TX Pastor Fired Over Child Pornography Charges

The Calvary Chapel pastor was stripped of leadership role same day as his arrest

A Houston-area church has fired its longtime pastor after local police arrested him on child pornography charges.

Screengrab via ABC13

In a public statement, Calvary Chapel of The Woodlands announced its board had unanimously stripped 63-year-old Bruce Hollen of his lead pastor role on May 8, the same day that Montgomery County authorities arrested him.

“The board hereby has determined that Bruce Hollen no longer has authority, authorization, or permission to conduct any business on behalf of Calvary Chapel of the Woodlands,” the church website said. “He may not hold himself out as a leader in any capacity for the church, and he may not speak on behalf of the church in any capacity.”

All other information on the church’s website was disabled. The church’s social media accounts have also been taken down, including its official Facebook account.

According to Montgomery County authorities, Hollen was charged with possession with intent to promote child pornography, a second-degree felony in Texas. His arrest follows a sting operation targeting internet crimes against children. Authorities said Hollen possessed sexually explicit photos of girls between the ages of 9 and 12.

Hollen was booked into the Montgomery County Jail, and his bond was set at $30,000.

The Calvary Chapel of Woodlands met in an auditorium at McCullough Junior High School, but local school board officials said the church met on Sundays and not when students were on campus, ABC 13 reported.

The Woodlands Calvary Chapel is part of an evangelical church association born out of Chuck Smith’s Calvary Chapel in southern California. Jesus Revolution, the 2023 movie starring Kelsey Grammer and Jonathan Roumie, depicts the Calvary Chapel movement in its 1960s counter-cultural beginnings. Calvary Chapels have since been known for their expository teaching, contemporary worship music, and emphasis on evangelism.

Calvary Chapel congregations operate independently, with self-government, although pastors must adhere to “Calvary Church Distinctives.”

Although Calvary Chapel Woodland’s website has been largely disabled, a cached page outlining the church’s beliefs mirrors those of many other nondenominational churches: belief in inspired scripture, the trinity, the divinity of Jesus, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the ministry of the Holy Spirit through exercised Biblical gifts and believers’ baptism.

“Our desire is to know Christ and be conformed to His image by the power of the Holy Spirit. We do that by preaching the gospel and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead people into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ,” the page reads.

EDITOR’S NOTE:  Why does MinistryWatch report on sex crimes? These stories are tough to read and sometimes even tougher to report, but we think they are vital to our mission to bring transparency, accountability, and credibility to the evangelical church. To read more about why and how we report these stories, read “Why MinistryWatch Reports On Sex Crimes.” You can find that story here.

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