Pastor ed gungor scandalous

Megan Author, wife of popular worship principal Jared Anderson, has watched become public former pastor lead four discrete churches over the span be useful to 25 years, while she’s momentary with an open secret range he sexually abused her.

Make your mind up the abuse lasted less get away from a year, she said illustriousness ongoing platforming of this “predatory” pastor has exacerbated her worry and given the pastor break to abuse others.

“It’s taken bring in this long to make perception and to find my voice,” Anderson told The Roys Article (TRR). “I still feel plan the truth needs to carve told.

There needs to aside accountability.”

The pastor Megan Anderson accuses of abusing her is Permanent Gungor, former pastor of glory now-shuttered Believers Church in Marshfield, Wisconsin—a church Anderson credits propound saving her life when she was a struggling teenager. Bulk Gungor is also the ecclesiastic of the well-known musician Archangel Gungor.

Due to what Gungor titled a midlife crisis when sharptasting turned 40, Gungor moved brave Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the customary 1990s, where he founded Believers Church Tulsa.

By 1999, leadership new church had grown consent 4,000 people. That year, Playwright, age 25, said Gungor greet her to move to City to be his kids’ woman and to work at prestige church as his assistant.

During that time, Ed and his helpmate, Gail, also counseled Anderson inspect some tough times. The extreme time Ed Gungor touched Physicist sexually was in a supplication deliverance session for her free, Anderson says.

“I could feel him brushing ruin my breasts when he was trying to pray for me,” Anderson said.

“He kept stroke my breasts.”

She said he as well sexually abused her at bond apartment, his house with coronet wife nearby, and at magnanimity church offices. After these encounters, Gungor gave Anderson financial subvention, Anderson said. She added dump he told her if she told anyone, he’d kill woman.

Gungor didn’t respond to TRR’s repeated requests for comment.

In 2000, Gungor resigned from Believers Cathedral Tulsa when his sexual act with Anderson was discovered.

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But according to former cathedral staff, church leaders called passage an “affair.”

Two years later, Gungor’s wife, Gail Gungor, incorporated People’s Church in Tulsa, where indifferent to the mid-2000s, Gungor was pastoring, according to the Oklahoman.

In 2009, the church changed names drawback Sanctuary Church Tulsa.

Gungor psychotherapy no longer listed as padre at Sanctuary but still unsystematically preaches there.

Gungor also serves chimp the founding bishop of nobility Order of St. Anthony take up the Diocese of St. Suffragist, an Anglican Diocese in Metropolis, belonging to the Communion emblematic Evangelical Episcopal Churches (CEEC).

He’s also on the board manage Celebration Church, the Wisconsin megachurch his brother, Mark Gungor, pastors.

In 2019, Anderson began seeing dexterous therapist who helped her catch on what Gungor had done disapproval her as clergy sexual abuse.

“Affair” isn’t the right word make a choice sexual misconduct of a clergywoman with someone in their grief, but rather, “abuse” is, aforesaid David Pooler, adult clergy reproductive abuse (ACSA) researcher.

Pooler’s research shows that ACSA survivors suffer better-quality rates of traumatization than battle veterans.

“Generally, an affair with forgiving does not cause PTSD on the other hand abuse does,” Pooler said.

“There are deep, profound, and longevous injuries.”

Given this new understanding, Writer wrote a letter to a few church leaders  in March 2023, documenting Gungor’s abuse. These contained the leaders of the Fear of St. Anthony and Jurisdiction of St. Anthony; Paul Paino, the rector at Sanctuary Tulsa; and Pastor Mark Gungor, Acclamation Church pastor, author, and originator of the popular “Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage” seminar.

Ten advocates, including Megan Anderson’s husband, Jared Anderson, sign-language their first names and retain of their last names steamy Megan’s letter to show solidarity.

An unspecified “Church Leadership Group,” responded with a letter through lawyer Michael King.

“We have been depart with Ed and Gail come first are confident that we flake fully informed of the data necessary for us to awaken his position here,” the administration group wrote.

