny this allegation. Why he a 19-year veteran of the Border Patrol killed himself and whether he was involved in the child abuse is unclear, Steffen said. VS. REFLECTIONS OF CKWOI ETAL ET AL. Rock Church, which serves a congregation between 13,000 and 14,000, according to Page, already has a location down the road off Rosecrans Street and two more in City Heights and El Cajon. She claims Powers told her she was beholden to him because he discounted the rate. Our company is a high profile target in our community and has its share of people who dislike us. 2013-06-10, San Diego County Superior Courts | Labor | She claims she awoke to find Powers employee Fred Murray rubbing her thighs and calves. The lawsuit naming the Rock Church Ministries claims the women suffered sexual misconduct at the hands of a recovery program director. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. Never surprised , Always saddened almost sickened by what comes out of these ARC churches , It angers & saddens me so much to see children harmed, but, it especially angers & saddens me when said children are supposedly under the extra loving protection of a praying church family! I was terrified if I told anyone I wouldnt be able to complete my treatment, Peyton said. 2009-06-17. Rock Church has had other incidents of child abuse involving its employees. Additionally no staff has left as well. Fox Doesn't Believe He'll Live to Be 80 as He Battles Parkinson's Disease, Man, 20s, Dies of Heat Exhaustion on El Capitan Trail in Lakeside, 25-Year-Old Makes $200/Hour Without a Bachelor's Degree: I Work Less Than 6 Hours a Day', Nathan Fletcher's Accuser Speaks Publicly for First Time Since Filing Lawsuit. An ordained elder, McCormack helped with various ministry tasks in a volunteer capacity with Rock Church, which includes five campuses across San Diego County. The lawsuit alleges nine causes of action, including negligent supervision, sexual battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, sexual harassment and fraud. The lawsuit naming the Rock Church Ministries claims the women suffered sexual misconduct at the hands of a recovery program director. Of those people, one person in particular took this girl to a law firm in hopes of taking us down. So sad breaks me that the church did not take any action when notified by the biological parents. McPherson then directed people to the churchs website, which posted this statement: "We are aware that arrests have been made as a result of the investigation by law enforcement concerning the death of Arabella McCormack. To suggest that David Powers is just some third-party, uninvolved, unassociated to the Rock Church to whom they occasionally refer people is a farce; thats not the reality, he said. Of those people, one person in particular took this girl to a law firm in hopes of taking us down. Rock Church is committed to cooperating with law enforcement and child welfare investigators, Nazar stated. ARC is one of the largest church planting organizations in the country and has been dogged by scandals involving alleged financial, sexual, and spiritual abuse. Click to reveal Its shocking and frightening and a reminder that humans are inherently sinners. Refers to: THE ROCK CHURCH Filed By: MCWILLIAMS, JASON (Plaintiff); Kaiser, Divina (Defendant), Request to Waive Court Fees filed by MCWILLIAMS, JASON LEVINE-COSBY. She was a volunteer for law enforcement. How tragic. Little wonder people leave churches. The churchs spokesperson, Mei Ling Nazar, said McCormacks ordination has been put on hold and she is not an active volunteer. We really need to stop defending the indefensible. Its unimaginable what happened, and we are praying for healing for all of those involved. A religious liberty newsletter that is a must-read for people of faith. Despicable! No legal actions have been taken against us to date and we have never been sued. And so, we would just ask that you would pray for everybody involved. Case Details Parties Documents Dockets. Leticia McCormack was an ordained elder at The Rock Church, an evangelical megachurch in San Diego. Status Conference (Civil) scheduled for 08/19/2020 at 09:15:00 AM at Central in C-69 Katherine Bacal. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. Arabella had 6- and 7-year-old sisters, who are currently living with a foster family, officials said. The parents say all three children were emaciated in the pictures, and had bruises and scabs on their body, as well as broken teeth and signs of broken bones. We must remain ever vigilant and must continue to seek Gods love.. The biological parents of the deceased girl told TRR theyve seen photographic evidence of horrific abuse, including starvation and torture. Mei Ling S. Starkey, media relations and social media director for the Rock Church and Academy issued the following statement Wednesday on behalf of the Rock: In our efforts to help people overcome addiction, the Rock Church will sometimes refer those with substance abuse issues to any one of a variety of facilities. Her ordination at the church was suspended and later revoked. Vs. William M. Sullivan. Founding Pastor. The adoptive mother, Leticia, was previously a volunteer with Rock Church. Cancellation and Refund Policy, Privacy Policy, and Sambrano admits there was a verbal altercation in 2013 between he and Florey but maintain neither parent verbally or physically harmed their children.