![]() Many of the students and leaders at SHSU went on to serve at Chi Alpha chapters at other colleges (including Rice University, the University of Texas at San Antonio, and A&M)-spreading Savala’s influence, particularly among schools in driving distance of Houston.Įli Stewart was part of the Chi Alpha pastoral team at SHSU before relaunching a Chi Alpha chapter and planting a church at Texas A&M University, in College Station, in 2017. Sam Houston’s Chi Alpha chapter was the largest in the country and was lauded as a model for growth it launched 30 new campus plants under the direction of its longtime leader Eli Gautreaux, now the district director for Chi Alpha in New Mexico and South Texas. The Assemblies of God sponsors chapters on 275 campuses and connects them with churches and leaders in its movement. While reading the Book of Nahum, Bloomingkemper was struck by a passage in his study Bible about how God uncovers and exposes “every secret thing.” He was inspired to speak up and offer a platform for fellow victims.īloomingkemper attended Sam Houston State University (SHSU) in Huntsville, Texas, about an hour north of Houston, and belonged to the Chi Alpha chapter there in the mid-1990s.Ĭhi Alpha-the Greek abbreviation for christou apostoloi, or “Christ’s ambassador” -is a coed ministry focused on mission and discipleship among college students. He lives in suburban Houston and learned that local college students were still meeting with Savala but struggled to convince others that Savala posed a risk. ![]() “The hope I have is that God loves us so much he won’t allow sin to stay hidden anymore in this organization,” said Ron Bloomingkemper Jr., who launched the website “XA and the Lion’s Den.” Until now, he shared his testimony of being groomed by Savala under the username Gideon.īloomingkemper, 50, sees the latest calls for accountability as part of a movement for revival and restoration. ![]() The Assemblies of God district in North Texas has stepped in to see if other credentialed ministers may have also been “in violation.”įor a small group of victims and family members who have tried to sound the alarm on Savala for several years, these moves-along with the attention over the past few weeks-are signs that people may finally be listening. Their churches, each with close ties to local Chi Alpha chapters, have since removed them from their positions and launched investigations. Two Texas pastors who connected their Chi Alpha students with Savala initially responded to the recent news by saying that Savala was a “master manipulator” and that they were shocked by the revelations. ![]() One parent reported that last year his minor son was invited into Savala’s sauna, and another obtained a restraining order in March to block Savala from contacting her children. The decades of allegations against Savala extend into the present day. Officials with Chi Alpha and the Assemblies of God had previously been warned about Savala’s status and activity, but because he didn’t have an official role, they couldn’t-or didn’t-stop it.Ī website for victims who were groomed and abused by Savala launched in April, and last week, the Texas A&M student newspaper The Battalion broke the story and covered the claims that some Chi Alpha leaders knew Savala’s background but still involved him in their ministry. Victims are speaking up to call out those who continued endorsing Savala and put students at risk. Savala, 67, doesn’t hold an official title with Chi Alpha, isn’t employed by the organization, and isn’t credentialed by its denomination, the Assemblies of God.īut former members of Chi Alpha say a network of pastors leading chapters at several Texas colleges viewed Savala as a mentor and spiritual guru, supporting him and sending their students to his house-even after Savala was convicted of child sexual abuse and registered as a sex offender a decade ago. And at least 13 men reported that Savala molested or raped them while they sought his spiritual advice as college students, according to a new online forum collecting victims’ stories. He offered his bed to overnight guests while sleeping in the buff. Over the past 30 years, well over a hundred men involved in Texas chapters of the campus ministry Chi Alpha have seen Daniel Savala naked.Īt Savala’s house in Houston, he invited them to strip down and talk about spiritual issues in his sauna. Mountain Valley Fellowship said Stewart “had fallen into sinful practices unbecoming of the office of a pastor and that he had neglected his duty to protect his flock from a known predator, both of which disqualify him from ministry.” Eli Gautreaux, Chi Alpha’s district director, and Johnny Hauck, of the UTSA chapter, have also stepped down during the investigation. Update (May 24, 2023): Eli Stewart, the College Station, Texas, pastor who promoted Daniel Savala as a mentor and teacher, was dismissed by his church this week after an investigation.
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