Goff said in 2019, NLC asked him to create videos saying that 4,000 people attended a service across locations at NLC, when only about 1,000 had attended the service. There was like a QR code you could scan. The persons story you reference (Gagnon controlling dating and ripping shirt) is from South Africa and was here under a work visa sponsored by NLC. Great! 10:05 a. m. CST. We dont have time to fight off Satan if were busy policing our clergy. We see this is the third article this month youve found worth reading. Next Level Church Podcast on Apple Podcasts For criminal matters, the department recommends individuals make reports to local and county law enforcement, Garrity said. What I find very contradicting is the name of the Church itself: NEXT LEVEL CHURCH, implying that the Church has the Spiritual leadership and maturity to take People to a more in-depth walk with God thru Christ, but amazingly, the Pastor is not even at that level whereby he could be a great model and example of integrity and character. Doing otherwise is to follow your old pastors way instead of Jesus way. I left the church with this feeling, manIm going back to the corporate world where its much safer. Dont be called Rabi, for you have one who is your Rabi and you are all brethren. Read the whole chapter. Yet in the years following the merger, NLC Operations Pastor Daniel King pressured Holman to take less than the agreed-upon bonus, both Holman and Dancy said. They are no different then the men mentioned in this article. As 2012 was coming to an end, Bruce Burger, a new college graduate from South Africa, hoped to start the new year with a new life for himself in the United States. While at first it seemed to be the worst situation, it ended up being a huge blessing! Steve, I wish this could start a thread where anyone could feel as safe as you have. The New Hampshire Department of Labor has received one report of financial abuse, but it was for an issue outside of the departments purview, said Rudy Ogden, deputy commissioner. (Ashley Saari / Monadnock Ledger-Transcript) Staff photo by Ashley SaariMonadnock Ledger-Transcript Buy this Image David, calling the staff stupid, when all you have to go on is an article that spans 10 years of testimony, is foolish and far from helpful. Similarly, former NLC pastors Holman and Archer told TRR that NLCs mergers were predatory too, involving broken promises and deception. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. These are not missteps. Arrogance is the twin sister of ignorance. I have been an ordained staff pastor for 41 years at this point in time. The second someone shoved him up against a wall, ripped his shirt, and yelled in his face there should have been assault charges pressed. In the live announcement on Sunday, Pastor Becton said hell respond to emails and calls from people who are still involved with NLC. I spent 13yrs in that world and left it in 2020 due to being let go during the Covid pandemic. Gagnon would often record his sermons, which he called messages, from one church, and then stream them into other locations onto a large screen. The shaming, rage incidents, ridicule, lack of any type of love and grace. Becton, Grayston, Lopez, and Levangie also have not replied to requests for comment regarding the executive teams separation package, last day of work, or the specifics of the leadership transition. Bussy-Saint-Georges, le-de-France, France - LatLong Each location had a local pastor on site who would help coordinate Sunday services, which Next Level dubbed experiences., It's pretty exciting for me, because I never wanted to pastor a big church. Foster's Daily Democrat (used with permission), Todd Bookman/NHPR T, Screenshot of Tweet by former NLC Pastor Roman Archer. In 2015, NLC bought a 5,000-square-foot parsonage on 11 acres for Gagnons family for almost $500,000. Following allegations of years-long bullying and financial misconduct, the lead pastor and executive team of an Association of Related Churches (ARC) megachurch, based in New England, have resigned. The new list named five NLC employees as directors: Gagnon, King, NLC Keene Location Pastor Michael Grayston, NLC Somersworth Location Pastor Shane Becton, and NLC Executive Pastor of the Creative Ministry Graham Siemon. There is a Next Level Church here in the Charlotte suburbs, just minutes from the original Elevation campus, but it seems to be unrelated to the Next Level Church in this story. Maybe its because Im no longer in the church (agnostic/practical atheist) but I have a hard time understanding the kind of submission and internal rationalization that would allow for this kind of treatment. In 2014, Outreach named NLC as the fifth fastest growing church in the nation, and the first New England church to ever make its list of 100 fastest growing churches. Its unclear how an independent investigation could now happen with the churchs dissolution. June 9-10, 2023 | Elgin, IL. New Hampshire Public Radio | I genuinely never had a clear picture who the board of overseers was.. Everyone was laughing and goading, like it was a jokeuntil it wasnt. