Ive seen a few posts about New Harvest Christian Fellowship in Norwalk and I would like to add to this conversation. Also if there are any ex members, will you please keep this thread going?
The head pastor of this church is about to step down. He has passed the torch over to a couple, Danny and Sabrina Casas, they're in their mid 30's. His parents pastored in Northern California, Danny and Barbera Casas.
Recently I saw something on FB about how Danny and Sabrina Casas were going to speak to the youth group (they call it Uth)of the church about how they became one, or about their marriage, love story, etc. So they got married very young, I believe they were or she was still in thier teens,they met when they were even younger and began dating.
What bothers me about this type indoctrination on 12-17 year olds is that they will believe that they MUST find the one in church at their current age. The church will defend their stance on young couples because public schools are allowed to teach sex ed. Not the same thing. I am afraid for young girls who may get trapped into a relationship thinking that it's the right thing to do.

This is the youth (uth) ages 12-17 not the "Ignite" young adults church that they use to have. They got rid of that over a year ago maybe two. Once 18 you are in the mainstream church now
This all seems strange to me.

I'm a former member of NHCF. I still remain in contact with current members. I question the integrity and spiritual legitimacy of the leadership.

The head pastor has profited greatly from being the leader of this organization. When tithes and donations didn't meet the financial needs of the church their focus turned to making the private school a money-maker. The hired staff is paid minimum wage (sometimes even below minimum wage!) and are tasked with supervising students to complete their schoolwork. The curriculum is provided by an outside organization, is self guided and also faith-based. The staff are not certified educators. The selling point of having your kids enrolled at the church's school is that they are taught to be disciplined and their spiritual character is developed.

Tuition from all of these families is what runs the organization. Keeping their focus on recruiting young members keeps the enterprise running and profitable.

Although they have named new younger leadership as a figure head I doubt that the Salazars will retire completely given the very comfortable lifestyle the church has provided them. They live in secrecy in a very exclusive area in Orange County. For years they have driven luxury cars while their congregation made of mostly poor families sacrificed to donate money to the cause of "All For God"

In their defense, they will say that there is a leadership board in place that they answer to but no one on those boards will actually ever call them out or ask for transparency in how the finances are managed. Church positions are often filled by family members and others who would never dare disagree or call into question the actions of leadership. It's seen as rebellion or not sharing the same "vision" as the pastor.

So yes, focusing on youth and encouraging them to marry young, never leave the church and raise their families in the church promotes the longevity of the organization for the future.

Can you take a look at my post: Righteously Angry with New Harvest Christian Fellowship!! I am very interested to hear your story. I am going to start challenging the leadership in the most public way and I can do it myself but I want everyone to have a voice. Whether it’s by staying anonymous (I am aware that there are legal obligations in some cases) or boldly putting a name and face to someone they’ve lied to and created a false representation of Christ, the Bible, church, relationships and Fellowship. Thank you in advance!

Thaliaforjesus

I do not mean to insult your intelligence in any way shape or form, and if I do, please tell me. I would not advise "calling" them out. I am not saying anything bad against you (or insulting). Those people (however they are) have been indoctrinated for so long, and they are deeply embedded in their beliefs (and I do mean deeply). Chances are they know the Bible better than most of us, and that is why they can do what they do. They make subtle changes to the scripture(s)...leave one word out, change the wording just a little bit, add just one word, something like that. Also, keep in mind these people are professional scammers and swindlers.

How would I handle the situation? Never mind the leadership, don't waste your time with them. Place the focus of your efforts on the young people and their parents as it seems that is what you are already doing. Keep doing that. That is the best way to get at the organization--a cult has to have "recruits" to be successful. If they cannot recruit, they go out of "business"

That may be a daunting and frustrating task (hurry up and hire a teenager while they still know everything LOL LOL)...but young people (even older people) want a sense of safety, security, and belonging. When they realize they are not getting that, they will stop going to that source. (Remember the story of Tom Thumb?) It only takes one small crack.

I will be more than happy to assist you with professional research if you wish (free of charge) as I hold a master degree in forensic psychology. I am no where near the level of one who can professionally identify cults, but I will do what I can to help with research.

