Expose RAg

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

Summary of the Allegations

• Over the past thirty-five years Riverdale Assembly of God has knowingly exposed children to known child sex abusers
• There has been a pervasive and persistent pattern of grooming and sexual abuse in the church and it's school
• Abusers have been protected from legal consequences of their actions by elders and staff in the church
• Victims have been confronted and blamed by elders in the church for the actions of their abusers
• Victims were forced to apologize to abusers
• Victims have been intimidated into silence

Who is named in these lawsuits

• The General Council of the Assemblies of God
• The Southern California District Council of The Assemblies of God
• Riverdale Assembly of God
• Riverdale Christian Academy
• Charles (Chuck) Spencer, Jr.
• Charles Spencer, Sr.
• Dale Spencer
• Wilma Spencer
• Jalen Davis
• Jed Davis
• James E. (Jimmy) Davis
• Lorne Pine
• Jason Fox
• Terry Goad Jr.
• James Middleton
• Timothy Goldsmith
• Austin Whited
• Jerry Whited

Legal Cases - Read them for yourself

Currently Riverdale Assembly of God is the subject of 12 lawsuits alleging sexual abuse of 23 children spanning the last 35 years by 13 perpetrators.

Learn more about the legal cases and read the documents for yourself.

Timeline

Based on the current court complaints the abuse has spanned 35 years. During this time Riverdale Assembly of God has not reported this alleged abuse as legally required.

View timeline

What Does Charles Spencer Sr Have to Say About the Situation

Listen to this man's thoughts on how these alligations should be handled. He distorts the Bible(1 Corinthians 6) saying it is wrong for Christians to file a lawsuits against another Christian. He later states that Christians that take matters "to law" will go to hell. He takes this passage out of the context of the rest of the Bible on matters of sin and reconcilation(See Matthew 18:15-17). He additionally says that this church has had murders come to them and they didn't take them to "law". It is shocking how this man distorts the Bible. Think about how he shifts from lawsuits which are typically about financial matters to murder which is not ever mentioned in this passage.

You can link to this audio file directly by clicking this link. and copying the URL.

Why Now?

Due to a change in California law there is a window starting in January of 2020 to December of 2022 where there is no statute of limitations for child abuse.

Why Hasn't Law Enforcement Done Anything

The statute of limitations for abuse is the main reason for the lack of legal action. Law enforcement had received reports in the past but the statute of limitations restricted their investigation. They are currently investigating new allegations at Riverdale Christian Academy and Riverdale Assembly of God.

Investigations

In 2015 the Fresno Sheriff’s department investigated these allegations but hit a wall due to the statute of limitations.

Currently Fresno Sheriff’s detectives are investigating sexual abuse allegations at Riverdale Christian Academy and its parent church Riverdale Assembly of God.

Media Coverage

You can find a list of media stories on the media coverage page.

Story from ABC 30 July 14, 2022

5 lawsuits allege child sex abuse at Riverdale Assembly of God church, school

Resources

If you are a survivor of abuse by RAg or affected by these events there are resources available for you.