An Ohio megachurch has reached an undisclosed financial settlement with a former employee who sued the church claiming that its head pastor – who is also anti-gay – had sexually abused and harassed him for over a decade.
Brock Miller, a former employee who worked as assistant pastor of Grace Cathedral in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio claimed that televangelist Rev. Ernest Angley had “inspected his genitals and asked him sexual questions” from 2004 to 2014. The church claims no responsibility in the settlement and has stood by its assertion that Miller’s claims are false.
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Miller began working at the church as an associate pastor at age 17. Around that time, Angley allegedly told Miller that he was destined to become its pastor to lead its worldwide TV broadcasts ministry. Miller says that Angley hand-picked a wife for him to marry at age 19; she was 17 at the time they wedded.
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Miller also said that Angley pressured him and others to get a vasectomy and for women to get abortions so they’d have more money to invest into the church.
Prior to his wedding, Miller says he approached Angley with questions about sex, and Angley allegedly told Miller to show him his penis and masturbate in front of him to ensure that he could ejaculate for his wife. Miller says he trusted Angley and complied several times over a decade. He also claims that Angley asked him graphic questions about Miller’s sex with his wife.
Miller then claimed that in 2006, Angley invited him to his bedroom for a special “anointing ceremony” wherein Angley asked Miller to get naked and then allegedly massaged the front and back of Miller’s naked body. These bedroom trysts allegedly occurred many times.
According to Miller, during one of their bedroom encounters, Angley said, “I’d really like to teach you how to give a good [passionate kiss].” Miller claims he responded “No!” adding, “It was just like the veil was completely lifted from my eyes and I saw him in that moment for the monster that he is.”
Despite he fact that Angley has been caught on tape admitting that he has repeatedly had gay sex, the church claims that Miller fabricated his allegations either to become the church’s lead pastor or to extort money from the church. Miller’s lawsuit sought full back pay, benefits, and reinstatement to the lead pastor position or else compensatory and punitive damages and attorney’s fees. The amount of the settlement remains publicly undisclosed.
“I try every single day to see some light shine on the horrible sexual abuse I endured,” Miller said, “and, even if I never get justice for myself, maybe the truth and my story can impact someone else and save them from the same hell I lived.”
In Angley’s 1995 book Oh, God, What a Mess!, he wrote, “Homosexuality is vile, vile before God; and it will send souls to hell.”
