Arrest of La Luz del Mundo church leader sends shock waves through California congregation

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — A placard bearing Naasón Joaquín García's name outside La Luz del Mundo church in Palm Springs greets congregants who stream in and out of the church for morning prayer and evening services each day.

García, the self-proclaimed apostle and leader of the Mexico-based church that counts 1 million followers, was arrested Tuesday in Los Angeles and charged with 26 felony counts, including child rape, trafficking and child pornography. California authorities also arrested two others affiliated with the church, and a third is at large. 

The allegations sent shock waves throughout congregations across the U.S. Church leaders issued a statement categorically denying the allegations outlined in a 19-page complaint filed by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra's office.

Congregants at the church, whose name translates to the Light of the World, on Wednesday prayed for García, and some became overwhelmed with emotion, said Anahi Medina, a longtime member of the church, who left Wednesday's prayer session about noon.

"We were crying," said Medina, 30. "Some sisters were talking in tongues. We were crying to God for him to see our hearts."

Medina, who has belonged to the church since she was a child, said prayers typically center on asking God to care for their families and others. But Wednesday, "we asked God, 'Let this all come to light and clear up and show the world this is not true.'"

Dressed modestly in long skirts or dresses and covered in veils, some women declined to comment as they entered the church, saying only that they had heard news of García's arrest. The modest dress is part of the church's teachings and members address one another as "brother" or "sister."

Medina said news of the arrest and charges were first reported churchwide Tuesday and that congregations remain steadfast in their faith. 

"I'm calm," Medina said. "I have faith in God that all this is going to be cleared."

More: Global leader of La Luz Del Mundo is charged with child rape

As she described García, whom she has interacted with before, Medina became emotional and described how influential he and her faith are in her life.

"He's a good person," she said, at times trailing off to gather her thoughts. "He has integrity."

La Luz del Mundo has expanded rapidly throughout the United States and the world — the church established its first branch in the Republic of the Congo last week — since it was founded in Mexico in 1926. But controversy has dogged the church since previous accusations of rape and sexual abuse were leveled at leaders in the 1990s.

Members see their faith as the restoration of original Christianity, which they believe died with the last of Jesus Christ’s original apostles and was not restored until the 20th century.

Some critics have accused the church of being a “cult of personality” centered on its leader, whom church members call “the Apostle of Jesus Christ.” The apostle is frequently referenced during the church’s services and members have described seeing or listening to him as a transcendent, spiritual experience.

Followers abide by a strict moral code and attend services daily. Women dress modestly, eschewing jewelry and often wearing little to no makeup. In addition to wearing a veil during services, the women sit apart from men during religious ceremonies. 

Joel Basilio, a member of the Coachella Luz del Mundo church, said news of García's arrest did not affect the daily prayer and services and said people were attending services as usual. 

"Nothing is out of the ordinary," he said, adding that García is presumed innocent until proven otherwise. 

Azael Alonzo, pastor of the Palm Springs church, on Wednesday chatted with reporters and reiterated that church services will continue as usual.

“The faith of the church is firm,” he said. “We personally know (García) and know his integrity as a person. ... We have confidence that the truth will come to light.”

Alonzo said the church has been roiled by past controversies, including accusations of rape and sexual abuse leveled against a previous church leader in Mexico in the 1990s. That leader, Samuel Joaquin Flores, vehemently denied the allegations.

While the accusations were reported to authorities in Guadalajara, no charges were ever brought against Joaquin Flores, according to Los Angeles Times reporting from 1998.

More: The Catholic Church sex-abuse scandal: Grappling with the elephant in the room

Before Tuesday, despite other criminal accusations against the church and its leadership, authorities had never pressed charges and the church has consistently denied accusations of wrongdoing.

In a statement shared on the various Facebook pages for Luz del Mundo's churches, a representative said, in part, "we trust that these unsubstantiated allegations do not degenerate into religious intolerance and discriminatory acts against the membership of the church." 

Follow Ricardo Lopez on Twitter: @rljourno