Inside the abuse scandal at an Ontario megachurch

In today’s Big Story podcast, the Meeting House was meant to be a new kind of church; one that would appeal to those who felt alienated by mainstream Christianity. The church’s charismatic leader, Bruxy Cavey, with his impassioned sermons, and sometimes controversial interpretations of scripture, drew parishioners to their Oakville, Ont., headquarters from across the Greater Toronto Area. At its peak, Meeting House membership numbered 5,000, and the future looked bright for the so-called ‘megachurch.’

Then, in 2021, allegations of sexual misconduct were made against Cavey, and in the aftermath of that scandal, other incidents involving Meeting House staff began to surface, pointing to a more systemic issue within the church. Membership has since dwindled, and criminal proceedings against Cavey are ongoing.

We’re joined today by Rachel Browne, an investigative journalist and documentary producer who wrote about the scandal in The Walrus.

“People started to see this as part of a broader pattern as opposed to a couple of bad apples,” she said, “it unearthed this, I would say, systemic pattern of wrongdoing among church leadership at the Meeting House.”

So what exactly happened at the Meeting House? What can this scandal tell us about the phenomenon of Church sexual abuse more broadly? And what needs to change to make sure that places of worship are also a place of safety for all?

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