Red Flag Report: CoastLife Church in Venice, Florida

In this Red Flag Report, we will cover the many red flags of spiritual abuse, exploitation, coercive control, and other harmful, cult-like behaviors and practices at CoastLife Church in Venice, Florida. If you haven’t already, please read the Check for this church as well.

1. Affiliation with ARC & Kevin Gerald of Champions Centre

The first red flag worth noting for CoastLife church is their affiliation with Kevin Gerald and ARC. ARC (Association of Relational Churches) has a reputation for supporting pastors caught up in sexual scandals, abusive behavior, and other misconduct. We’ve covered the problems with ARC and their mishandling of pastor misconduct multiple times. For a recent example, read this post on former ARC pastor Micahn Carter, who continues to be allowed to teach in ARC churches nationwide despite allegations of rape by a woman he pastored at Together Church in Yakima, Washington.

For more information on ARC and the many reasons we consider them to be a red flag, check out these other sources:

• Julie Roys’ articles

• The Wartburg Watch’s ARC Archives

• MinistryWatch’s articles