US pastor and California megachurch face lawsuit over alleged abuse in Romanian orphanages

A 201-page federal filing in California accuses pastor Paul Havsgaard and senior officials of Harvest Christian Fellowship of repeatedly abusing children in the Harvest Homes orphanage system across several Romanian locations from the late 1990s into the 2000s. The 22 claimants, now adults, assert that the abuse was concealed while the church collected substantial monthly donations from U.S. churches. Internal reports flagged irregular payments and questioned Havsgaard’s nighttime trips with minors, prompting a 2004 inspection by Steve Quarles and other clergy.

Although the inspectors recommended removing Havsgaard, the filing alleges the organization hesitated because of his fundraising role. Financial director Eugen Roman is said to have raised concerns about payroll discrepancies and possible cover-ups, but the lawsuit claims the church did not act promptly.