Last fall, two women filed separate multi-million-dollar civil lawsuits against the Meeting House, one of Canada’s largest megachurches, alleging that they had been victims of sexual abuse by a former youth pastor at the church while the women were minors, The Walrus has learned. The two lawsuits join another previously unreported civil suit, filed in 2022, against the church and concerning sexual abuse, assault, and molestation by a separate former youth pastor—each of the three seeking $5 million in damages, alleging a breach of duty of care owed to the women as young parishioners.
Founded in 1986 in Oakville, Ontario, the Meeting House grew rapidly during the 2000s under the leadership of Bruxy Cavey, who joined as lead teaching pastor in 1997. The church was a pioneer in recording and disseminating Sunday sermons, livestreaming them across its satellite locations and online, and it became particularly popular with young people. In 2021, the church was publicly embroiled in a scandal when allegations of sexual abuse emerged against Cavey. (None of the three civil cases pertain to Cavey.)
