Unfortunately, having seen cases mishandled or swept under the rug, I will believe it when I read about the resolution of the Blanchard mess here. By now this sound familiar. John Blanchard Steps Away Again. Pastors John & Robin's continuation of the original vision expands to reach another generation for Christ through the . 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with the Christian Post, we learn: After almost a year of legal maneuvering, the charges against Blanchard were withdrawn, or nolle prosequi, ahead of a criminal trial in October. His only prior arrest stems from a charge of improperly altering a price tag, the document states. Oral Roberts claims of Blanchard: Graduate Theology, Alumnus That same night, detectives say they found cash of up to $160 and a cell phone in Blanchard's possession. Texts a phone number posted on a known sex worker website, 3. Were going to release to God some crazy faith and I believe were going to see the supernatural happen in this place tonight.. the charges against Blanchard were withdrawn, or nolle prosequi, ahead of a criminal trial in October. 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, Hearing postponed for Virginia Beach pastor facing prostitution charges, Charges dropped against John Blanchard, Virginia Beach pastor accused of trying to solicit minor, New details emerging from Virginia Beach Rock Church pastor's court documents. However, she said she's worried about the working relationship between Katz and Davenport and if it could impact their efforts to keep Chesterfield as safe as possible. I intend to move the court to appoint a special prosecutor to determine whether this case should now be prosecuted," Davenport said. On Saturday, Blanchard, 52, preached at the Power and Authority Conference hosted by Global Fellowship Church in Richardson, Texas, where he was revered as a man of God who is a prophetic voice to the body of Christ.. ", 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. Blanchard faces charges including felony solicitation of prostitution and use of a vehicle to promote prostitution. John Blanchard, the Virginia pastor who was arrested in a sex sting operation only to have his charges later dropped, is once more stepping away from his duties as lead pastor of Rock Church International in Virginia Beach. 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. There . has been the site of police funerals for officers slain while on duty. What was it? Blanchard appeared in Chesterfield County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court on Nov. 15, 2021. ", The transcription goes on to say Blanchard said he never solicited anyone for sex and never confirmed in the messages he wanted any sexual contact. A steady string of TWW reports on these situations have shown that congregational denial is a common response. Despite once expressing no objection to sealing records pertaining to a child sex solicitation charge against Rock Church International Pastor John Blanchard, the Chesterfield County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office in Virginia now opposes that idea as a special prosecutor considers whether the case should be reopened amid a cloud of controversy. Here is the statement on the homepage. 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. Today I decided to check out Rock Church International because the pastor has been in the news recently. Stop the music. On Oct. 11, 2022, the charges against the pastor were nolle prossed with no detectives present. Move over M Scott Peck. While she did not reveal the new information, an email that Katz reportedly sent to Davenport on Jan. 17 suggests it could be a video obtained through a search warrant that "incontrovertibly validates police assertions that Blanchard knowingly sought to engage in sex with an underage girl in a Chesterfield County hotel room on the day of the arrest.". Rock Church is committed to honesty and integrity in dealing with charges or accusations of sexual misconduct or immorality among its leaders and will support any investigation arising from accusations of violation of this standard among its staff and leaders in an effort to find the truth and to protect its members, church families and their children, at all times. Our youngest daughter, Leah was married this week to Alexei, a wonderful young man! Does this church support and believe in local law enforcement officers, or do they believe their pastor is to be believed above all? Preparing Rocky profile View Rocky's Email & Phone (It's Free) 5 free lookups per month. Pastor Juan Salinas will officiate. But Im sorry, a lie is still a lie.. Other prohibitions include alcohol and tobacco use. John & Robin Blanchard are the Senior Pastors of the Rock Church of Virginia Beach. Blanchard was one of 17 people arrested in Chesterfield County as part of a two-day sting operation in October 2021. One can usually learn a lot by simply reading whats online before the visit. 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. 