I apologize to the people this church was a home to, really I do. Just because I don’t believe and I’d abandoned NLC over two years ago, doesn’t mean this hasn’t affected me too. I know a lot of people that went and/or volunteered here (even worked!) are hurting at the sheer level of idiocracy the moron known as Joshua Gagnon has caused and the great deal of damage he’s done. Based on the collective knowledge from the various articles I’ve read, it’s disgusting what Josh and his high-level Admin team has done. They have made a complete mockery of the Church and Christianity in general. Not to drag their kids or spouses into this, but, what are they thinking right now? To have their whole world ripped from under them? Their entire perspective changing knowing their parent is a liar, a bully, and a fraud?

I have one big question for Joshua Gagnon: How in the fuck did you not think this would come out? How did you not think your actions would come back to bite you? Honestly, I do NOT feel bad for you in the slightest. You are getting what you deserve and I hope there’s still more to come and that this is only the beginning. Anyone involved in any possible way that enabled this behavior should ideally be considered accomplices and also held FULLY accountable to the fullest extent of the law.

I will say, I’ve also been looking at sharing my story since this broke because I too have been a victim of Josh’s culture that he fostered at Next Level Church. From the cliques, the outright exclusion of me from most activities and/or events and services because I’m GAY, especially when I came out, saying my homosexuality was simply a phase and that I hadn’t found the right girl yet, not feeling like I could talk to many people about my issues, and guilted consistently because I was poor and couldn’t afford to donate to the church. I can easily say this drove me not only from this church but from christianity as a whole. I had always felt something off before too but never could have imagined it being financially related, but, I’m not surprised to say in the least.

This right here is one of the many reasons THE CHURCH IS DYING! And you wonder why so many millennials and Gen Zers aren’t attending churches? So long story short, not to be a douche, but, I told you so.

Side note: I really don’t care about your side of the argument defending them or the fact we “don’t know their circumstances”. Point blank, they fucked up. There are NO excuses for the level of harassment, bullying, and level of misconduct that was caused. This also doesn’t just happen “on accident” either. It was willfully done. If this means we can’t be friends, so be it because I don’t want to be friends with people who support these kinds of actions.