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TX Pastor Fired Over Child Pornography Charges
Ministry Watch ^ | May 20, 2024 | Theresa Abell Haynes

Posted on 05/23/2024 11:01:23 AM PDT by Morgana

A Houston-area church has fired its longtime pastor after local police arrested him on child pornography charges.

In a public statement, Calvary Chapel of The Woodlands announced its board had unanimously stripped 63-year-old Bruce Hollen of his lead pastor role on May 8, the same day that Montgomery County authorities arrested him.

“The board hereby has determined that Bruce Hollen no longer has authority, authorization, or permission to conduct any business on behalf of Calvary Chapel of the Woodlands,” the church website said. “He may not hold himself out as a leader in any capacity for the church, and he may not speak on behalf of the church in any capacity.”

All other information on the church’s website was disabled. The church’s social media accounts have also been taken down, including its official Facebook account.

According to Montgomery County authorities, Hollen was charged with possession with intent to promote child pornography, a second-degree felony in Texas. His arrest follows a sting operation targeting internet crimes against children. Authorities said Hollen possessed sexually explicit photos of girls between the ages of 9 and 12.

Hollen was booked into the Montgomery County Jail, and his bond was set at $30,000.

The Calvary Chapel of Woodlands met in an auditorium at McCullough Junior High School, but local school board officials said the church met on Sundays and not when students were on campus, ABC 13 reported.

The Woodlands Calvary Chapel is part of an evangelical church association born out of Chuck Smith’s Calvary Chapel in southern California. Jesus Revolution, the 2023 movie starring Kelsey Grammer and Jonathan Roumie, depicts the Calvary Chapel movement in its 1960s counter-cultural beginnings. Calvary Chapels have since been known for their expository teaching, contemporary worship music, and emphasis on evangelism.

Calvary Chapel congregations operate independently, with self-government, although pastors must adhere to “Calvary Church Distinctives.”

Although Calvary Chapel Woodland’s website has been largely disabled, a cached page outlining the church’s beliefs mirrors those of many other nondenominational churches: belief in inspired scripture, the trinity, the divinity of Jesus, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the ministry of the Holy Spirit through exercised Biblical gifts and believers’ baptism.

“Our desire is to know Christ and be conformed to His image by the power of the Holy Spirit. We do that by preaching the gospel and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead people into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ,” the page reads.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Why does MinistryWatch report on sex crimes? These stories are tough to read and sometimes even tougher to report, but we think they are vital to our mission to bring transparency, accountability, and credibility to the evangelical church. To read more about why and how we report these stories, read “Why MinistryWatch Reports On Sex Crimes.” You can find that story here.


TOPICS: General Discusssion
KEYWORDS: brucehollen; childabuse; childporn; chomo; houston; pastor; texas
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1 posted on 05/23/2024 11:01:23 AM PDT by Morgana
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To: Morgana

Is there a millstone handy?


2 posted on 05/23/2024 11:03:52 AM PDT by MeganC (Ruzzians aren't people. )
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To: MeganC

Pretty soon the ocean will be full of them


3 posted on 05/23/2024 11:10:34 AM PDT by Morgana ( Always a bit of truth in dark humor.)
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To: Morgana

“Pretty soon the ocean will be full of them”

Lord, please haste the day that our children are safe from these monsters!


4 posted on 05/23/2024 11:12:05 AM PDT by MeganC (Ruzzians aren't people. )
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To: Morgana

Charged or found guilty? Everyone wants to lynch right away? What about due process? Maybe the enemy is trying to take him out?


5 posted on 05/23/2024 11:12:30 AM PDT by Bulwyf
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To: Morgana

If only pastors could marry.


6 posted on 05/23/2024 11:12:58 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Bulwyf
Charged or found guilty? Everyone wants to lynch right away? What about due process? Maybe the enemy is trying to take him out?

Agreed. I'll hold my judgement until more info comes. From the wording I couldn't tell if the church was just suspending him (pending investigation) or has fired him.

