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Dear Calvary Family,

We have been discussing some heavy things recently in the life of our church. I wanted to take a moment to let you know about a few things that you could be wondering or concerned about regarding the arrest and termination of Armando Reyes for inappropriate conduct with adolescent young men. And again, I stress that Armando, himself, confessed these things to me. This is not a possible false accusation. We approach these issues head-on and in the light to the best of our ability.

First of all, we want to care for you if you are struggling spiritually, emotionally, or in any other way as you have heard this news. You can find out some helpful options for prayer, counseling, and spiritual direction at CalvaryLife.org/SoulCare.

Also, if you have seen or heard any information or if you have been impacted personally in any way by all of this, no matter when or what, please contact Detective Graciela Melendrez of the Tustin Police Department at or 949-604-7039 (cel) or 714-573-3372 (desk).

We take these things very seriously and my heart is to protect our young people well. We have rigorous screening procedures for staff and volunteers. We have policies in place to not be alone with young people. We have training in proper reporting procedures and safety for our church members. We also diligently care for the hearts, souls, and minds of our staff through regular chapels, retreats, readings, trainings, prayer times, and even sabbaticals. This has been a moment where even all of these efforts were not enough to fully protect everyone. And for this, I am deeply sorry and even more deeply grieved.

I wanted to invite you to talk to me or any of our pastoral staff or elders if you have questions or ongoing concerns. Let’s process through all of this together rather than hiding or holding things inside. I pray for the Lord’s healing and protection for our church and that the Holy Spirit would in some miraculous way bear fruit in us and through us during this time. You can reply to this email or contact any of our leaders, whose contact information can be found at CalvaryLife.org/Leaders.

Finally, I wanted to let you know that Pastor Victor Millan will be the interim Pastor of our Hispanic Ministry for the foreseeable future. He has led with grace, perseverance and wisdom in these last few weeks. We will communicate any further leadership decisions with you when appropriate.

Please be praying for the Lord to work and move in the life of our church with healing, wisdom, and love.

May the Lord bless you and keep you,
Eric Wakeling

P.S. Let's also be praying for the firefighters and all those impacted by the wind and wildfires in Southern California this week. Find ways to support trusted ministries who are reaching out and helping in Jesus' name at CalvaryLife.org/Local