A lawsuit has been filed alleging that leaders at Harvest Christian Fellowship, the megachurch founded by pastor and evangelist Greg Laurie, covered up sexual misconduct involving senior church leaders and paid one pastor approximately $4 million in connection with a nondisclosure agreement to keep the matter confidential.
The claims appear in an amended legal complaint tied to ongoing litigation involving individuals formerly connected with Harvest ministries. According to the filing, church leadership allegedly handled accusations against certain pastors quietly rather than publicly addressing the situation, raising questions about transparency and accountability within the ministry.
The lawsuit claims that at least two high-level pastors were removed from their leadership roles in 2021 and 2022 under circumstances that were not clearly explained to church members. Plaintiffs argue that the departures were linked to allegations of sexual misconduct and that church leaders sought to manage the situations privately.
Attorneys representing the plaintiffs allege the circumstances reflect a broader pattern in which leadership prioritized protecting the church's reputation over openly addressing accusations. The filing claims that one pastor received a multimillion-dollar payment tied to a nondisclosure agreement, which the lawsuit characterizes as an attempt to keep details of the situation from becoming public.
Former staff members cited in the case reportedly described the departures of certain leaders as sudden and unexplained. One account included in the legal filing claims employees were discouraged from asking questions about the changes in leadership, contributing to confusion among staff and congregants.
Harvest Christian Fellowship has denied wrongdoing and indicated it plans to challenge the allegations in court. Representatives for the church have stated that the claims made in the lawsuit do not accurately represent the actions of church leadership.
Harvest Christian Fellowship, headquartered in Riverside, California, was founded by Laurie in 1973 and has grown into a multi-campus church with a significant national presence. The ministry is widely known for hosting large evangelistic events known as Harvest Crusades and has been a prominent voice within evangelical Christianity for decades.
The legal proceedings are ongoing, and no final rulings have been issued regarding the allegations. The case has nonetheless drawn renewed attention to how churches and ministries handle accusations of misconduct involving leaders and the use of nondisclosure agreements in religious organizations.
