Oakville megachurch pastor resigns after sexual misconduct investigation

A pastor at one of Canada’s largest megachurches has resigned after an external investigation concluded he allegedly abused his power and sexually harassed a parishioner.

Bruxy Cavey, a teaching pastor at The Meeting House, based in Oakville, confirmed his resignation in a Tuesday blog post acknowledging the investigation, saying: “at the core of these allegations there is truth.”

Cavey, who’s in his late 50s, was placed on leave at the end of last year as the church board investigated an allegation of sexual misconduct.

A third-party investigator “found that what became a sexual relationship between Bruxy and the victim, which lasted over an extended period of time, constituted an abuse of Bruxy’s power and authority as a member of the clergy and amounted to sexual harassment,” said Maggie John, the executive chair of the church’s board, in a virtual town hall Tuesday.

Cavey resigned at the board’s request on March 3, John said. The pastor’s credentials with the Be In Christ Church of Canada were also removed. The group, with which The Meeting House is affiliated, is a Christian denomination born out of the Anabaptist movement. In a statement, Be In Christ Church of Canada said it supported the church’s decision to seek Cavey’s resignation.

John said Cavey cooperated with the investigation.

The Star attempted to contact Cavey with questions about the allegations by voicemail and via his website and social media accounts, but did not receive a response.

In his blog postsCavey said he “confessed” when church leadership first spoke to him about “allegations,” but could not address them publicly until the board shared the findings.

In the post, Cavey describes his actions as an “extramarital affair” that took place some years ago, referring to it as “my greatest failure, my darkest sin” and saying he takes full responsibility for his actions.

“I was also irresponsible in my role as a spiritual leader and Christian clergy, which involves dynamics of power and influence and an expectation of exemplary conduct that makes me doubly accountable. I accept this responsibility, with deep regret for my actions.”

Danielle Strickland, a teaching pastor at the church, also resigned Monday “in solidarity with the victim.” In a Facebook postshe said “the victim in this situation has been silenced through this process and devastated by the outcome.”

In an Instagram Live on Wednesday, Strickland read a statement she attributed to the alleged victim. According to that statement, the relationship began when the woman was 23 and Cavey was 46. “I was in crisis and trusted him… This for me was not an extramarital relationship or affair. It was a devastating twisting of pastoral care into sexual abuse, ”she said it.

In Tuesday’s town hall, John denied that the woman had been silenced: “It took incredible bravery and courage for the victim to come forward to share her story and we are grateful that her actions have brought the truth to light… There is no tolerance for abuse of power or position of authority or sexual misconduct of our pastoral leaders.”

In an email, Halton police told the Star they are not currently investigating the case.

According to his website, Cavey is a published author and lives in Hamilton.

According to the Hartford Institute for Religion ResearchThe Meeting House is the third-largest church in Canada and has a consistent weekly attendance of more than 5,000 people.