I believe you are on the right track, and I believe if you continue on this track you will be successful. Don't worry about the ones that got away (or can get away) help the ones who can't get away. You'll do it. Just let me know if I can be of assistance.

Cheerio!

Below is from a current New Harvest member

There is a Faithful Woman of God that is one of the Founders and Pillars of New Harvest, her name is (hidden)
She is one of the Pillars of the church since it was being held in Monterey Park.
She is the only one who had the Boldness to Speak the Word of God to me when I was unsaved and out of control.
A sixteen year old who was not afraid to Preach The Gospel!
Recently, she had been talking to one of the Staff Pastors about a church she had been helping out at with her friend.
The Staff Pastor knew about her activities and gave her his Blessings.
Then, at a Prayer Central Prayer Meeting, she gave a testimony about how her knee was feeling better, and she mentioned another church.
A PRAYER CENTRAL TESTIMONY TURNED AGAINST HER!
A testimony that was used against her to throw her out of her ministry.
There was a reprisal against this Founding Member of New Harvest Church for mentioning another church!
Gracie was notified that she was summarily being thrown out of Care Ministry.
THIS IS AN EVIL THING THAT HAS BEEN DONE TO HER!
Gracie tried to call and contact her Pastors.
No one would talk to her.
No one would return her calls.
What is this?
Scientology?
Cults love to control and manipulate people.
Cults don't like it when other Churches are mentioned.
No discussion,
no warning,
(Name hidden) was just thrown out of Care Ministry because she mentioned another church.
And then the Cult-like shunning begins.
Shunned by her Pastors.
Shunned by other members.
I grew up in church, I have seen it at its Best, and I have seen its Worst.
This is one of the worst I have seen.
A big church can become a big self-righteous religious machine.
A big machine that can chew up the Lambs of the Flock and spit them out with no conscience.
A big machine that does not care if it chews up and throws out a Founding Member, without so much as a discussion.
I talked to my leader from Care ministry about (name hidden)
I told him I recommend that she be re-instated into Care Ministry with an apology.
My leader told me:
“We are looking into it and don’t worry we will do everything that needs to be done.”
REALLY?!
A generic secular political-management style non committal response?
A response that showed me that this leader did not give a hang about what happens to Gracie.
This is leadership in Norwalk?
A leader needs to care about their people, and not just blindly follow orders.
(Name hidden) is deeply hurt, as any one of us would be, so please pray very hard for her.
She is well known in New Harvest Fellowship, please contact her and encourage her, she has been dealt a very harsh blow.
I again repeat the call to have her reinstated to Care Ministry, and for her to receive an apology from one of the Pastors.
She is Family to me, so I am playing the Family card here…

[/i]The following message is from the same New Harvest member from my previous post recanting everything he said.

We are very Thankful and consider it a an Honor and a Privilege for our Friendship With Pastor Richard and Nancy Salazar. We have been friends with them since 1985, when I had the opportunity to play in a Christian Rock Band in Manchester England and Scotland. It was an experience I will never forget. Pastor Richard's Faith and Joy impressed me immediately. He was a new Pastor in Manchester and had a few church members in a leaky public room in one of the city projects.
As he mentioned to us, he remembers us slogging through the mud and loading our PA speakers in the rain after many of our evangelical performances throughout many cities in England in 1985.
We were there for about one month and we learned the true meaning of ministry during that time.
Since that time I have been to Russia with Pastor Richard playing in a Christian Rock Band over there, it was an amazing time, the Berlin wall had just fallen, and we witnessed many Russians receive the Gospel with great Joy.
Recently I had been sadly misinformed concerning a family member that I love very much. This family member had stopped attending our church for quite a while. I had not been informed of this, I wish somebody in my ministry had communicated this fact to me. I will not repeat some of the things I said because of the sensitivity of the issue. But I said some things because I thought this person was dismissed without cause or warning. This was not the case. As everyone knows, it is impossible to interpret a text or a post's intention in an accurate way, because you cannot see the persons face and interpret emotions through a text.
I am sorry I did not mean to be hurtful towards anybody in any way.
I need to make clear that I never advise anybody to leave our church, no matter what the reason they may give. Norwalk Church has always been and will always be a place of special Miracles of Restoration. It is not called the Mother Church for nothing. We have our Men’s Home there and I have witnessed many life changing permanent restorations there. Those restorations continue and it still Blesses my Heart and will always Bless my Heart to see a persons life changed. If someone gets restored at Norwalk, it only makes sense that they should stay where God has placed them. This is because the Lord places a special hedge around someone at the church they are restored in.
My enduring friendship with Pastor Richard continues and I Believe it will continue until the Lords Return, which I Believe strongly is very imminent. My commitment to New Harvest remains as strong as it ever was.
Our family has given our house, life, and my health for Jesus and New Harvest, However this does not diminish our Love for Jesus or my church in any way!

