GENEVA (IL)
Wartburg Watch [Raleigh NC]
November 26, 2025
By Dee
I knew NOTHING about the pastors and leaders in the SBC church in the 7 years I attended there. They wore masks.
This is going to be a short screed by Dee. Let me start by saying that I am the worst example of doing the thing I am warning parents and grandparents about. I was first a member of an almost megachurch in Chapel Hill. Then, I attended a growing megachurch in Dallas. My children were babies, toddlers, and school-age as they grew up in these churches. I can say that there was no abuse reported or rumored in these churches. Then, I moved to Raleigh and joined an SBC almost-megachurch. At this church, I allowed them to attend summer camp and participate in a variety of activities and Bible studies. In ALL of these cases, I trusted those who ran the churches.
However, in that final SBC church in Raleigh, a group of 13+young teen boys (some say the count was much higher, more like 30) were aggressively sexually abused by a SEBTS seminary student. I believe that some in leadership may have had a prewarning but chose to ignore it. They deny it, of course. My son was at the age when this molester began to groom them. But he was more intelligent than I. He refused to attend his Bible study and classes because “I think he’s weird.” He was smarter than a whole bunch of us.
You see, I thought I knew the pastor. He had an “aw shucks, just a nice Southern boy.” So were many in leadership. I saw some cracks in their personality presentation. They were rabidly “young earthers” to the point of “educating us” every year on this secondary matter, which seemed of primary importance. One of the pastors handed out his list of “who to vote for.” I thought they were just naive. But when push came to shove, and the abuse was revealed, those of us who questioned them became “the enemy.” I learned a lesson. Those up front in the church could be putting on a mask.
My warning is this. Folks, my family was fortunate. I was in two churches that, at the time, were well run, and the leaders did not wear masks. My son barely survived being abused in the SBC church. I realized I knew NOTHING about the leaders. Sorry for the shout, but it needs to be emphasized. My actions in handing off my kids to these churches almost resulted in a disaster for my son.
A recent example of the mask coming off
Folks, your pastors and leaders are sinners just like you. You don’t know your pastors well, especially in megachurches. The guy performing up front may be wearing his mask. He may confess to this sin or that, but don’t think that this proves you know him. You don’t.
The Christian Post posted Megachurch Pastor Brian Coffey accused of negligence in alleged sexual abuse of minor by youth leader.
Brian Coffey, the interim lead pastor of the multi-campus Chapelstreet Church in Geneva, Illinois, has been accused in a lawsuit of knowingly allowing a former youth leader, who admitted to abusing a minor, to continue to work with children, resulting in the alleged sexual abuse of the son of two missionaries connected to the church.
The son of the missionaries, who is now a 21-year-old adult living in British Columbia, Canada, filed a 28-page lawsuit against Coffey last month in Kane County, Illinois. Also named in the lawsuit as defendants are the accused child abuser, Don Vanthournout, and Chapelstreet Church, which is officially recorded as First Baptist Church of Geneva.
Chapelstreet Church is officially a Southern Baptist Church and is a megachurch with thousands of members at four sites. From their website:
AFFILIATION
FBC Geneva is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). Although there are over 40,000 churches that make up the SBC, each church is autonomous, meaning that each church is self-governed under the direction of the Holy Scripture and Christ, who is the true head of the church. The SBC has no authority over local churches. It is simply an association of Baptist churches who combine their gifts and resources to share the message of Christ around the world.
FBC Geneva affirms The Baptist Faith and Message (2000). FBC Geneva is also a member of the Florida Baptist Convention and the Seminole Baptist Association.
This tells me something. The church is officially named First Baptist Church of Geneva. It appears to present itself to the community as one of those nice nondenominational churches with a nondescript name. That says something to me. The church itself is “wearing a mask.” Therefore, the leadership may also be wearing masks.
The parents made the same mistake I did. I assumed that the leaders actually supervise those who work for them. According to the article, the boy was sexually molested from the age of 7 until the age of 14. The kid was taking showers at the abuser’s residence.
Plaintiff was … made to take a shower in Vanthournout’s room, and on several occasions Vanthournout would join him in the shower naked. On several occasions, while either laying in the bed or standing in the shower, Vanthournout touched Plaintiff’s genitals, made Plaintiff touch his genitals, and anally penetrated Plaintiff,” the lawsuit claims.
The abuser even financially supported the boy’s missionary parents.
…John Doe alleges the abuse took place at Vanthournout’s residence in Kane County, where his missionary parents, who received financial support from his alleged abuser, stayed with his parents and older brother during visits to the area. He said his parents even allowed him and his older brother, Doe-2, to stay with Vanthournout alone in the summer of 2017 at the request of the alleged abuser, who was presented to congregants as a respected youth leader and role model.
The article continues to spell out the abuse this boy endured. There is also a second victim.
Victim #1 allegedly informed Coffey, who reportedly said he would tell the then-Senior elders. It appears that this never happened.
“Wanting to ensure that Vanthournout did not have the opportunity to harm any other children, Victim #1 reached out to then Lead Pastor, Defendant Coffey. In a series of email exchanges between April 7, 2010, and April 12, 2010, Victim #1 and Coffey arranged to meet confidentially to discuss Vanthournout,” the lawsuit says.
Victim #1 said he met with Coffey at Chapelstreet’s east campus on April 16, 2010, and shared his story of abuse, including Vanthournout’s admission of guilt in his letter.
“Coffey assured Victim #1 that he will bring the issue to the attention of Chapelstreet’s ‘Senior Elders,’” the lawsuit states. But he did not appear to do so as Vanthournout remained in ministry.
Let’s see. That happened in 2010. It is now 2025. Coffey appears to have lived with his lack of response for many years.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported on the church’s official statement, aka “It wasn’t our fault.”
atter seriously,and remains committed to truth, transparency, and the safety of all individuals in its care. Chapelstreet Church has been named as a defendant in a recently filed lawsuit in Kane County, Illinois. The Church has been inappropriately included in this case, and it intends to vigorously defend itself through the legal process.
“The lawsuit centers on allegations of misconduct by an individual who, while a member of the congregation, was not acting on behalf of or under the authority of Chapelstreet Church. Out of respect for the ongoing legal proceedings and those involved, the Church will not be providing additional comment at this time.”
…Though not mentioned in that case, Coffey’s brother Joe helps run another megachurch in Hudson, Ohio, and he, too, was once accused of ignoring claims of child sex abuse, with those allegations involving misconduct at an orphanage in the Philippines that was affiliated with his congregation.
Also, Joe Coffey is his brother. Yikes! I’ve been around for a long time. It appears the brother of Joe Coffey also didn’t report sex abuse. I realized I wrote about his brother a few years ago in The Story of Alleged Abuse at Sankey Orphanage in the Philippines and Its Relationship to Christ Community Chapel, Tom Randall, and Joe Coffey.
Three points:
- As far as I’m concerned, this church did not supervise the employee, volunteer, or whatever they want to call him. They didn’t take the time to care for the young members of their congregation. That is why abusers love to come to churches.
- I believe that abusers are attracted to churches because they are not supervised and are immediately trusted by parents. There needs to be a paradigm shift. Parents should not allow their kids to be alone with so-called “leaders” in the church. They will need to take the time to protect their children. They need to be aware that abusers are tricky and will work their ” I’m harmless” demeanor.
- Assume the lead pastors and church leaders will try to protect their sorry butts and pretend they are pure as the driven snow. They are not. Do not talk to the pastors. Go to the police.
Just one more SBC church and pastor who don’t get it.
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