But to use prosecutorial discretion and say nothing happened here, thats, in my opinion, an abuse of discretion, especially when they went after 15 other people [following the sting operation].. After declining to comment on the John Blanchard situation and noting that the pastor would be stepping away from his duties, the churchs statement continues: As followers of Christ, we must remember that redemption, salvation, grace, mercy and healing are all gifts given to the children of God. I think that church leaders need to be brave and act accordingly.. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. A former member of the church spoke with 13News Now about her experience with Blanchard in 2018, which led her to be ex-communicated. Old Timer: I sincerely pray that law enforcement will probe into Blanchards activities. John Blanchard returned to the . The married father of two was charged with solicitation of prostitution of a minor and use of a vehicle to promote prostitution, both felonies. A timeline of the case against Rock Church Pastor John Blanchard. By: Tyler Layne. CHESTERFIELD, Va. On October 11, 2022, all charges related to attempted solicitation of an underage minor were dropped against John Blanchard, a senior pastor at Rock Church International in Virginia Beach. Chesterfield County Police arrested Rock Church Pastor, John Blanchard, in October 2021 on prostitution charges. LOL Take the wife to the meeting with the Lady of the Night. Keep the money in the family. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Chesapeake, ", Upon approval by a judge, rendering the records unavailable would "make sharing of these transcripts, the report, or any other documents, previously released under FOIA a crime.". The former youth pastor worked at Bellevue Baptist Church from 2011 to 2016, when he joined the staff at First Baptist Bentonville. I am unable to comment on the appropriateness of public statements made by other entities regarding this, or any other, case in which my office is involved. John Blanchard, the pastor of Rock Church in Virginia Beach, was accused by Chesterfield Police of driving more than two hours up to a local hotel to meet a "minor" for prostitution. Max: Its hard for the average churchgoer to initially accept that a pastor who they have trusted would be capable of such things. John Blanchard, the pastor of Rock Church in Virginia Beach, is one of 17 men the Chesterfield County Police Special Victims Unit says were looking for sex from minors through online platforms. "These specialized evaluations can only be performed by state certified Sexual Offender Treatment Providers. As ministers of justice, prosecutors are required to individually evaluate the strength of the evidence provided by the police in each case. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. As a result, the evidence available for use in the prosecution of each case was different, and the outcome of each case was different. My guess is that it is a lot easier to accept the apparent lie that this pastor was trying to help this underage girl vs. wanting to see an underage prostitute. They work their butts off to take men who like underage kids off the market. When Blanchard arrived at the hotel, he was met by officers who arrested him. Graduate Student of Theology and Master of Biblical Theology. The next generation of leadership emerged in 2013, when founder Anne Gimenez along with the Rock Church elders & leadership installed John and Robin Blanchard as the new Senior Pastor of the Rock Church International. The Biblical qualifications for pastors are clear, Brent Hobbs of New Song Fellowship wrote on Facebook. This week, xx submitted his resignation as Duluth Vineyard's Senior Pastor. Do you not judge those who are within the church [to protect the church as the situation requires]? (1 Corinthians 5:12 AMP), There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, WHO WALK NOT AFTER THE FLESH, BUT AFTER THE SPIRIT (Romans 8:1 KJV), revered as a man of God who is a prophetic voice to the body of Christ, TWW continues to report on a string of men of God who have joined the bad-boy conga line. Have to find another church (if leadership continues to refuse to take action) and leave place where they are comfortable at. Thanks Todd and Christiane for your comments. Blanchard appeared in Chesterfield County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court on Nov. 15, 2021. If I read this right, Guidepost will stay quiet when the SBC gets upset? John Blanchard at this time. The Virginia Beach megachurch pastor was one of 17 men arrested during an . fired an associate pastor for having affairs. Wherever there is money & power gained through religious position, there will be self-interest & hypocrisy. -Julie Roys, Blanchard and his wife, Robin Blanchard, are the senior pastors of Rock Church. But to use prosecutorial discretion and say nothing happened here, thats, in my opinion, an abuse of discretion, especially when they went after 15 other people [following the sting operation].. Blanchard, the pastor of Rock Church in Virginia Beach, was arrested and charged for solicitation of prostitution in Chesterfield County in 2021. Along with Brent, I also believe the woman who alleged sexual assault by Blanchard. Church leadership knew and decided not to remove him from his position.. A Virginia megachurch pastor has returned to the pulpitagainand says hes moving forward with legal action, following an ongoing saga that began last year when he was caught in a prostitution sting. As followers of Christ, we must remember that redemption, salvation, grace, mercy and healing are all gifts given to the children of God. Rock Church encourages godly lifestyles by all of its members and leaders, in keeping with the tenets of the Bible. Spiritual abuse and sexual abuse in an evil cocktail. Steve240: Family business sounds more like what it is. Blanchard was one of 17 men arrested on Oct. 29, 2021, for solicitation of prostitution from a minor.. After agreeing to meet with a detective posing as a 17-year-old girl, the pastor was arrested and then released on bond. ", Chesterfield County