Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Why did Geoffrey Hill stop teaching at Calvary Chapel?

Geoffrey Hill was an associate of mine back in the mid 90's. He was a former pastor/teacher from Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa. He wrote articles about the 'Jesus People' movement and became a therapist and film theorist.

I interviewed him, on camera, for an hour. However, when I asked him why he left Calvary Chapel his response was just inadequate. He said it was because they were anti-intellectual.

Well, did he just figure that out after being in the movement for years? Someone of his intellect should have realized that from the get go.

That interview pissed me off so much that I erased the tape with an excerpt from Bible Madness. In those days, I broke the movie up into a six part 'mini-series' for public access television.

I was running out of tapes and realized how useless Geoffrey's interview about Calvary Chapel really was, so I recycled the tape. Sorry! I wasn't aware he would eventually be the subject of a criminal investigation. Next time, I'll remember to exercise my powers of clairvoyance.

Geoffrey was later arrested on the charge of possession of child porn on his computer. A number of people believe he was framed because of his activism against police corruption. He was a critic of police corruption and often spoke about the effects of child abuse on adults.

He once called me and told me police were framing non conformists, and those who lived alternative lifestyles, in his area.

Hill was later found dead in the desert. A bullet through his brain. Police ruled his death a suicide. Activists believe he was framed, then murdered.

Maybe that is the case? Either alternative is a terrible twist, whether police really did frame, and possibly kidnap and murder Hill, or, if Hill really was a child advocate who, in private, solicited child porn. Either way you look at it, this is one disturbing story.

So, what I want to know is, "Why did Geoffrey Hill stop teaching at Calvary Chapel school and church?"

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