Chris Swann
Catherine Hunter holds a sign on the side of the road in protest against the alleged abuse by the Christland Church off Highway 6 on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024.
A protest against The Network, a nationwide group of non-denominational churches accused of grooming and concealing sexual assault, was held outside their local branch in College Station on Saturday. The group consisted of members from Families Against Cults on Campuses, or FACC, and Leaving The Network, two vocal groups who have protested against the group in the past.
The Network has three churches in Texas: Christland in College Station, Joshua Church in Austin and Rock River Church in San Marcos. Saturday was the second day of the church group’s fall leadership conference, which hosted leaders from all three at the Christland location.
The Network faced controversy after a whistleblower revealed in 2022 that founder Steve Morgan, the lead pastor of Joshua Church, was indicted for criminal sodomy against a minor in 1987, a charge that was later dropped after he signed an agreement saying he would attend counseling, have no contact with the alleged victim and have no involvement with youth organizations, among other stipulations. At the time, Morgan was a youth pastor in Johnson County, Kansas.
Members of FACC alleged that Morgan and other churches in The Network have manipulated and encouraged college students to cut off their family and friends who are not a part of The Network. The Battalion previously reported on allegations of spiritual and sexual abuse and manipulation surrounding Christland members who recruited students from campus.
A media truck rented by FACC circled Texas A&M on Friday showing links to FACC’s YouTube page and the Leaving The Network website, a whistleblower site that shares stories from alleged victims. The truck, with the words “Christland Crushes You” on the side, was a part of the group’s efforts to spread awareness about the alleged dangers of The Network. Other efforts included flyers spread across campus.
Roughly 20 people stood outside Christland from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday holding signs and talking to passersby. Lindsay Wahlquist, a child advocate who was a part of the protest, spoke about her concerns for vulnerable populations who may be victimized at churches with a culture of silence.
“There are member-reported, ongoing child safety concerns at The Network churches,” Wahlquist said. “They are not mandating background checks for people who work with children. They are not following mandatory reporting laws, and they are allowing criminally-charged sex abusers to continue to attend and volunteer.”
Christland’s lead pastor Sándor Paull responded to these allegations in 2022 with a written statement circulated among church leaders. The statement did not address any specific concerns in detail and reaffirmed Christland’s support for Morgan.
In Texas, failing to report child abuse or neglect is a Class A misdemeanor or a felony if it is proven in trial that the person who failed to report intended to conceal the abuse or neglect. Concerns about The Network have been circulating online since at least 2021, with blogs and subreddits dedicated to creating spaces for former members.
Wahlquist said her major concerns were with Morgan’s continued leadership of a network of churches and the continued lack of a specific response to FACC’s complaints.
Church attendees standing outside of Christland did not respond to requests for comment, and Christland leadership did not respond to inquiries sent to its main email address.
“I’m here to stand up against [Morgan],” Wahlquist said. “I’m here for the survivor, who was sexually assaulted by Steve Morgan, and for any other survivors who might be out there.”
Christland currently does not have an active student organization on campus, according to an A&M spokesperson who spoke to KBTX.