Police Chief, Col. Jeffrey S. Katz spoke out in January after Blanchard's attorney filed a motion to "seal all police or court records, transcripts, and investigative records associated with this case" and "has decided to consent to render these records unavailable to the public. Blanchard faces charges including felony solicitation of prostitution and use of a vehicle to promote prostitution. Genesis Metro Baptist Church: 9750 John W Elliott Dr: Frisco: TX: 75033 (469) 287-5995: Gethsemane Baptist Church: . His resignation comes in the context of allegations of misconduct against one of our former pastoral assistants. That meant the charges would be dropped, but could be refiled again at a later date if prosecutors felt they had enough evidence against Blanchard to move forward. Police said still to this day, Davenport has offered no information as to why she felt their initial investigation was not prosecutable. who can understand it?. Oh, I forgot. Continuing with the Christian Post, we learn: After almost a year of legal maneuvering, the charges against Blanchard were withdrawn, or nolle prosequi, ahead of a criminal trial in October. Which makes Rocks Pastor COP. John David Blanchard of Virginia Beach's Rock Church, has been raking in $30,000 a month and traveling extensively since his October arrest, according to court records. Anderson has been posting about the case on social media, calling on Stacey Davenport, Commonwealths Attorney of Chesterfield County, to explain why the charges against Blanchard were dropped. Pastors John & Robin's continuation of the original vision expands to reach another generation for Christ through the . His congregation needs to forgive him. Some of the cases had sufficient evidence to support felony convictions, and some did not. Prayers for Gods justice and healing for all the precious ones injured by Christians in authority, especially those further traumatised by not being believed and protected. Blanchard wasamong17 men accusedof solicitation of prostitution after an online sting operation by police on Oct. 29, 2021. Today, the Rock Church has impacted the world with over 500 churches internationally. My dad sent letters telling them about this man. Pastor Blanchard has voluntarily stepped back as lead pastor and from all his ministerial duties until this present situation is totally resolved. The Roys Report left a voicemail seeking comment from Rock Church but did not immediately hear back. State delegate and attorney Tim Anderson, however, has been drawing attention to Blanchards case after obtaining and reviewing the incident report. Rents a car, 2. Because being consort to the crown princess of Rock Church didnt pay well enough? ", However, the firm warns that such an assessment is "a subjective snapshot of our client's beliefs and attitudes at a particular point in time. What was it? He has spent the time in fasting and prayer and has invested much of his time in his family and education. Location. Police officers then brought him in for questioning. They reportedly agreed that Blanchard would do a psychosexual evaluation and sex offender-related counseling in exchange for tabling the matter. In the meantime, Robin Blanchard and Gimenez are in charge. Coming from a background in atheism and a dysfunctional childhood, John's heart is to reach a generation with a message of hope through the healing and delivering power of Jesus Christ. so that might also be WHY slain police funerals were held at that location. The dismissal comes nearly a year after Blanchard was charged along with 16 other men during an Oct. 29, 2021 Chesterfield County . Roys Report- Thanks for reporting us however we do need to expose evil do expose evil and there is massive evil in the white American evangelical community on so many levels. and desperately sick; John Blanchard (pictured) and his wife, Robin, serve as senior pastors of The Rock Church of Virginia Beach. Set in as the lead pastors in October 2013, John & Robin received their ministerial training while serving under Bishops John & Anne Gimenez for over twenty years in full time ministry. That they had been duped for a period of time by this person I dunno, on top of everything else, I think the financials of that place ought to be gone over, but then again, I work for a Temple of Capitalism and of course thats where my mind goes. But this is not a race issue. By: Alton Worley II. A Virginia Beach pastor facing felony charges for allegedly soliciting sex from a minor has been earning $30,000 a month and traveling up and down the Eastern Seaboard while free on bail, according to state court filings. He was charged with felony solicitation . Virginia megachurch pastor John Blanchard, of the Rock Church, was one of 17 men in late 2021 arrested after an online sting operation by law . In an Oct. 11 statement on Facebook, Rock Church officials announced that Blanchard was cleared of all charges by prosecutors from the Chesterfield County Courthouse. On Oct. 11, 2022, the charges against the pastor were nolle prossed with no detectives present. LCU. Now Playing. I began to just pray about solutions andso I had an opportunity to go to China and meet a distributor, Blanchard says in the clip. Solicitation charges have been dropped against Virginia megachurch pastor John Blanchard. After The Roys Reports earlier story on Rock Church, the church added new language to its statement, claiming it supported efforts to hold leaders accountable to biblical standards of morality. . Blanchard Springs Baptist Church: . Blanchard serves as the pastor of Rock Church in Virginia Beach. Old Timer: By the way, could someone please update me regarding the status of the DOJ investigation of the SBC mentioned back in August 2022? In the documents, investigators say they posed as a 17-year-old girl online for prostitution and received a message from Blanchard. Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to help our journalists continue to report the truth and restore the church? He needs to be out of the Rock Church ASAP until this is resolved. For example, perhaps the lead pastor has a charismatic, persuasive personality, and the visitor is in awe of his preaching style. His mother-in-law was there in court and listened to every single detail of how I had to relay what he did to me.. Ah the old sunk investment fallacy. I think that church leaders need to be brave and act accordingly. Including Acts That Have No Name even among the FURRIES? but I think it is important to know that, probably because of its size as a sanctuary, Forgetting the words of Rich Buhler: GOD LIVES IN THE REAL WORLD.. Even though the pastor was acquitted after the assistant pressed charges, she says, It did happen to me. Senior Pastor at Rock Church Chesapeake, VA. John Blanchard . Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. What was the lack of evidence? Solid Rock Baptist Church: 16663 Fm 2109 N: Zavalla: TX: 75980 (936) 897-3099: Son Light Baptist Church: 1129 N 6th Ave: Knoxville: TN: 37917-6754 Shades of Ravi Zacharias. Opinion: What is Revivaland is it Happening at Asbury? 5 He quoted the Catholic . If so, why was he in the hotel? In anOct. 11 statementon Facebook, Rock Church officials announced that Blanchard was cleared of all charges by prosecutors from the Chesterfield County Courthouse. Robin and John Blancharddaughter and son-in-law of the church's founders, Anne and the late John Gimenezare the new co-pastors at the 4,000-member Pentecostal church. On the list was 51-year-old Virginia Beach pastor John Blanchard. I do not accuse any police organization of wrong-doing, no; Max: How about taking your wife along to do that, pastor. The DOJ keeps a tight lid on their investigations and the wheels of government turn slowly. Restoring the church? The pastor at a nearby Southern Baptist church criticized Rock Churchs poor handling of the situation. please be aware that for many years, Rock Church on Kempsville Rd. Rock Church Pastor John Blanchard . A Virginia Beach pastor was charged in an underage sex trafficking sting after he was previously acquitted of sexual assault charges. Solicits a 'qv' ('John' lingo for a 'quick visit'), 4. Pastor Juan Salinas will officiate. Blanchard was . Sunk cost fallacy But these are CHRISTIANS. in central to three cities: The documents include a detailed description of what detectives wrote regarding their interview with Blanchard on the night of his arrest on October 29, 2021. (Her accusation would make her Not-Cop.). Welcome to Northside Church of the Nazarene 739 Francis St., Zanesville, OH 43701, 740-453-4010, info@nsnaz.org I trust the police in situations like this. https://julieroys.com/scandal-plagued-virginia-pastor-returns-threatens-legal-action/. on the Cop side of the line) and taunted his wife with that fact as he was beating her. One can usually learn a lot by simply reading whats online before the visit. John Blanchard is among 17 men accused of solicitation of prostitution after an online sting operation by law enforcement. I suspect what she meant was that the DA chose not to prosecute based on the available evidence. VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. (THECOUNT) Rock Church Senior Pastor, John Blanchard, has been identified as the suspect arrested along with 16 other men accused of solicitation of prostitution of a minor Following an online sting operation by law enforcement. At one point, she said, she reached out to a church counselor shed previously met with weekly, saying she missed her and wanted to talk. John Blanchard. Nearly a year prior, the public controversy began: Detectives in Chesterfield County, Virginia, said they connected with 17 people on social media during the last week of October 2021 who were seeking to have sex with people underage. In this statement, Rock Church seemed to overlook the possibility that these charges could be brought again. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. The same thing that can make a woman stay with an abuser or a drunk. Back in the day I remember hearing that if you were arrested by the Feds, it was a righteous bust with no loopholes or bias, compared to those by the local police. ChurchLeaders reached out to Stacey Davenport and Tim Anderson for comment. After agreeing to meet with a detective posing as a 17-year-old girl, the pastor was arrested and then released on bond. a company [Blanchard] founded to provide LED screens to churches.. Gimenez, Robin Blanchards mother, co-founded the church and was its senior pastor from 1999 until the Blanchards took that role in 2013. (Screenshot credit: Rock Church International/YouTube) All charges against Rock Church International Pastor John Blanchard for his alleged involvement in soliciting sex with a . I put it to you with a straight face that Rev Blanchard wanted to bring a girl into the Rock religion. Now Playing. After the arrest, he was seen on stage in Rock Church's Facebook live stream, speaking to people in the pews on Oct. 31, 2021. Set in as the lead pastors in October 2013, John & Robin received their ministerial training while serving under Bishops John & Anne Gimenez for over twenty years in full time ministry. It looks like the previous pastors of the church trained him, and then he received an MDiv from Oral Roberts while on the job. Part one of the statement from Rock International Church. "And if they're butting heads behind the scenes, and it's even spilling out into public like this, what are the things we don't even know about that they're not working effectively on? . Hampton Roads locals open up about healthcare following Biden's speech, Supreme Court hears arguments for and against student loan forgiveness; Norfolk residents react, FORECAST: No roaring lion this year to start March, Hampton Roads breaks 1975 record for warmest February 23rd, Charges dropped against John Blanchard, Virginia Beach pastor accused of trying to solicit a minor, posted the documents about Blanchard's arrest on Facebook, Chesterfield County top prosecutor responds to criticism about handling of Blanchard case. If this pastor had already gone to a jury trial over sexual assault charges, the local journalists should have remembered when he was charged due to this sting. 50:46. 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