I am writing this in response to being sent clips of my father, Paul Van Noy, speaking publicly online about my personal life and faith.
Allow me to clarify: No, I have not renounced my faith. I have, however, renounced religion—particularly the type of religion promoted by my father that misconstrues faith, truth, and love, perverting these concepts into instruments of control for personal and financial gain.
Since my father has chosen to comment publicly on the dynamics of our private relationship in a widely available recording, I believe it is appropriate for me to share my reasons for separation.
I chose to separate myself from my father and his leadership after years of pleading with him to take the offenses of sexµal abusers inside and outside his church more seriously.
My father failed to protect me when I was young, choosing instead to favor the offender(s). His decision to make an excuse for their behavior directly contributed to the further abuse of another young member of his church many years later. I learned of this second incident while undergoing active treatment for two types of breast cancer.
If my father, Pastor Paul Van Noy of Candlelight Fellowship Church, would not protect his own child, nor take adequate measures to protect a child in his congregation, I must question what other serious offenses he might permit or overlook.
Instead of confronting the child abuse and sexµal misconduct that arose from his failure to act, my father has chosen silence. He has refused to face his role in the ongoing pattern of abuse within certain church environments today.
From not reporting known abusers (and instead referring to them as "friend") to questioning and manipulating victims rather than supporting them, he has not demonstrated a commitment to necessary change. Instead, he has worked with and employed other pastors who have also been known to cover up child sexµal abuse.
My father publicly condemns so-called "evil" and "sexµal promiscuity" in people outside the bounds of his church and faith, while consistently dismissing or covering up such misconduct in his own house. I believe the people who attend or otherwise interact with my father and his church deserve to know this truth.
My father has consistently used his platform as a means of control, often in divisive rather than unifying ways. He touts his ability to lead, tell the truth, and use discernment, but he does so without humility, displaying a high level of confidence and arrogance. My personal experience confirms that his public persona does not align with reality.
No doubt, my faith has been hard fought after a lifetime of witnessing a “faith” leader—my father—behave in this manner.
I share these facts with the utmost love for my father and the greater Coeur d’Alene community, not out of disrespect. I wish with everything that my father would have taken the initiative to show how he is holding himself and others accountable for their mistakes and actively changing the culture that enables harm.
I forgive my father and my abuser(s). Like my father, I believe that what is done in darkness should be brought to light. Unlike him, I believe in telling the truth even when it doesn’t serve a religious/political agenda or persona. I hope my father understands my reasons for needing to come forward, and my willingness to tell the truth, even if I anticipate that he will not.
For verification, included below are relevant links, along with my father’s words of admission to these things in a text sent on my birthday, July 7, 2025. /1
Allow me to clarify: No, I have not renounced my faith. I have, however, renounced religion—particularly the type of religion promoted by my father that misconstrues faith, truth, and love, perverting these concepts into instruments of control for personal and financial gain.
Since my father has chosen to comment publicly on the dynamics of our private relationship in a widely available recording, I believe it is appropriate for me to share my reasons for separation.
I chose to separate myself from my father and his leadership after years of pleading with him to take the offenses of sexµal abusers inside and outside his church more seriously.
My father failed to protect me when I was young, choosing instead to favor the offender(s). His decision to make an excuse for their behavior directly contributed to the further abuse of another young member of his church many years later. I learned of this second incident while undergoing active treatment for two types of breast cancer.
If my father, Pastor Paul Van Noy of Candlelight Fellowship Church, would not protect his own child, nor take adequate measures to protect a child in his congregation, I must question what other serious offenses he might permit or overlook.
Instead of confronting the child abuse and sexµal misconduct that arose from his failure to act, my father has chosen silence. He has refused to face his role in the ongoing pattern of abuse within certain church environments today.
From not reporting known abusers (and instead referring to them as "friend") to questioning and manipulating victims rather than supporting them, he has not demonstrated a commitment to necessary change. Instead, he has worked with and employed other pastors who have also been known to cover up child sexµal abuse.
My father publicly condemns so-called "evil" and "sexµal promiscuity" in people outside the bounds of his church and faith, while consistently dismissing or covering up such misconduct in his own house. I believe the people who attend or otherwise interact with my father and his church deserve to know this truth.
My father has consistently used his platform as a means of control, often in divisive rather than unifying ways. He touts his ability to lead, tell the truth, and use discernment, but he does so without humility, displaying a high level of confidence and arrogance. My personal experience confirms that his public persona does not align with reality.
No doubt, my faith has been hard fought after a lifetime of witnessing a “faith” leader—my father—behave in this manner.
I share these facts with the utmost love for my father and the greater Coeur d’Alene community, not out of disrespect. I wish with everything that my father would have taken the initiative to show how he is holding himself and others accountable for their mistakes and actively changing the culture that enables harm.
I forgive my father and my abuser(s). Like my father, I believe that what is done in darkness should be brought to light. Unlike him, I believe in telling the truth even when it doesn’t serve a religious/political agenda or persona. I hope my father understands my reasons for needing to come forward, and my willingness to tell the truth, even if I anticipate that he will not.
For verification, included below are relevant links, along with my father’s words of admission to these things in a text sent on my birthday, July 7, 2025. /1
Pastor Bob Davis of North Country Chapel in Post Falls, Idaho was the one who brought my father Paul Van Noy to Coeur D’Alene. Davis failed to report his youth pastor Anthony L. Iglesias to authorities after learning Iglesias allegedly m𝐨lested children in Thailand. Davis was legally required to report the abuse, but his inaction allowed the abuser to continue in ministry. /2
kosnoff.com/cavalrychapel/
spokesman.com/stories/2011/a…
kosnoff.com/cavalrychapel/
spokesman.com/stories/2011/a…
Pastor Ray Duran and other representatives of Calvary Chapel knew that youth pastor Anthony L. Iglesias engaged in inappropriate behavior with children, according to a lawsuit. Despite this knowledge, Iglesias was employed in youth ministries where he allegedly sexµally abused children. Pastor Ray Duran, a named party in the lawsuit, was employed and working at Candlelight Fellowship Church in 2014 and was giving sermons at the church as late as 2019. His sermons are still available online at Candlelight. /3
spokesman.com/stories/2011/a…
spokesman.com/stories/2011/a…
Paul Van Noy was aware of instances of abuse by Jacob Saldana dating back to early 2000s, but he was still welcomed into the church and pastors house until at least 2019. /4
Pastor Glen Cole was Paul Van Noy's pastor in his early life around the time this abuse occurred. He also studied under Cole's leadership. /5
ggtriallaw.com/news/childhood…
ggtriallaw.com/news/childhood…
Candlelight Fellowship Church owns the skating rink, Skate Plaza, adjacent to the church that is frequented primarily by young children and insistence of abuse have occurred there. /6
spokesman.com/stories/2021/a…
spokesman.com/stories/2021/a…
Paul Van Noy is also connected to Rob McCoy. /7
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