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. Gagnon had never read a church planting book and had no official pastoral training or experience, Gagnon wrote in his book and has said on podcasts. Its hard to phrase this without making it sound like victim blaming but these are adultsmostly menwho have allowed themselves to be treated like this. There is something Demonic and very Evil in many of these ARC Churches! Gagnon said he got the churchs name off an ESPN sports show called Next Level Sports. Soon, Gagnon was renting space in movie theaters on Sunday mornings. He didnt respond to an interview request, and also ignored a list of questions NHPR mailed to his homes in New Hampshire and Florida. When Burger started dating his future wife, Bethany, Gagnon at first approved, Burger said. ARC President Greg Surratt also did not return a call for comment on whether ARC knew of, or was involved in, the executive teams resignationsor whether Gagnon, King and Robbins will be allowed to serve in an ARC church in the future. In my opinion, the He gets us campaign is just a PR move to cover for stuff like this. The coffee shops landlord would file a lawsuit against the church for failing to pay its rent, and another lawsuit contended the church failed to pay a contractor. Been there. NLCs handbook doesnt include a list of names of board members. Ive said it before, so I will say it again: The ARC needs help, and that there is something demonic about the kinds of Leaders their Churches have had. Mary DeMuth. We worked to be truly ACT (approachable, correctable, teachable) with each other, especially after the major Televangelist/Celebrity Pastor scandals of 1987 revealed structures that were basically one man rule. It is located 25.5 km from the center of Paris, in the Seine-et-Marne department in the le-de-France region in north-central France. Yet, according to both Holman and former Executive Pastor Roman Archer, Gagnon told staff repeatedly that NLC had a board but refused to name its members. Hi. We need to take more seriously the warning of Christ to His apostles in Matthew 23. 501 likes. I was mentored early on by men who were strongly committed to the truth that every pastor must be in accountable relationships with genuine peers. That gas-guzzler was my first pulpit, he wrote in a 2020 book, Its Not Over: Leaving Behind Disappointment and Learning to Dream Again. No one asks to be abused by church leaders. Learn More. Dozens Say ARC Megachurch Pastor Bullied & Shamed Staff, Volunteers So far, a document laying out instructions on how to report abuses to the state has received more than 200 unique hits, Davies said. Geography and map of Bussy-Saint-Georges : The altitude of the city hall of Bussy-Saint-Georges is approximately 110 meters. But he doesnt leave us where he finds us. That is not normal, and is not what I would consider to be a best practice, to put it mildly, said Smith. The departments Charitable Trust Unit does not have jurisdiction over churches. Similarly, Dancy wrote in his letter that funds from the 2018 race were not paid out until February 2019, and only after NLC Leaderships hand was forced.. Three years later, it sold the house off-market to Gagnon and his wife for just $250,000. That left four pastors to help the multi-site church with locations throughout New England and Florida to handle the leadership transition. NLCs final worship services are scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 19. Raised as a Christian, with her grandfather as her main Pastor, she fell away from the faith during college years. I want you to know that Im available for those of you who regularly attend here, for those of you that are invested here, Becton said. Then Gagnon changed his mind and said she wasnt pastors wife material because she was pursuing a career, Burger said. There was already a Next Level Church in Floridaan ARC church. Rebecca Hopkins is a journalist based in Colorado. Dozens Say ARC Megachurch Pastor Bullied & Shamed Staff, Volunteers He holds a masters degree in public administration from Columbia University. At Next Level, our desire is that every believer would not just attend church, but also hear from God daily through His Word! Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. Church plantingChurches are not required to disclose their finances the way most other charitable groups are, so it isnt clear exactly how much Next Level Church collected from its congregation. An embattled New England megachurch yesterday announced its closing, following an investigation by The Roys Report detailing allegations of yearslong bullying and financial misconduct by its lead pastor. The official page for Joshua Gagnon, Pastor of Next Level Church, author of "It's Not Over". I still love God and am his. Now posting on a public Facebook website, theyve found strength to no longer stay quiet when Gagnon strips them of clothes and more. Next Level: The rise and fall of a New Hampshire megachurch - WSHU Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of Nervous Breakthrough: Finding Freedom from Fear and Anxiety in a World That Feeds It by Christy Boulware. But Gagnon soon targeted Burger with mocking and scary pranks, Burger told TRR. Get out of there and find a real church. Im sorry they treated you like that brother. They are fake churchesnot genuine assemblies of true believers who learn from Jesus and obey all that he commanded. Next Level Church is a loving, relevant, and life-giving church that meets in many locations across the east coast and led by Pastor Joshua Gagnon. Rogers said when she notified King, he transferred