Megachurch Pastor Resigns Over ‘Moral Failing’

Bob Coy, who reigned over the 20,000 member Calvary Chapel in Fort Lauderdale has resigned because of a “moral failing.”

A call to Coy on Sunday (April 6) was not returned. But it appears extramarital affairs may have been one reason.

Coy’s church is listed by Outreach magazine as the 14th largest church in the U.S., and one of the fastest growing. The church’s assets are around $135 million, according to the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. It is the second-largest megachurch in Florida, according to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research.

Active Word, a media ministry that distributed Coy’s Bible teachings on radio, television and digital media outlets, has also been suspended, according to a statement from the church’s board. His programs were included on Trinity Broadcasting Network, a network that hosts several televangelists.

“We have confirmed that Coy has admitted to at least two affairs in the past year alone and has had a long standing ‘problem with pornography,’” wrote blogger Michael Newnham. Newnham also wrote that Coy was taken off the board membership page for the Calvary Chapel Association, a ministry started by the late pastor Chuck Smith.

By: Cheston Catalano

Cheston Catalano is a Kentucky-based journalist whose work has been featured in the Chattanooga Times Free Press and the Clarksville Leaf Chronicle. He is a long-time contributor to Liberaland.