Protester arrested after causing 'disturbance' outside Texas megachurch
A protester was arrested at a Texas megachurch after he created what officials said was a “disturbance” on church property.
The incident occurred during Sunday services at Fellowship Church in Grapevine, about 20 minutes west of Dallas and involved “an individual disrupting the environment by causing a disturbance with video equipment and signage,” Fellowship Pastor Dave Clark told The Christian Post on Wednesday.
Police responded and issued a warning, but when the man — later identified as filmmaker Nathan Apffel — failed to comply, officers arrested him, according to Clark.
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Video shared on social media showed Apffel walking around the Fellowship Church parking lot with signs that read, "How much is Pastor Ed making?" and “Ed, what’s your housing allowance today?,” which refers to the IRS-approved portion of a minister's pay designated to cover housing expenses.
After repeated warnings to leave the church’s property, Apffel was arrested.
“I have a question about salaries and housing allowances and this is how they treat people,” he says in the video.
In response to Apffel’s questions about the housing allowance, Clark said, “Fellowship Church is aware that this individual has a history of disruptive behavior at churches nationwide, making false accusations and attempting to create misleading narratives.”
Clark added, “In response to the accusations concerning housing allowance, it is important to note that the housing allowance is a well-established tax benefit, recognized by the IRS and used by thousands of clergy and uniformed service members nationwide.
“The allowance is determined by the individual. At Fellowship Church, there have been no concerns or complaints related to this benefit. Additionally, an independent financial institution conducts an external audit of the church’s finances each year to ensure transparency and compliance.”
Fellowship Church, a Southern Baptist congregation and one of the largest churches in the U.S., made headlines in 2021 when Lara Lynn Ford, a former business manager at the church, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after she allegedly stole nearly $1.4 million from the church’s housing allowance.
Ford’s theft was reported by the church’s Chief Financial Officer, Dennis Brewer Jr., who was once described by CBS affiliate KENS5 as being Young’s "personal attorney, business partner and fishing buddy."
Starting in October 2018, Brewer said he noticed that Ford had been paying herself an extra $200 every two weeks from the housing allowance account. By January 2019, she increased the payments to an extra $500 every two weeks, also from the housing allowance account.
In 2010, Young, 63, came under scrutiny after ABC's DFW affiliate WFAA reported his financial arrangements, including an annual salary of $1 million and a housing allowance of $240,000.
