The Meeting House was unable to renew its liability insurance after charges against former pastor. former pastor.
In a statement on its website, The Meeting House said it was unable to secure parts of the insurance coverage it needs to continue normal operations beyond June 30. Specifically, it said it has been unable to find options for abuse liability or employment practices liability covered
“It’s really hard for us to be able to get together, at least for our in-person gatherings,” said pastor Chris Chase in a YouTube video from June 23.
“It’s really hard to be able to do that because we can’t guarantee protection for staff, we can’t guarantee protection for volunteers, vulnerable people, including children and youth. We can’t do that. And so in light of that, our leadership team has felt led to pause our normal ministry activity,” he said.
The An abaptist church’s struggle to find an insurer comes years after one of its former pastors was accused of sexual misconduct. Bruxy Cavey, a Hamilton resident, worked at the church as the primary teaching pastor from 1996 to 2021. He was charged with sexual assault by Hamilton police in June 2022. On Monday, that charge was stayed due to delays after Ontario Court Justice Michael K. Wendl ruled in favour of a motion by Cavey’s lawyer, Megan Savard.
A stayed charge is one where the court has decided not to pursue the case.
