Former Pastor at Greg Laurie’s Church Faces Lawsuits, Seeks Donations to Defend Himself

Paul Havsgaard, a former pastor at Greg Laurie’s Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, is facing multiple lawsuits alleging he sexually abused 22 Romanian street children starting in the late 1990s. Havsgaard, now 76, has pleaded poverty in court, stating he is living paycheck to paycheck and relies on Social Security and a military pension. He has denied all allegations, asserting his innocence and claiming the accusations are malicious.

In a Jan. 20 letter to U.S. District Judge Sunshine Skyes, Havsgaard wrote that he is not an attorney and cannot afford legal representation. The letter was submitted more than six weeks after he was required to respond to a summons. He described the allegations as “blatant, ugly lies manufactured for one purpose, to achieve a payout,” accusing the Romanian children and their legal representatives of seeking financial gain.

The other defendants in the lawsuits — Harvest Christian Fellowship, its pastor Greg Laurie, and former pastor Richard Shutte — have hired attorneys and are preparing their defense. Harvest Christian Fellowship, a Calvary Chapel megachurch, employed Havsgaard when he first went to Romania and worked closely with the nonprofit he established in the early 2000s. The church, Laurie, and Shutte are expected to argue that they were not legally or morally responsible for the alleged abuse, despite their involvement in the mission work.

Havsgaard seeks to go further, aiming to argue that no abuse occurred at all. He claims the Romanian children, whom he once fed, clothed, and housed, could have left the orphanages — which he described as more like foster homes — at any time if they were dissatisfied. He told the court that Romanian officials had warned him that street children would be ungrateful, yet he maintains they would not have acted this way if not for the presence of an attorney.

The case highlights the complex legal and moral responsibilities of church leaders and organizations involved in international mission work. As the lawsuits proceed, the court will determine the extent of each party’s liability. Micah 6:8 reminds us to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God — principles that should guide the pursuit of truth and accountability in all matters.

Source: Read the original report