Category: unhealthy churches | Page 2

United Pentecostal Pastor Michael Delgado Has CSA Offender Brad Spacek in a Leadership Role

We have another instance of a registered sex offender being used in a leadership position at a United Pentecostal Church.

Bradford “Brad” William Spacek, born October 6, 1966, was convicted of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 and the 2014 charge involved one victim and was due to at least three incidents between 1999 and 2002 according to a news report. At the time of his charges, Brad Spacek was a freshman teacher at Chavez High School in California.

It has been shared that he used to attend Christian Life Center years back, but presently is involved at another United Pentecostal Church, Lighthouse of the Valley, also in Stockton, where Michael Delgado is pastor. There may be many attending this church who are unaware of his past criminal record.

According to the church’s website, Brad Spacek is part of the single adult leadership team and has spoken at their annual single adult conferences, the last being held in August 2025. He has also preached at the church at least once, on October 30, 2024. Attached are screenshots showing some of his involvement.

It is always concerning when any church uses a convicted sex offender in any type of leadership role or preaching capacity. A pastor is unwise to allow this. Has Spacek been permitted to be around children at the church? Have members and visitors been made aware of him being on the registry? If you are a parent of a minor and are a member or are visiting this church, you need to be aware of this situation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v580dJHuMD4

I originally posted about this on February 22, 2026 on our Facebook Page.

You will find a complete list of articles in this series by clicking here.

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Former United Pentecostal Pastor Robert Anthony “Tony” Langston Arrested on CSA Charges Part 5

Tony Langston instagram 8-16-21 This is a continuation of our coverage on former United Pentecostal Church pastor and presbyter, Robert Anthony “Tony” Langston, born November 9, 1964, who had been charged with sexual crimes against a minor in Colorado. Langston also had been the Colorado District Youth Secretary and the District Youth President. This is case number 25CR03894 in Denver County.

Anthony Langston is the founder and former pastor of Tapestry Church, which in June 2025 became Freedom Church Jersey City, when Tony resigned and turned it over to former UPCI minister Wade Haskins.

You may want to read Part 1, Part 2 , Part 3 and Part 4 of our prior posts.

Our hearts go out to survivors as we share that on February 7, 2026, the criminal case against Tony Langston was dismissed without prejudice and closed. This means that he can be charged again in the future as it is not indicative of a final end to the matter. This is neither a pronouncement of innocence or guilt.

On January 30, 2026, the State submitted a motion to dismiss in which it was stated, “After further review and investigation, the People are unable to prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt at this time.”In the judge’s order it is mentioned about the potential future sealing of the case. The DA is to advise the alleged victim by February 18 that it will be sealed but there could be an objection to it. Should that happen, they have until March 12, when the victim could appear before the court to object. Tony Langston would not be required to appear.If it is sealed, that means that the case will no longer be available to the general public or appear in public background checks. However, it is not sealed to everyone.

According to a document on an official Colorado government website, “The record is NOT destroyed and remains available to criminal justice agencies, the court, and the District Attorney. If your record is sealed and you are convicted again, your previous record may be unsealed by the court and/or available to the court, probation, and the District Attorney in sentencing.” In other words, prosecutors do not have to “start all over” if they proceed at a later date as has been erroneously mentioned online.

There is a great deal more I could say about this case and it is our hope that it will be reopened in the future. We encourage any other alleged victims to contact law enforcement if they have not already done so.

There was a prior case in Montgomery County, Texas in 2005

Our readers should be reminded that 2025 was not the first time CSA charges were filed against Robert Anthony Langston. In 2005 in Montgomery County, Texas, there was an indecency with a child case, Statute 21.11(a)(1) a 2nd degree felony, against Anthony Langston which was filed on August 2, 2005. This is case 05-08-06814.

Tony was living in Jersey City, New Jersey and was pastor of Tapestry Church, now Freedom Church Jersey City, which was called the International Christian Center at the time. The following year he was voted in as a presbyter of the New Jersey Metro District of the UPCI.

It never went to trial as on January 12, 2006, a motion to dismiss was filed and marked “in the interest of justice.” Just below that, the reason given was that “The victim is Deceased.”

