Mexican megachurch leader Naasón Joaquín García's loyal followers believe he was sent by God to preach to them and are convinced he is innocent, despite his guilty plea.
in his home base in Mexico remain fervently loyal to him, viewing his imprisonment as a challenge that will strengthen their church, La Luz del Mundo , rather than weaken it.
Near the end of the call, Joaquín García asked his followers to raise their hands and their voices to God and repeat after him:"I promise you, Lord, that whatever the suffering, I will never abandon you." Joaquín García, 53, was arrested in 2019 in California. He initially faced more than 20 charges, but most were dismissed after a plea deal with prosecutors.Damian Dovarganes / AP the California Department of Justice arrested Joaquín Garcia and two other members of the church, Susana Medina Oaxaca and Alondra Ocampo, in 2019. Prosecutors said that the crimes dated back to at least 2015.
Naason Joaquin Garcia, the leader of the La Luz del Mundo, Spanish for The Light of the World, appears in Los Angeles County Superior Court, on June 5, 2019. The neighborhood has cafeterias, clinics, a recreation center and a store that sells Bibles and religious-themed games for children. From the walls hang photographs of Joaquín García, smiling and wearing a tuxedo. Spanning the main street is a sculpture spelling"innocent" in Spanish.
Another neighborhood resident, Sailem Castillo, also said she was upbeat despite Joaquín García's imprisonment. La Luz del Mundo is sometimes described as evangelical, but its members do not embrace this term. The church's doctrine is learned from the cradle. Parents give biblical names to their children and take them to the temple at 40 days old to promise they will guide them to follow their path.
"It is not sufficient to say 'I have converted' or"I have baptized'" she said."You have to follow certain steps to prove your loyalty." Ahead of the baptism, in a ritual known as"the revivals," children undergo days of prayer and fasting inside a temple. The revival consists of repeating"Glory to Christ" nonstop until the youths are heard speaking in tongues to testify that the Holy Spirit has entered them.
On Sept. 8 a lawsuit was filed in California against Joaquín García and four church members alleged to be complicit in the sex abuse. The suit was filed by five women who - under the pseudonym Jane Doe - were identified as victims in the original criminal charges against him.
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