7 posted on 05/23/2024 11:15:23 AM PDT by Tell It Right (1st Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
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To: dfwgator

Same for our school teachers, both male and female


8 posted on 05/23/2024 11:26:28 AM PDT by Morgana ( Always a bit of truth in dark humor.)
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To: Morgana

Hmm, wonder why people aren’t sending their kids to church anymore.


9 posted on 05/23/2024 11:28:50 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: Bulwyf

It means he was sharing the images. It’s usually done in an attempt to get more


10 posted on 05/23/2024 11:29:30 AM PDT by AppyPappy (Biden told Al Roker "America is back". Unfortunately, he meant back to the 1970's)
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To: Tell It Right

That’s where I am. If guilty. Millstone away.

I think the catholics could use a huge cleanup though as well.


11 posted on 05/23/2024 11:40:41 AM PDT by Bulwyf
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To: Tell It Right
" From the wording I couldn't tell if the church was just suspending him (pending investigation) or has fired him."

LOL!

---------------------------------

TX Pastor Fired Over Child Pornography Charges Ministry Watch ^ | May 20, 2024 | Theresa Abell Haynes Posted on 5/23/2024, 2:01:23 PM by Morgana

A Houston-area church has fired its longtime pastor after local police arrested him on child pornography charges.

In a public statement, Calvary Chapel of The Woodlands announced its board had unanimously stripped 63-year-old Bruce Hollen of his lead pastor role on May 8, the same day that Montgomery County authorities arrested him.

“The board hereby has determined that Bruce Hollen no longer has authority, authorization, or permission to conduct any business on behalf of Calvary Chapel of the Woodlands,”

12 posted on 05/23/2024 11:51:33 AM PDT by TexasGator
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To: Bulwyf

“What about due process? “

What about it?


13 posted on 05/23/2024 11:52:25 AM PDT by TexasGator
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To: TexasGator

I missed the use of the word “fired”. When I saw “stripped of his authority” that was ambiguous to me (either suspended or fired).


14 posted on 05/23/2024 11:52:38 AM PDT by Tell It Right (1st Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
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To: dfwgator

“If only pastors could marry.”

They can. And, this one was.


15 posted on 05/23/2024 11:53:32 AM PDT by TexasGator
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To: TexasGator
“If only pastors could marry.” They can. And, this one was.


16 posted on 05/23/2024 11:55:57 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: dfwgator

There’s a few bad apples out there, but the evangelical church is not infested with Sodomites top to bottom with institutionalized protection because of unbiblical and unnatural celibacy. Saint Peter and His wife are rolling in their graves


17 posted on 05/23/2024 12:06:27 PM PDT by Jan_Sobieski (Sanctification)
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To: MeganC

That’s what I was thinking. As a pastor myself, it grieves me to my very soul that there are demonic/wicked reprobates claiming to be “men of God” doing this kind of garbage. Not only does it make ministry more difficult for there rest of us, but more importantly - sullies the name of Christ - as the vast majority of people totally lack the ability to discern that the perpetrator in such cases is NOT a Christian - but a reprobate miscreant.


18 posted on 05/23/2024 12:11:51 PM PDT by TheBattman (Democrats-Progressives-Marxists-Socialists-Satanists: redundant labels.)
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To: 1Old Pro

Problem: family members still (by far) outnumber clergy and teachers as perpetrators of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

And your post is just a reminder that most people have absolutely zero discernment - and lump the 99.9999% of Christian clergy who would NEVER be a participating in this wickedness with the 0.0001% who might.

In fact - statistically - children are more likely to be abused in their own home than in/at church.


19 posted on 05/23/2024 12:14:57 PM PDT by TheBattman (Democrats-Progressives-Marxists-Socialists-Satanists: redundant labels.)
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To: TexasGator

Didn’t see yet.


20 posted on 05/23/2024 12:19:21 PM PDT by Bulwyf
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