NBC Reports on this scandal in a recent documentary. What occurred was the placement of a known sex offender to a position in power over others. This offender used his position to abuse at least 10 men and young boys.
The sex offender was Daniel Savala. Although a registered sex offender, Savala was put into a position of power and was able to use his power to assault multiple boys and men. In 2023 the accusations came up and he was arrested, “Savala was arrested, and at least six Chi Alpha pastors, leaders and students who studied under him were charged with sexual abuse.” (https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/chi-alpha-texas-abuse-allegations-christian-missionary-sex-offender-rcna220069)
Although the Assemblies of God officially states that they took matters against Savala when they learned of his abuses, it turns out this is not entirely accurate. According to NBC’s Investigation, Savala had been in trouble as far back as the 1990’s. According to the report, Chi Alpha leaders came to his defense. They wrote letters to the judge and the result was a 90 days sentence for his misconduct.
…ministry leaders in Texas rallied to his defense, sending a staff member to Alaska to pay his bail and — after Savala pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a minor — organizing a letter-writing campaign to ask the judge for leniency.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/chi-alpha-texas-abuse-allegations-christian-missionary-sex-offender-rcna220069
To make matters even more strange, Daniel Savala recorded a confession in his home. The confession, which is played in the NBC investigative report, details how he picked religious groups like Assemblies of God, why he picked them and how he was able to keep his foothold in the system.
Assemblies of God
The Assemblies of God is the largest pentecostal organization in America. My father was an AoG minister. My feelings about the AoG is complex. My father had deep connections into the AoG and I recall one time he met with an old friend who was a long-time professor at SCC (Southern California College, now known as Vanguard). In that meeting they spent an hour or more talking about all the scandals in the Assemblies of God. “Did you hear about the pastor so and so and how he stole from the church?” “No, he did? I did hear about pastor such and such who ran off with a pianist…” They gossiped and I felt sick. I felt that if such an organization had so much internal dirt it was sweeping under the rug, why would anyone want to be part of it?
I have family that were sexually abused in an AoG church. It wasn’t by a pastor but by an unordained church elder.
I can’t tell you much about AoG and their scandals. I’ve seen the stuff that isn’t illegal… the backstabbing, the racism, the hate mongering. I’ve heard of the legal scandals (pastors running off with married women). Not much comes out about illegal issues within the AoG. Either there aren’t that many instances of abuse, or it isn’t reported.