the money back into the account, also shown in bank records. The only published financial statement came in the form of an annual report released In 2020, claiming Next Level had collected more than $3.3 million in the previous year, or the equivalent of nearly $65,000 each Sunday. Berube said at the time she and her husband and four kids had been looking for a spiritual home. This is something I think was building up over time, Jesse Davies, a former member of the church who helped coordinate a Facebook page called "Stories from Josh Gagnons Next Level Church" that aired testimonials from former employees. Why We S.O.A.P? Seeking to understand how it can happen. Here, we have not received information that any such body exists at NLC in practice or in its Bylaws.. According to anti-bullying expert and founder of The Protectors, Paul Coughlin, what former NLC staff and volunteers described to TRR is not unusual for victims of bullying. Find unique places to stay with local hosts in 191 countries. If anythings out of place, or if the audience response was bad, didnt respond to his bad jokes, if nobody raised their hand for salvation, he would come offstage after the service and lose his freaking mind, Goff said. My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. The transaction was signed off by one of Gagnons location pastors, Roman Archer. Someone needs to put a flashlight on those affairs. The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. David. Both suits were settled. I just want to help shepherd anybody that desires to be shepherded through it.. The church also announced that Operations Pastor Daniel King and Executive Assistant Walt Robbins would also be resigning from their roles at the church. will navigate the next steps for Next level Church.. Next Level: The rise and fall of a New Hampshire megachurch - Yahoo Finance Welcome to Next Level Church. Scot McKnight. These facts were confirmed in a statement emailed by NLC on Monday. Its all for the vulnerable, Davies said. The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. The sermons Pastor Josh Gagnon delivered each Sunday were different from what you'd hear at your typical New Hampshire churches. At the time of Gagnons alleged bullying, the ambitious megachurch pastor was writing and speaking about how planting a relevant and life-giving church in the rocky spiritual soil of New England was his God-given dream. Mar 3, 2023 - Rent from people in Bussy-Saint-Georges, France from $20/night. In early February, the church announced Gagnon, along with two of his top managers, had stepped down. Its a medicine and I think people will get better. In 2018, a top pastor tweeted that more than 8,000 people attended a Next Level Easter service. Gagnon called Groeschel his pastor, said Graves. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of "Nervous Breakthrough: Finding Freedom from Fear and Anxiety in a World That Feeds It" by Christy Boulware. Lead Pastor & Exec Team of ARC Megachurch Resign Amid Allegations of Map. Around 2011, NLC also began growing organically, and Gagnon started launching churches in other New England towns, former NLC pastor Boardman said. You know when we were pre teens the neighborhood kids had a plan to play strip poker after supper in a neighbor boys tent. These powerful people have risen to their positions for a reason they are master manipulators. If this stuff describes your church, leave now and dont subject yourselves or your families to this garbage. White said the incident took place during a staff meeting at the church office in Somersworth, New Hampshire, and it left NLC Operations Pastor Daniel King depantsed and shamed. Former employees told TRR that they were underpaid, overworked, had wages docked for non-performance-related reasons, and had concerns that Gagnon benefitted financially from the church. Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to help our journalists continue to report the truth and restore the church? But former pastors said NLC inflated the numbers it reported to Outreach Magazine. Thank you, For example, in 2015, NLC merged with Fellowship Church in Holden, Massachusetts, and acquired the churchs $800,000 bank account. This increased Gagnons platform from 1,000 to 80,000 followers in less than a year to prepare for his book launch, Archer said. I shudder to think of religious leaders facing our Lord given that the only folks he got angry with are religious leaders who used their power for self, and not God. NLC also seems to lack any independent oversight and accountability. There are way to many bodies behind the bus that the legacy and lead so-called pastors are driving. NLC also funded Gagnons sudden social media rise with thousands of dollars a month using a social media professional, who cross-posted to guarantee likes and followers, said former Directional Team Leader Roman Archer. Embattled Next Level Church Closes as More Demand an Investigation Despite these events, Burger began dating Bethany again, but kept it private. Gagnons relatability as an average dude during sermons, his approachability as a pastor who preferred T-shirts and jeans to formal vestments, and his ambition would help transform Next Level Church into one of the fastest growing congregations in the entire country over the past decade.
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