A Statement from the Board of Directors Regarding the Status of Creation Care Church
Dear Creation Care Church Community,
We share this post with deep sadness. As many of you know, Creation Care Church (CCC) has been going through a difficult period of conflict and upheaval. Up until now, the CCC community has only heard one side of the story. The purpose of the following statement is to clarify the current status of CCC and to correct widespread confusion and misrepresentation.
We do not publish this lightly. Transparency has become necessary in order to protect the public, former congregants, donors, volunteers, and board members from ongoing misrepresentation and potential legal harm.
Who We Are
Creation Care Church was founded in 2021 by a few Christian vegans who were gathering together for regular prayer. The following year, CCC became a nonprofit religious unincorporated entity, recognized as a 501(c)(3) organization. As such, it was governed by a board of directors in accordance with its bylaws and applicable nonprofit law.
On this board, the pastor also held the position of president. The president/pastor was also an employee of the organization. Oversight, fiduciary responsibility, and legal accountability rested with the board as a whole, not with any single individual.
Background and Board Concerns
Beginning approximately two years ago, significant concerns arose regarding governance, accountability, and compliance with nonprofit law.
These concerns included, but were not limited to:
- Repeated requests to engage in activities that would have violated 501(c)(3) regulations
- Ongoing conflict between the pastor and other board members that could not be resolved through mediation or reconciliation efforts
- Increasing private inurement concerns with the pastor combining personal projects with church activities. (Private inurement is when a tax-exempt nonprofit’s income or assets improperly benefit insiders like board members, officers, or key employees)
- Disagreements over governance itself, including resistance to board oversight required by law
- Unresolved issues regarding intellectual property created during employment
- Repeated concerns from multiple individuals regarding pastoral conduct, accountability, and interpersonal leadership, including the dismissal of others’ experiences when they conflicted with the pastor’s narrative
- A sustained pattern of unforgiveness involving the pastor, including a refusal to genuinely reconcile with certain board members, resulting in a stressful atmosphere within board leadership
Over a couple of years, the board made numerous good-faith efforts to address these issues collaboratively, exhausting every reasonable avenue for dialogue, mediation, and reconciliation. Proposed solutions included additional administrative support, revised leadership structures, negotiated agreements including a contract with the pastor, and compromise arrangements intended to preserve unity while maintaining legal and ethical integrity.
Despite these efforts, the issues remained unresolved.
Lawful Removal of Officers
After extended attempts at reconciliation and resolution failed, the majority of the board reluctantly but responsibly concluded that the organization could no longer function lawfully or healthily under the existing leadership arrangement.
In accordance with the church’s bylaws and nonprofit law, duly noticed special board meetings were held. When certain officers declined to participate, the remaining lawful board members voted to remove them from their officer positions.
These actions were taken only after prolonged discernment and were carried out in full compliance with governing documents and legal obligations.
Unauthorized Seizure of Church Accounts
Shortly before the removal vote was finalized, the former president took calculated, unilateral action to seize control of multiple church-owned accounts, including all our social media and streaming platforms. These actions circumvented the lawful process of the board.
Passwords were changed, recovery information was removed, and lawful board members were locked out. These actions were taken without authorization and outside the scope of any legitimate role.
Following this takeover and to this day, the former president – despite being lawfully removed from the board – has ignored that decision and has continued operating under the Creation Care Church name, presenting himself publicly as its leader while acting as though the lawful board does not exist.
Public Misrepresentation and Ongoing Confusion
After these events, public statements and broadcasts were made that defamed and mischaracterized certain board members’ actions and authority. This led to widespread confusion and division within the CCC community. It also caused deep emotional distress and risked harm to the reputations of those accused. Such actions were not consistent with Christian conduct and were spiritually damaging to everyone affected.
As a result, many individuals were led to believe that the unauthorized operation represents the legitimate church. It does not.
At no time after the board’s lawful actions did the former president or his associates have authorization to act on behalf of Creation Care Church, represent it publicly, solicit under its name, or use its identity or assets.
Legal Status and Dissolution
Because the unauthorized use of the church’s name and platforms continue, and because the risk of legal liability to former board members and the public cannot be adequately mitigated, the lawful board made the painful decision to dissolve the nonprofit entity.
This decision was not made lightly. It was made to prevent further harm, confusion, and exposure to legal risk.
The former president has since been formally notified that his continued use of the church’s name, identity, and assets is unauthorized and unlawful. He must cease and desist from falsely representing himself as holding any position of authority or leadership within the dissolved entity of Creation Care Church.
Current Status
- Creation Care Church, as a nonprofit entity, has been dissolved
- The lawful board no longer conducts operations under that name
- Any group, broadcast, or ministry using the Creation Care Church name is doing so without legal authorization
- The lawful board does not endorse, oversee, or participate in those activities
In Closing
We recognize that this situation has caused pain, confusion, and division. That was never our desire.
Our aim from the start has been to act with integrity – spiritually, ethically, and legally – while protecting the community entrusted to our care. This statement is not intended to inflame conflict, but to establish clarity and truth where confusion has been deliberately or recklessly introduced.
We ask readers to exercise discernment, verify claims carefully, and understand that silence in the face of misrepresentation is not consent.
This statement will remain available as the sole official communication of the former Creation Care Church.
We deeply appreciate every member of the Creation Care Church community, and are grieved by the circumstances that led us here. Please feel free to reach out to us at info@creationcarechurch.org if you have any questions or would like to talk with a member of the lawful board.
In Christ’s love,
CCC Board of Directors