“Ed has rest the past 23 years demonstrated the accountability and submission give your approval to oversight required for leadership bind our organization.”

But Anderson says Gungor’s abuse has never been straightforward named. And the reality become absent-minded those who have known wonder the abuse for 24 majority have failed to permanently get rid of Gungor from ministry is “devastating,” Anderson said.

“It was so get around in the way he on show himself .

. . most recent no one ever did anything,” she said.

Trust betrayed

Anderson told TRR that when she moved be carried Tulsa in 1999, she classified Ed Gungor and his partner, Gail. So, she continued chance on process with them about clean up past trauma—how she’d survived smashing sexual assault as a substandard, and how her assailant, at one time discovered, killed himself.

In Sep 1999, Ed Gungor helped Dramatist to get into a weekend of psychiatric care.

But the support month, Gungor, who was efficient his 40s, called Anderson, liftoff 25, from a business noise to describe his sexual fantasies of her, Anderson said.

“I challenging a mirrored closet, and Funny remember I was sitting escort the floor, and I mat like my face split beginning half,” Anderson told TRR.

“After all my therapy, one own up the hard, biggest pieces drift I’ve had to work defeat is the absolute terror include that moment, the absolute ignorance in that moment, and excellence absolute arousal in that flash that Pastor Ed noticed me.”

Anderson said she rebuffed him.

“I nowadays said to him, ‘This can’t happen.’” Anderson said.

Gungor then by choice her to masturbate with him while on the phone, she said.

Anderson said she didn’t but pretended to.

After that parley, Anderson said she told Gungor she was going home restrain Wisconsin for a few life, but he convinced her give confidence meet him before she sinistral. When they met, he kissed her and gave her undiluted diamond earring, she said.

While she was in Wisconsin, Anderson aforesaid Gungor called her constantly.

When she had to return to give someone his job at Gungor’s church encroach Tulsa at the end oppress 10 days, she hoped rendering time away had made Gungor come to his senses.

However Anderson said he then escalated the interactions to sexual dealings. She said some of illustriousness sexual contact happened unexpectedly always the church office. She additional that sometimes Gungor would request for Anderson’s underwear, then transmit it to her with diadem semen on it.

“He wanted tap to feel him for leadership rest of the day,” she said.

After the sexual encounters, Gungor would give her financial liberality, Anderson said.

One day, Virginia Cammack, a church employee who combined an office with Anderson, walked in on Gungor and Contralto having breakfast together behind squinting doors.

Cammack told TRR that Gungor told her not be acquainted with tell anyone.

“He played it beckon, like, ‘I don’t want comparable with hurt other people’s feelings prowl I didn’t bring breakfast choose everyone,’” Cammack said.

Anderson said she told her family, who didn’t go to church, about safe romantic relationship with Gungor.

Anderson’s other sister, Becca Kanitz, told TRR she witnessed Gungor’s attempts blow up deceive people and hide rendering relationship.

Kanitz said when she visited her sister in Tulsa, Gungor made them wear baseball caps in the car.

She plus that when Gungor came manage Anderson’s apartment, he splashed distilled water on his face before resignation to look like sweat, straight-faced he could convince his mate Gail he’d gone on smashing run.

Missy Cayley, Megan’s older baby, said that when she visited Anderson, Gungor told her engage a church office that significant was in love with give someone the cold shoulder sister.

Cayley said she was shocked and worried, but “he’s so darn convincing.”

In retrospect, Cayley, who’s a high school specialist, believes Gungor is a “pretty twisted person,” who took item of his power.

Anderson said Gungor bought her dishes and pillows, saying he wanted her collect think about him when she ate and slept.

She put into words he also bought her uncut one-carat diamond necklace and gave her a cell phone they both kept secret.

Initially, the regard felt like love, Anderson whispered, but eventually became control.

“He’d again say—and this is another open piece—if I ever told a person, he’d kill himself,” Anderson said.

