“I was facing trials like I had never known before. I was tasting the bitter fruits of disloyalty and abandonment. Larry came alongside me to encourage me, and more importantly to show me that you could suffer loss and not be bitter toward your circumstances or toward those who had let you down.” (Oct. 21, 2022)
John Loftness “retired” in 2021 after seven years as senior pastor of Living Hope Church in Bowie, Maryland. Thereupon, he and his Nancy moved 40 miles northwest to be part of Grace Church in Clarksburg, MD. Larry Malament was the lead pastor.
Grace Church split off from Covenant Life Church and formed in January 2014. It was a small church comprised of Mahaney loyalists. Malament invited Loftness to guest preach the second Sunday of its existence. I was stunned. Here’s why.
The Second Amended Complaint, a 46-page lawsuit, came out seven months earlier in May 2013. It alleged Loftness was a sexual sadist. In fact, he was the most often named defendant in the allegations of fact. That didn’t matter to Malament. His loyalties were to C.J. Mahaney who was covering up the sexual abuse of children in Covenant Life Church and Sovereign Grace Ministries.
Loftness and Malament were friends of mine. Larry a close one. Time and again, I watched him compromise his integrity in order to climb the Sovereign Grace ladder and curry C.J.’s favor.
On October 15, 2022, Larry dropped dead from a massive heart attack at the age of 65. It was completely unexpected.
His associate pastor, Devon Kauflin, took over the leadership of the church. Devon is the second son of Bob Kauflin. Devon continues to accommodate Loftness. He preaches on a regular basis and is also a pastor in the church though he is not listed on the website.
Loftness is also the Regional Leader over the Sovereign Grace Churches in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Here is some of what John shared at Larry’s Memorial Service about himself.
“It is a great honor that Marilyn would ask me to address you from the word of God and consider what it says to us as we grieve the loss of her husband and my dear friend, Larry Malament.
“All of us gathered here tonight mourn this sudden loss. It would be much easier for me to honor the wonderful ways that Larry shaped and added to my life. He was my closest friend, a gift that came to me ten years ago, when I thought my work as a pastor might be spent.
“We had known each other since the early 1980’s but did not become close until ten years ago. I was facing trials like I had never known before. I was tasting the bitter fruits of disloyalty and abandonment. Larry came alongside me to encourage me and more importantly to show me that you could suffer loss and not be bitter toward your circumstances or toward those who had let you down.
“One year ago, Nancy and I moved to Clarksburg to continue my ministry, no longer as a lead pastor, but to serve other pastors and to serve Grace Church as a pastor under Larry’s leadership, which I considered a real privilege and still do.”
A few observations.
- Larry was John’s closet friend. He was taken from him.
- “Ten years ago” is a reference to the lawsuit.
- John’s work as a pastor should have been “spent.”
- Larry defended John as though innocent at C.J.’s behest.
- John put himself forth as a victim facing exceptional “trials” and suffering “the bitter fruits of disloyalty and abandonment.”
- Further, through these grave trials he learned to “suffer loss and not be bitter toward your circumstances or toward those who had let you down.”
This is just like C.J. John is a victim. Read my recent article.
Mahaney Indoctrinates Followers with Bogus Belief The Documents Were a “Slander Storm” from Satan Designed to Devour Him Like a Prowling Lion
Saturday, April 15, 2023 at 7:32PM
John assumed the leadership of Solid Rock Church in Riverdale, MD in 2007. He was sent out from Covenant Life Church under Joshua Harris’ leadership. Seven years later, he was sent out (i.e. left) to start Living Hope Church 10 miles away in Bowie.
This came about because of a split between Loftness and the other pastors, Curtis Allen and Mike Dixon. They wanted to leave SGM. Loftness wanted to stay. In fact, Living Hope Church officially began on January 4, 2015. Solid Rock Church was removed from the SGM list of churches on January 22, 2015.
That is partly what Loftness is referring to as “the bitter fruits of disloyalty and abandonment.”
There were also people in the church who were greatly concerned about the horrid descriptions in the lawsuit and the fact John would not answer their questions. He wrote the church the following in pertinent part.
May 14, 2013
Dear Solid Rock Church,
My attorneys continue to advise me not to discuss this suit with others nor to make any statements to news media about the allegations brought against me and others. I have followed their advice and intend to continue to follow it through the duration of this suit. This, of course, is a challenge to you, as it is to me, but it is wise counsel.
I do think it necessary that I tell you something in general terms, and I ask that you keep this in mind as this suit is played out in the public arena: I have never physically or sexually abused a child—at any time, in any place, and in any way. Nor have I ever sought to shield someone I knew to be a pedophile from legal consequences for his actions.
Comparing this categorical denial to the lawsuit raises millions of questions. None Loftness would answer and none he has ever addressed. You have to be a fool to believe him.
Hopefully, John is going to find himself on the receiving end of good and necessary lawsuits now that the law in Maryland has removed the statute of limitations on child abuse.
Maryland Removes Statute of Limitations – Opens Door for Victims to Refile Lawsuits Against C.J. Mahaney, John Loftness, Covenant Life Church, & Sovereign Grace Churches
Thursday, May 18, 2023 at 4:41PM
The reason for this article is to point out how John Loftness continues to justify himself and make himself out to be a victim when the evidence shows he is the victimizer. That is deeply disturbing but unsurprising.
John Loftness in Focus – Former Chairman of the SGM Board & Alleged Sexual Sadist
Sunday, July 14, 2013 at 5:32PM