Jon Courson is the founder and a professional clergyman of Applegate Christian Fellowship in Jacksonville, Oregon. He is listed among the teachers along with his sons, Peter-John and Ben.
Peter-John died of cancer in 2019.
Jon Courson has been appreciated over the years by many people who are my friends and whom I respect. I believe that he preaches the real Jesus and the true Gospel, for which I rejoice. I also believe that his ministry and church organization is a reasonable example with which to examine important issues together. So…
May I raise some questions and concerns?
Applegate Christian Fellowship is listed as a Calvary Chapel affiliated organization. What are Jon Courson’s views of the Moses Model of Leadership?
Calvary Chapel Critique – Calvary Chapel Clergy & Moses Authoritarianism
Is Applegate led like a New Testament fellowship or is it run more like a family business?
Biblical Church or Family Business? – Father-Son Dynasty? – Son Inherits Country from Father – Schuller Inherits Crystal Cathedral from Father – “Rule Over Us”
Originally posted 2002, Updated 12/3/2021
“Oregon Megachurch Pastor Ben Courson Steps Down Following Sexual Misconduct Allegations”
Questions
What are Jon Courson’s views of the Moses Model of Leadership?
Is Applegate led like a New Testament fellowship or is it run more like a family business?
Update 7/29/06 From Wikipedia Article
“In 2002, Courson accepted a request to join his longtime mentor and friend Chuck Smith at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa in California. In 2005, Courson moved on to teach at a pastor training school in Carmen Serdan, Mexico for young men.
“In March of 2006 Jon left Carmen Serdan to move back to southern Oregon to join his son Peter-John Courson pastoring at Applegate Christian Fellowship. He also continues to teach the pastor training school which was relocated to the Mountaintop Retreat Center, which is a part of the ministry of Applegate Christian Fellowship. Along with this move came the transition away from the standard Senior Pastor role at Applegate for Peter-John, his eldest son. Applegate now has three Teaching Pastors, Jon, Peter-John, and Jon’s youngest son, Ben.”
In an article in a Medford, Oregon newspaper, the reporter writes:
“The Rev. Jon Courson, the evangelical pastor who built the Applegate Christian Fellowship into the biggest church in Southern Oregon, will leave his post to become a pastor with the 25,000-member Calvary Church in Costa Mesa, Calif. Courson’s surprise move was announced at evening services Wednesday, along with the naming of his son, Peter John Courson, 25, as pastor of the Applegate ministry. The younger Courson has been an assistant pastor there for almost two years. The elder Courson, 49, will work as right-hand pastor to his longtime mentor, the Rev. Chuck Smith, leader of the huge Southern California congregation with satellite television and radio broadcasts reaching all over the world, said Peter Courson…The Costa Mesa church is the “mother church” of several thousand smaller Calvary Chapels, including Applegate Fellowship, all over North America…Starting from scratch, [Jon] built the Applegate Christian Fellowship into a sizable following of 5,000 to 7,000 attendees each week, the largest in Southern Oregon, Peter Courson said…His son was chosen to replace him “without any question” by the 150-man assembly of deacons and elders, said Bob Thornley, 46, one of Applegate’s pastors…The congregation was both sad and happy about Jon Courson’s leaving, said his son, ‘because it’s time to share him with the whole church and the whole body of Christ.'” (“Applegate Fellowship pastor takes new post” By John Darling for the Mail Tribune, July 19th, 2002)
Jon Courson, the father, explains in “A Special Message From Pastor Jon“, on the ACF website:
“And now, as I go to serve with Pastor Chuck Smith in Costa Mesa, California, please know you all will always be on my heart and in my prayers. With my son Peter-John stepping up and stepping in, I know that the Applegate Fellowship is in for a whole new season of fresh fruit-fullness and even greater growth in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus . . . for He always takes us from “glory to an even greater glory, by the Spirit of the Lord.”
Should an assembly of believers be ruled by a Dynasty of Royalty? By a figurehead leader?
Should a fellowship be run as if it were a family business? A business franchise?
To what degree is any megachurch run in this way?
Update 4/12/07:
Since about February 2007, Peter-John is no longer on staff at Applegate but has now become the “Teaching Pastor” at Calvary Chapel Capo Beach, California. This is the church that Chuck Smith, jr. was the pastor of until recently. I pray that our Lord Jesus would bless him and his family, his extended family including his Dad, and that there would be fruit from their ministries in spite of the concerns I raise on this web page.
Update 7/29/06: There are now three “Teaching Pastors” at Applegate Christian Fellowship, according to their web site. Jon Courson is now back at Applegate. The other two listed as Teaching Pastors are Jon’s two sons: Peter John and Ben Courson. Seth Gilbert, listed as the Worship Pastor, is Jon’s son-in-law according to a southern Oregon newspaper article in the Mail Tribune.