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. Although this operation did not involve any actual child victims, we take all such cases very seriously and are always motivated by our mandate to protect the safety of our community.. This situation will supposedly be prosecuted, which means that Blanchard will have to submit to discovery as well as those he sues. John Blanchard, along with his wife, Robin, is still listed as a senior pastor at Rock Church on the churchs website as of this writing. Old Timer: I sincerely pray that law enforcement will probe into Blanchards activities. I thought she was going to come out with some answers. There are many studies published that sexual assault is three times more prevalent in the black and multi-colored churches in America. their response was, Hes too good of a guy to hold back. Ofc ended up in the newspaper w/ a child abuse scandal sev yrs later., my original FYI included the words probably because of the size of its sanctuary but I should also add that the location on Kempsville Rd. Interment will follow at Knollcrest Cemetery. and John wrote of the "overcoming" power of the blood. Sellers said Blanchard sexually assaulted her one evening in February 2018 when he visited her home to discuss the website. I knew there had to be a connection a possible reason for dropping the charges. Sunk cost fallacy He was arrested at a hotel where he was supposed to meet a detective posing as a 17-year-old girl. He first appeared at the pulpit armed with a shofar he said he found in the host pastors office. RELATED: Charges dropped against John Blanchard, Virginia Beach pastor accused of trying to solicit a minor, In the messages with the undercover detectives, Blanchard agreed to meet at a place by the Chesterfield Mall, but first, he asked the person: "Are you affiliated with law enforcement in any way?". As followers of Christ, we must remember that redemption, salvation, grace, mercy and healing are all gifts given to the children of God. Why? However on Thursday, Davenport revealed new information may now allow the case to move forward. In February, 13News Now took a look at available court documents on Blanchard's travels. This week, xx submitted his resignation as Duluth Vineyard's Senior Pastor. Although resources like that can save us a lot of time and money, it's a problem if we attempt to apply a DIY attitude toward our faith. You can read more of the initial story here. He has spent the time in fasting and prayer and has invested much of his time in his family and education. I imagine there is a great deal of confusion at this point. The Virginia Beach megachurch pastor was one of 17 men arrested during an . We have always believed in Johns innocence. 45:15. I think the size of the sanctuary was big enough to accommodate large numbers of attendees, and the location certainly is also a factor in choosing. 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. The outpouring of love has been overwhelming and we appreciate all of those who have reached out to be an encouragement to us! According to the Christian Post inMegachurch asks congregants to forgive pastor for prostitution arrest because all have sinned Well, bless his heart. By: Tyler Layne. Blanchard claimed that he might have wanted just to talkMinistry Watch posted: Virginia Church Urges Believers Not To Condemn As Pastor Arrested in Sex Sting Op Steps Away From Duties Again: John Blanchard, the Virginia pastor who was arrested in a sex sting operation only to have his charges later dropped, is once more stepping away from his duties as lead pastor of Rock Church International in Virginia Beach. A prosecutor must have evidence that proves guilt beyond a reasonable doubt to support a conviction in a court of law and ethically cannot proceed with charges in a case where the evidence does not meet that standard. After agreeing to meet with a detective posing as a 17-year-old girl, the pastor was arrested and then released on bond. the setting of Rock Church has been used for these many services and it is known locally for this. But in the fall, Davenport dismissed the charges against Blanchard saying there was not enough evidence to find him guilty. 2 min read. 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. But most important Chesterfield County Police Chief, Col. Jeffrey S. Katz statements that the case was solid have been internally confirmed true," Anderson argued earlier this month. He has a similar civil case against another church member for defamation. When Blanchard arrived at the hotel, he was met by officers who arrested him. CBS 6 reached out to an attorney for Blanchard for a comment and has not yet heard back. (And I aint talking about the California burger chain.). CBS 6 then went into Davenport's office to ask follow-up questions, but Davenport refused to speak further. 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. Rock Church expects pastor John Blanchard to resume church duties after charges withdrawn. Why in the world would anyone seek to destroy Rock Church? 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. CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) Virginia Beach pastor John Blanchard is stepping back from his lead pastoral duties at Rock Church International, according to a statement from the church. Frankly, anyone approaching a minor for a sexual encounter should be condemned. Jenna Sellers told The Roys Report that she started attending Rock Church of Virginia Beach in 2010. The interaction between the detective and the defendant in each case was different. A case that is nolle prossed means prosecutors could potentially bring those charges again. Gimenez remains the churchs bishop. How about black pastors such as Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson or the revered MLK jr. who is known to have had affairs with a number of women in his congregation. Oh, I forgot. 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 would destroy their perfect world. Or are folks afraid of his threats of legal action? According to The Meryhew Law Group, a psychosexual evaluation is "a very effective tool" for helping those accused in cases of sexual misconduct. He is an Electrical Engineer with over 25 years experience working on major projects in the property and construction industry.<br><br>Specialising in utility solutions, industrial, hotels, retail, leisure, care homes, apartments and offices. 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