You may read more about the Texas case, including court documents, in Part 4 of this series.

I originally posted about the dismissal of the Colorado case on February 10, 2026 on our Facebook Page.

You will find a complete list of articles in this series by clicking here.

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Giveaway: Take Back Your Life 3rd Edition by Janja Lalich

As promised, though at the last moment, I am posting the final three giveaways for 2025. More are planned for 2026, so you may want to subscribe for notifications of new posts. There will hopefully be one each month.

As with all of our giveaways, this is only open to those with a USA mailing address. There is absolutely no cost to enter.

This is your chance to receive a new copy of Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships by Janja Lalich. This is the third edition, which is the latest. The original edition was titled Captive Hearts, Captive Minds and we gave away several dozen copies of that through the years.

“Cult victims and those who have experienced abusive relationships often suffer from fear, confusion, low self-esteem, and post-traumatic stress. Take Back Your Life explains the seductive draw that leads people into such situations, provides insightful information for assessing what happened, and hands-on tools for getting back on track.”

Jana Lalich is an international authority on cults and coercion and has a website, which is found here. (At the time of this post, it was not available, so a link is shared to an archived version.) She is the founder of the Lalich Center on Cults & Coercion. If you watch documentaries on unhealthy groups, you have probably seen her.

We have a playlist of many interviews and talks she has given here.

This giveaway is a drawing. To enter, just leave a comment to show you wish to be included. The drawing will close on January 3, 2026 at 6pm (eastern time), after which I will draw a winner.

Be sure to check back to see if you have won as in the past some people have not responded after winning and so a new winner had to be drawn. You will then need to email me your mailing address if I do not already have it, so be sure to watch your email and check the spam folder. If I know your Facebook profile, I will message you there.

Don’t be alarmed if your comment does not immediately show as it may require approval.

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United Pentecostal Pastor Audley Castro Resigns Part 3

This is a continuation of our coverage on United Pentecostal Church minister Audley F. Castro, who was the long-term pastor of the Apostolic Pentecostal Church Of Pickering (APC) in Ontario, a legally affiliated UPCI church. It appears to be one of the largest UPCI churches in Ontario. (See Part One and Part Two.) Audley Castro resigned on July 9, 2025 amidst allegations of sexual misconduct allegedly spanning years.

This is the second part of our July 23 post where we shared two letters that had been released by the church in late 2021. In one letter it was stated that, “Between August 14, 2021 and November 7, 2021, former members of our congregation published a series of videos on YouTube making several statements about the Apostolic Pentecostal Church of Pickering (‘APC’) and Reverend Audley Castro (‘Rev. Castro’).”

Looking for the videos on YouTube brought up nothing and it was subsequently learned that they were removed due to a court order. However, they are still available on Rumble at The House of Prayer’s channel, which started on January 12, 2021. Four of their eleven videos address Audley Castro and the Apostolic Pentecostal Church of Pickering.

The first video, released on August 14, 2021 and lasting just one minute and 42 seconds, has no sound and is simply written statements accusing Audley Castro of adultery. Dean Delpeache, a former UPCI minister, is listed under the video. His name is seen under all four. Joel Woodburn is the one bringing the accusations, though this isn’t disclosed until the final video.

It alleged that, “Many ministers and leaders at APC are also involved in this adulterous and other wicked sexual activity who God will shortly expose.”

Continuing on, they name one of Castro’s alleged “partners” and shares she was 55 years old and pregnant, claiming it happened ten years after menopause, which is a wild claim, something which is not possible except potentially through IVF. They end with some additional claims regarding the mark of the beast.

The second video from August 16, 2021 is shorter than the first and again has no sound. Here it is stated that the adultery mentioned in the first video was with a minister’s wife, meaning Joel Woodburn.

The third is undated, even shorter and again has no sound. It stated that “As a public confession or denial was not given after I released this information on August 14, 2021, I am disclosing additional information to further clarify the truth.” It is then alleged that the woman is this person’s ex-wife and that the baby was aborted.

The fourth, released on November 7, 2021, is 14 minutes long, and there is finally sound and we see Joel Woodburn’s daughter, Rachel, narrating it. The names of Arnold MacLauchlan and David Bernard are shared underneath the video. Rachel states her family served in the church for almost a decade and that she had a series of dreams showing her that God is going to take down the church. She says to ask God to show you in a dream that these accusations are true. There are some other wild claims.

