| METRO | OUT TO PASTOR I BY ALEX DELUCA n May 2019, about a month after taking a woman from his church on a first date, David Stocker, Jr., flew her out to New York City to partake in all the quintes- sential touristy activities in the Big Ap- ple: visit Broadway, snap photos around Times Square, ride in one of those cheesy horse-drawn carriages. The couple returned the following month to stay at a luxe hotel in the Lower East Side, snapping intimate pho- tos and selfies along the way. Some would consider this romance. But worshipers at Brave Church, the Miami con- gregation where Stocker served as pastor, likely disagree. According to a 307-page lawsuit filed on May 24 by Peninsular Florida District Coun- cil (PenFlorida) — an Assemblies of God um- brella organization that oversees more than 300 churches in Florida and the Virgin Is- lands, including Brave Church — Stocker vio- lated church bylaws by engaging in sexual relations with at least three congregants and using the church’s credit card to fund at least one of the affairs, then refusing to step down as pastor after PenFlorida investigated and found him guilty of “gross sexual misconduct and immoral actions.” The lawsuit, filed in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, names Stocker, Brave Church, and four members of the church’s board of direc- tors, alleging that the board repeatedly ig- nored PenFlorida’s findings and discouraged congregants from reporting Stocker for fear of ruining his career. “PenFlorida found that Stocker is guilty of sexual misconduct based on significant evi- dence that he was sexually involved with at least three separate women from the congre- gation, all while he was not married to them and some while he was still legally married to his now ex-wife,” the complaint states. STOCKER VIOLATED CHURCH BYLAWS BY ENGAGING IN SEXUAL RELATIONS WITH AT LEAST THREE CONGREGANTS. Recently settled lawsuit details Miami clergyman’s alleged extramarital dalliances with congregants. Stocker did not respond to New Times’ re- quests for comment via email, phone, Face- book, and Instagram. Brave Church offers contemporary wor- ship services at its two locations in Westches- ter and Brickell. Its website touts the slogan “Leading People to Love People” and its Insta- gram (@bravemiami) is filled with photos and videos with vibrant graphics, smiling young faces, and a charismatic Stocker preaching on- stage in casual streetwear or an all-black suit. In 2014, Stocker and his then-wife Christina joined the church as youth pastors to reach younger generations of churchgoers. In a 2018 interview with VoyageMIA, the couple de- scribed their desire to help younger people re- alize that “church can be a place for everyone.” (The couple di- vorced in 2020.) “Our heart is to help those who might be in a struggle, repeat- ing dead-end cy- cles, or the person just want- ing to connect with others in a life-giving posi- tive way,” the Stockers said in the interview, though it’s unclear who said what. “We be- lieve there is place [sic] for everyone.” According to the lawsuit, the woman Stocker brought to New York City reported him to PenFlorida in January of this year and provided board members with hundreds of text messages, photos, and videos detailing their affair. She informed them that Stocker was sleeping with at least two other women from the congregation and had used church funds for his liaisons on at least two occa- sions, including for her flight and hotel room during their time in New York. (In addition to their New York trips, Stocker and the woman Photo courtesy of Nelson Mullins The exterior of Brave Church’s Westchester location. also allegedly traveled to San Francisco and San Diego in 2019.) The woman subsequently discovered that Stocker was also seeing a second woman, and in November 2021, she learned that the pas- tor was “romantically involved” with a third woman — all while he was still with her, and while he was still legally married to his then- wife, according to the lawsuit. The suit also alleges that Stocker abused alcohol (behavior the Assemblies of God does not condone) and acted “erratically” on nu- merous occasions. The complaint includes a statement from a witness who claims to have seen Stocker and a woman get “so drunk” at a Celtics-Heat game in Miami on November 4, 2021, that they walked onto the court. When Miami police officers intervened, the witness claimed, Stocker “got very angry and aggres- sively screamed at the police.” It’s unclear whether either party was de- tained or arrested. An initial case-management conference for the parties in the lawsuit is scheduled for August 15. But on July 6, PenFlorida, Brave Church, and the four board members named as defen- dants filed a joint stipulation dismissing the lawsuit subject to the terms of their settle- ment agreement. (It’s unclear what this means for Stocker, who remains a defendant in the suit.) “Brave Church of Miami, Inc. and its board have amicably resolved the matter with the Peninsular Florida District Coun- cil,” attorney Kristin Ahr informs New Times in a written statement. Ahr, a partner at Nelson Mullins, the firm that’s represent- ing Brave Church and the board members, cited “significant misunderstandings” be- tween Brave Church and PenFlorida, which have been resolved through a “very friendly settlement.” She offered no specifics regarding the mis- understandings or the settlement but con- firmed that Brave Church remains affiliated with PenFlorida and the Assemblies of God — though not with Stocker. “The Assemblies of God couldn’t be any happier that we’ve been able to resolve any differences that we had with Brave Church,” Glen Waldman, a Miami-based attorney rep- resenting PenFlorida, tells New Times. Waldman adds that he’s “pleased” that Brave Church will remain an Assemblies of God institution, an outcome he believes is for the benefit of all involved — particularly the church’s congregants. “We absolutely look forward to the contin- ued affiliation and to make the church stron- ger and better, and a place of worship for the congregants that everybody is proud of.” [email protected] 44 MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 JULY 14-20, 2022 NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | miaminewtimes.com
