Rocklin’s Destiny Church will take leadership over embattled Capital Christian Center
Destiny Christian Church, the Rocklin-based megachurch led by charismatic and controversial Pastor Greg Fairrington, will be taking over leadership of Sacramento’s Capital Christian Center and Capital Christian School after years of “destabilization of (Capital Christian’s) financial foundation.”
“Today, we are united in announcing that the board of directors of both congregations have agreed to proceed with the hope of Capital Christian Center joining the Destiny Church family,” Fairrington and Capital Christian Lead Pastor Rick Cole wrote in a co-signed letter Sunday.
“Over the past few years, Capital has experienced a destabilization of its financial foundation. Collaborating with Destiny, and uniting under their spiritual leadership, provides the necessary financial and spiritual strength to continue its impact in the region for decades to come.”
The financial destabilization “has many factors, including the pandemic and shifting demographics in the region,” said Tanner DiBella, a spokesperson for Destiny Church.
Capital Christian suffered an enormous blow in 2022; The Sacramento Bee reported last year that at least 9 former students filed a lawsuit against Capital Christian and the Arden Church of Nazarene for the abuses they suffered at the hands of teacher and coach Dave Arnold.
The lawsuit against Capital Christian blames its founder, Glen Cole (Rick Cole’s father), for covering up Arnold’s abuse. Rick Cole called the allegations — which include “perverse sexual abuse” of two brothers, Scott Sorgea and Darren Sorgea — “nauseating.”
Fairrington and Cole’s letter does not mention the sexual abuse lawsuits specifically, but they write that they’ve been in dialogue for “a couple months” about “a formal ministry collaboration” and promise to keep congregants updated on the “many logistics, questions, and approvals to work out in the coming days.”
