Does Harvest c
Executive summary
The record shows multiple federal lawsuits alleging that Harvest Christian Fellowship and its leader Greg Laurie were negligent and participated in a long-running cover-up of sexual abuse and trafficking by former pastor Paul Havsgaard at Romanian children’s homes; Harvest denies those allegations and calls the suits “financial extortion” while the claims remain litigated [1] [2].
1. What the lawsuits allege: years of abuse and a systemic cover-up
Plaintiffs — including Romanian men and women who say they were children in Harvest‑linked homes — have filed federal complaints accusing Havsgaard of severe sexual abuse, trafficking and cruel treatment over many years and alleging that Harvest, Laurie and other leaders ignored reports, provided funding, and concealed wrongdoing rather than protect children [3] [1] [4].
2. Financial and supervisory links cited by plaintiffs
Court filings and reporting claim Harvest provided financial support to Havsgaard’s Romanian ministries, that at times funds were deposited into his personal account, and that Harvest leaders exercised insufficient oversight even after concerns arose — allegations the lawsuits use to argue the church bears responsibility for negligence and enabling [5] [6].
3. The church’s response and competing narratives
Harvest Christian Fellowship has publicly rejected the lawsuits’ framing, calling the allegations “sensational” and a form of “financial extortion,” insisting the alleged perpetrator should be the focus and not the church’s leadership, and disputing plaintiffs’ characterizations of events [6] [2]. That defense is consistent across Harvest statements reported by outlets including Christianity Today and Helping Survivors [6] [2].
4. Independent reporting and advocacy perspectives
Mainstream outlets (NBC News, AP coverage aggregated in legal reporting) and advocacy/legal teams handling the suits (McAllister Olivarius) have amplified the plaintiffs’ claims and cited investigative steps taken previously by Harvest that allegedly confirmed abuse yet did not precipitate immediate public accountability, forming the basis for allegations of a long-term cover-up [3] [7] [1]. Nonprofit watchdogs and faith‑sector reporters have noted both the seriousness of the accusations and the challenges of proving institutional liability years after the fact [8] [9].
5. What is proven now — and what remains allegations
What is established in public reporting is that multiple lawsuits making detailed abuse and cover‑up claims were filed in U.S. federal court and that Harvest has denied wrongdoing; beyond the filings and Harvest’s response, criminal convictions or final judicial findings of institutional cover‑up are not reported in the sources provided, so the allegations remain subject to litigation and potential future verification [1] [2].
6. Motives, agendas and how to interpret the conflict
The parties come to this dispute with different incentives: survivors and their attorneys seek redress and accountability and have an interest in publicizing a pattern of institutional failure, while Harvest has an institutional interest in protecting reputation and resources and therefore frames lawsuits as opportunistic extortion; media and watchdogs emphasize transparency and protecting vulnerable people, which can shape coverage intensity and public perception [7] [10] [9].
7. Bottom line — does Harvest cover up?
The factual record available in the cited reporting confirms that plaintiffs allege a decades‑long coverup and negligence by Harvest and Greg Laurie and that there are specific claims about funding and delayed action; Harvest denies those charges and the matter is now in federal court, meaning “cover‑up” is an allegation supported by plaintiffs’ filings and reporting about those filings but not yet proven as legal fact in the materials provided [1] [2] [3].