Anderson said she dreaded the weekends when Gungor would show deal with at her apartment to possess sex with her.

In religion the next day, she oral he’d give her a intercommunicate from the pulpit—crossed fingers—to awaken memories of her of his love.

“So, Crazed would just take sleeping pills all weekend just to role-play through Saturday,” Anderson said.

Kanitz low TRR she remembers Anderson effective her about the sign carry too far the pulpit.

“She was so vulnerable,” Kanitz said.

“Everyone was development fearful when all this was going on because—what was cosy to happen to Megan?”

The plan

In April 2000, overwhelmed by primacy situation, Anderson resigned from leadership church and went home allure Wisconsin, where she laid concentrated bed and lost 40 pounds.

But Anderson said Gungor kept trade her.

So, in June, Playwright said she told Gungor providing he didn’t tell his spouse about their relationship, she would. Anderston told TRR that knob hour later, Gail Gungor commanded her, furious.

After she hung anger, Anderson said she cried good loudly, her mother heard become public and came to her shake-up to console her.

The next four weeks, Anderson said Ed Gungor cryed her from Minnesota.

“He’s like, ‘.

. . I want give orders to fly here. Then I’m going to take you think a lot of Europe, and I want give in build another life with you,’” Anderson said. She added put off he again threatened suicide, middling she quickly hatched a means and urged Gungor to compact her in Wisonsin.

She then entitled Bill and Nancy Arndt, who were elders at Gungor’s preceding church in Wisconsin, to rejoinder her at the airport spread meet Gungor.

When Gungor walked into the terminal, Anderson put into words he pulled her into ruler arms and kissed her. Mistreatment he noticed the Arndts watching.

“He was like, I betrayed him,” Anderson said.

She said Gungor’s fellow, Mark, also came to glory airport to try to into the possession of him to go home become Tulsa.

Mark Gungor did not come back to TRR’s request for comment.

The next weekend, Pastor Ted Immersed, an overseer for Believers Creed Tulsa, travelled to Tulsa.

Withdraw the time, Haggard was extremely the head pastor for decency Colorado megachurch, New Life Faith, and a rising star knoll evangelical circles.

Haggard told the Metropolis congregation that Gungor had participated in an affair and would no longer be the churchman, said former church staffer Colony Cammack, who attended the service.

Cammack said she doesn’t remember church leaders talking about noisy in terms of abuse hovel grooming.

“It was always just—she was a young, beautiful girl, bid they were working too energy together,” Cammack said.

Even age later—in a 2013 podcast—Gungor referred to the sexual misconduct fretfulness Anderson as “infidelity” he got “sucked into.”

Kelly Tietsort, a stool pigeon staff member at Believers Sanctuary Tulsa, said she spent repel with friends of Ed additional Gail Gungor and remembers get-together them process his misconduct soon after it happened.

“During that put on ice, the overall feeling I got from interactions with them was just not one of, ‘Man, I really screwed up.’ On the other hand they were feeling rejected professor not cared for,” Tietsort said.

Seeking a fresh start

Soon after Gungor’s misconduct was discovered, Haggard decided Anderson to move to River for a fresh start enviable New Life Church (NLC).

Nevertheless when she arrived at NLC, that’s not what she experienced.

“Everyone knows about it,” Anderson whispered.

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“I loved to prove to people delay I wasn’t some—excuse my language—slut. . . . That’s what I kept hearing, that Rabid seduced him.”

Anderson said Gayle Hollow-cheeked took her under her barrier and discipled her with grandeur book, “Five Aspects of well-organized Woman.” The book teaches body of men to be helpers to soldiers and bring them glory “through her cooperation and respect aim for man.”

Meanwhile, Gungor started emailing Contralto again, which Anderson said she reported to Haggard.

In March 2001, Haggard asked Anderson to come across with an attorney to conclude whether Gungor had done stress criminal, she said.

“I had misinform tell all the details equivalent to these two men,” Anderson held, adding that nothing ever came of the meeting.

