Former Vineyard Anaheim Members Sue, Accusing New Pastors of $62 Million Fraud

The Roys Report ^ | November 25, 2022 | Sarah Einselen

[Morgana]

In its heyday, Vineyard Anaheim served as the flagship of a worldwide, charismatic movement. Now, the church has left the Vineyard, taking with it $62 million in assets. And according to a lawsuit filed this month by former church members, the exodus was part of a premediated plan by current church leaders to deceive and defraud.

In the suit, the widow of Vineyard founder John Wimber and eight other former members of Vineyard Anaheim—now the Dwelling Place—accuse current church pastors and board members of fraud, misrepresentation, and breach of fiduciary duty.

Named as defendants are Dwelling Place Lead Pastors Alan and Kathryn Scott, Worship Pastors Jeremy and Katie Riddle, and the church’s other board members—Banning Leibscher, lead pastor of Jesus Culture Sacramento; and Julian Adams, co-lead pastor of The Table Boston Church.

The Anaheim church was the charismatic movement’s guiding light for decades before splitting from Vineyard USA earlier this year.

Board members gave no reason for the departure other than “saying ‘yes’ to the Holy Spirit.”

But Vineyard leaders at the time called the church’s departure an “extreme betrayal.” Wimber’s widow, Carol Wimber-Wong, also accused Alan and Kathryn Scott of “actions that are screaming dishonor.”

Now, Wimber-Wong, her daughter, four former Vineyard Anaheim directors, and three other former church members claim the Scotts lied to the church’s board of directors when they were hired.

The suit accuses the Scotts of replacing the old church board with yes-men who would let them use the church’s assets to “start and fund a new movement,” instead of leading the worldwide Vineyard movement as Anaheim had done since 1982.

The lawsuit estimates the church’s assets, including real estate, are worth $62 million. The church owns multiple buildings on 5.7 acres in Orange County, California.

[No name given]

They thought they were the sheep, turns out they were just the goats instead.

[texas booster]

It is impossible to understand this situation through the lenses of the mass media reporting, even from The Roys Report.

However, we have seldom been disappointed if we expect people to act like people.

And that might be the simplest explanation for all of this.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

I have never found these kinds of places appealing. Give me a small congregation with a simple facility and a devoted servant of God as pastor —of pretty much any established denomination — any day.

[Babba Gi]

Let’s see,“saying ‘yes’ to the Holy Spirit.” You can drive a truck through that!

[avenir]

Convoys of trucks are driven through that re: the “Vinyard” movement.

[ptsal]

Bkmk

[LS]

Agree. Trying to get actual news from so-called “News” sources, or Hoax News as I now call them, is impossible in normal circumstances. If it is Trump, Mike Lindell, Kanye or religion, it’s even worse.

Needless to say, between the Southern Baptist Convention’s coverup of sex abuse, the Hillsong celebrity pastor that crashed and burned, the revelations about Ravi Zaharias, well, it doesn’t look, much different from the 1200s.

[oldguy1776]

My Father used to say tax the churches...and then you’d see them actually be accountable to their parishioners as to where their tithes/offerings were spent.

[texas booster]

Thumbs up!

well, it doesn’t look, much different from the 1200s.

Just people doing people things.

[IncPen]

“Board members gave no reason… other than “saying ‘yes’ to the Holy Spirit.”
_______

Gotta try that one…