Sometimes Christians can make a church/pastor/leader their idol. Also the phrase "This is because the Lord places a special hedge around someone at the church they are restored in." - non biblical. The word hedge is in the bible but this phrase is taken out of context. They add words like this so it can sound biblical but it's only deceiving for their own agenda.Richard Salazar (main pastor) has no relationships in the church. He rarely speaks to anyone on a one on one basis. You must set up an appointment to speak with him and even then he will cancel or hide. This person is reliving an old memory from 1985 (34 years ago!) Because he has nothing else. No relationship. Richard S. Has changed over the years. Hurt by close people who have left and has built up a wall. Richard and his family (wife Nancy and two daughters) have talked and displayed hate to those who exit their church. Yes their church. I've heard it first hand. Don't dare come against them. They are vindictive and will retaliate against you and your loved ones. It was really hard to watch this while i attended. My thoughts were there is no perfect church. And i was praying and asking God to change and remove this pastor. But instead i pray for them and moved on. I know God will still change lives and heal in this church. God is still God. Merciful and everlasting. But i was unable to watch their deceit and vindictive ways. I have left and My family and i are flourishing. And realize that other churches are not bad. (Something they believe) Praying for NH congregation that your eyes are open.

My name is Confessor, I used to go to NHCF but not any longer, truth is this, for 20 years I went to that church, what did I learn well I learned how to look, read, base my life on the word of God. Many people will have their own opinion of NHCF, but that's all it is, an OPINION, WE all have one, NHCF has it's flaws, don't we all?? if you want a perfect church go to the cemetery
I still like many people in that church, it's an excellent church to learn how to love and live, God loves us all, I now go to a Baptist Church and I Love it, I've spoken to many people about a Baptist Church, and they tell me, as long as the word of God is being preacher, that's all that matters. Bless you all.

---

I have been with New Harvest for decades now. I have earned my degree in accounting and have learned how businesses maintain sustainability. The Salazar are doing a great job The business for God that they have been called to do is maintaining the house of God and being vessels to save souls. The Salazars invested their personal holdings from the very beginning because they felt the urgency to help people. There is nothing wrong with them driving nice vehicles. There is nothing wrong with them having a nice home. Read your Bible. How the school is set up and how the youth are taught is great. There is structure and accountability and integrity embedded The problem here with the interpretation of what is going on us that the person sees with an envious low self esteemed misguided spiritually blind heart. Pray for wisdom and discernment and forgiveness in Jesus name for spewing out against people who are being obedient to Gods calling.

First of all our Pastors know the Ten Commandments and know they are not to be idolized. Yes they have been hurt because of all the dedication they put in for God. They are human and do feel. I understand and not talk about them or leave. But instead pray for them. Their calling carries a lot of accountability. The people including myself come into the church with all our spiritual baggage. We as we mature in Christ and read our Bibles should understand what is really happening here in this forum. It’s spiritual warfare hiding behind big mouthed mis-guided uncontrolled immature inexperienced ungrateful people. If you don’t care for the people at New Harvest pray first for guidance. Why do you really go to church. To learn how to make it to Heaven? Or to try to be spiritual with your own interpretation. The pastors are following their calling. Don’t discourage other people who may be more receptive than you at this time from finding peace and freedom in Jesus. Whose side are you really on? Jesus’or the devil’s?