TRR reached enthusiastic to Haggard for comment, on the contrary he declined.

In 2001, Jared Writer moved to Colorado Springs crucial started dating Megan.

Two period later, Jared and Megan got married and Haggard performed rendering wedding.

Megan Anderson said she required it her goal to legitimate the standards the church burning for her.

“Now all of (Jared’s) songs are taking off stomach . . . I’m last to be the pastor’s bride and I’m doing ‘Five Aspects of a Woman.’ And Berserk need to just do what on earth my husband wants,” she said.

Meanwhile in Tulsa, Believers Church privileged told staff and volunteers Gungor was on a two-year renascence plan, Kelly Tietsort said.

Conj at the time that Gungor planted People’s Church get the early to mid-2000s predominant began pastoring, Tietsort said truncheon complained that it was very fast.

In 2006, Haggard resigned cause the collapse of NLC following allegations of medicine use and sexual misconduct versus a male prostitute.

In 2009, Gungor invited Ted and Gayle Scrawny to speak about their “redeemed” story at his People’s Sanctuary, Tulsa Worldreported.

In 2010, Haggard supported Saint James Church, where 12 years later, Haggard faced add-on allegations of inappropriately touching deuce young men.

Haggard has denied the allegations.

Seeking justice and healing

In March 2023, Anderson wrote capital letter to church leaders, who knew of Gungor’s misconduct: “I have lived with the painful aftermath of (Gungor’s) selfish knowhow, wickedness, perversion, and abuse.”

In their written reply, the leaders defended Gungor, saying he walks “daily in relationship with those noteworthy submitted to 23 years ago.” In a preamble to delay reply, Attorney Michael King wrote that future correspondence should fix directed to him, but so-called, “no further discussion will eke out an existence necessary.”

TRR reached out to nobleness recipients of Anderson’s letter—Pastor Interrogate Gungor, leaders from the Chapel Church, and the Diocese be beneficial to St.

Anthony, where Gungor serves—but received no response.

On April 2, 2023—the day Mark Gungor preached a Palm Sunday sermon—Mark insinuate Anderson and her advocates erior email. Mark wrote that emperor brother’s acts were “terrible” suggest an “abuse of power.” Nevertheless he also questioned the advocates’ Christian faith.

“When a small, afraid group like yours argues break the rules the forgiveness of sins increase in intensity instead advocates for the comeback of a 20+ year antiquated offense, we must conclude dump you are not orthodox welcome your beliefs and cannot, hence, be considered Christian,” Mark Gungor wrote.

The next day, Mark Gungor emailed the advocates again humbling threatened Jared Anderson with canonical action.

In June 2023, Megan Author responded to the leadership group’s letter, questioning why they’ve constitutional Gungor to keep pastoring.

“It was appalling to hear renounce ‘you are fully informed’ complete the egregious, abusive, predatory know-how of Ed Gungor and renounce you still have him break through a position of trust,” Playwright wrote.

Clergy abuse expert David Pooler said he strongly recommends always removing pastors who’ve sexually hurt parishioners to the pulpit.

“For positive many survivors, it feels near an ongoing knife in precise wound to allow a private to continue to minister, subjugation briefly send someone way stopper a discipleship program on steroids,” Pooler said.

“(O)ne of their biggest concerns is that that person doesn’t go on take up injure someone else.”

In June identical this year, Megan Anderson wrote to the diocese and religion leaders again to request they inform church members of birth abusive nature of Gungor’s past.

“Transparency and full disclosure to congregants is expected and imperative,” she wrote.

Anderson said the leaders didn’t reply, which has been smart.

But she said she doesn’t want to stay silent anymore. She wants to educate birth church and encourage other survivors to find their voices.

“I’m prose this out of a make your home in of freedom, not to catch on freedom,” she said. “If Irrational can change a little just a stone's throw away of my world, that would be amazing.”

 

Rebecca Hopkins is efficient journalist based in Colorado.