Returning to the letters released by the church, they also claimed, “At this time, the Board is seeking legal counsel about the best path forward.”

What many members of the Apostolic Pentecostal Church Of Pickering may not know is that a lawsuit was filed on April 5, 2022 by the church and Audley Castro against Joel and Rachel Woodburn. This was case CV2200679382000 in Ontario. They were suing for $165,000 and were represented by Gwendolyn Adrian.

Joel and Rachel Woodburn did not respond to the lawsuit, so a default judgement was entered against them in 2023. Because of this, as evidence was not presented in the case, it is unknown what accusations in the videos, if any, were true. As far as the Court is concerned, it was all defamation.

According to a court document posted by the attorney, Audley Castro was awarded $60,000 and the church $15,000. In addition, $13,130 was awarded for partial indemnity fees and disbursements. Whether Castro or APC received any money is unknown. Some may be unaware that when money is awarded in a lawsuit, it does not mean it will be able to be collected. Some have to go through a separate process to see if a defendant’s wages can be garnished, which can be an ongoing difficulty, and there are times that a plaintiff never receives anything.

The judge stated that the awards were on a joint and several basis, which means that both Joel and Rachel Woodburn are fully responsible for the entire debt. This allows the a plaintiffs to collect the full amount from any one of the parties.

I will mention that sometimes churches and ministers will file a lawsuit in an attempt to silence someone who speaks out about them. I have seen this happen. Here in the USA, some states have anti-SLAPP laws that protect individuals from SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation). Those laws can shut down frivolous and silencing lawsuits and that can be very costly for a plaintiff as they could be liable for the attorney fees of any defendants.

Attached are some screenshots from the lawsuit, a document which was posted on LinkedIn by the attorney, and two screenshots from the church’s Facebook Page showing that Joel Woodburn was an important part of the church for years.

More will be shared in the future in regard to the member only meeting that was held at the church on July 14, 2025.

I originally posted about this on August 22, 2025 on our Facebook Page.

You will find a complete list of articles in this series by clicking here.

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Galatians Study Part 15: 4:28-5:6

Galatians Study Part Fifteen: 4:28-5:6

NLT: “And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac. 29 But you are now being persecuted by those who want you to keep the law, just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power of the Spirit.

“30 But what do the Scriptures say about that? “Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” 31 So, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman; we are children of the free woman.

“5 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.

“2 Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. 4 For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.

“5 But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. 6 For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.”

NASB: “And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also. 30 But what does the Scripture say?

“Cast out the bondwoman and her son,For the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.”

“31 So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman.

“5 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. 4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.”

Paul continues to nail down the seriousness of the issue. Those who believe in Jesus are children of promise, of a free woman. As there was persecution from Ishmael to Isaac, there will be persecution from those yet in slavery to believers who are free.

Believers need to stand firm in the freedom that Christ Jesus has given them. They should not return to slavery. Whether it is a return to the law or to man-made rules, it is walking away from freedom in Christ and into slavery. Not only that, but Paul states that if we seek to be justified by the law, we have both fallen from grace and severed ourselves from Christ. Think again if you believe that trusting in following rules doesn’t matter (“better to be safe than sorry“).

Remember what Paul shared earlier, that the law is not of faith. When we turn to following the law, or any other set of rules, our walk is no longer by faith as we are seeking to be justified by the things we do.

Our entire walk with God is by faith. It isn’t about our works making us, or keeping us, right with God. It is about faith in the completed work of Jesus, that we may be justified through faith in him.

The last verse in this segment says, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.” Jumping ahead to Galatians 6:15, it states, “For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 proclaims that if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. It doesn’t matter if one is circumcised or uncircumcised, Jew or Greek, male or female, slave or free (Galatians 3:28)–we are one in Christ–a new creation and what matters is our faith working through love. Period. That is the only thing that counts.

Which will you choose? Will you follow laws and rules and fall from grace, becoming enslaved, or will you through faith stand firm in your freedom and be justified by faith in Christ Jesus?

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