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Church Buys Heroin
A Call for Accountability in the Church
Pastors don't buy street heroin with church money & pretend to be doctors. I am calling for the resignation of Art Lucier.
The Tragic Story of Angel
Dear Beloved Community,
I write to you with a heavy heart as I reflect on the tragic story of a young woman who lost her battle with addiction. She needed compassionate, professional help to support her in moving away from sex work and trauma.
As we remember her, let us also keep in our thoughts and prayers all those who are struggling with similar issues.
In light of her story, we need to pay attention to the actions of Mr. Art Lucier, who is often called a "prophet."
We must come together to highlight the serious dangers of street drugs, especially given Canada’s ongoing opioid crisis. For the safety of our church community and everyone involved with Harvest Ministries International, R.R.A., and the Battle for Canada movement, I respectfully call for Mr. Lucier to resign from all his positions of influence within the church.
It is concerning to hear Mr. Lucier admit to being involved with street heroin and his troubling claim "I would do it again." This creates a clear danger for individuals and our entire community. We can no longer ignore the risk of overdose that comes from this behavior.
I also ask Mr. Lucier to remove his YouTube video called "The Day I Brought Home a Hooker." This video, and others, spread misunderstandings about important issues affecting many people in society. I urge him to remove any content that misrepresents my ministry or spreads falsehood and mockery.
The Tragic Story of Angel
At first, I reached out to Mr. Lucier privately in hopes of resolving these issues. However, after seeing his public mockery and the false information he shared on social media, I felt it was necessary to express my concerns in this open letter.
This letter might not have been needed if Mr. Lucier had taken down his video. His many videos attacking my street ministry are still available on social media, leading to the loss of friends and financial supporters due to his smear campaign against me.
In closing, I offer my forgiveness to Mr. Art Lucier and pray for God’s guidance in his life. May we all, as a community, work together to bring healing and hope, supporting one another on our faith journeys.
In Christ’s love,
Brother John Elving
Joe Pauloski’s Testimony – April 9, 2025
"My personal firsthand experience of Angel’s story is very heartbreaking. I loved Angel. My heart has always been for the lost and those on the streets. I remember many services where I cried at the altar because I couldn’t stand the thought of these precious, hurting people being left behind."
Joe first met Angel during street ministry. He felt an intense prompting from God that she needed to come off the streets. He told her directly, “God wants you off the streets. God wants to help you.”
Later, Joe saw Angel at a church event — completely transformed, clean, dressed well. She was coming back to Kitimat with their group. Joe cried tears of joy, believing he had witnessed a miracle.
But behind the scenes, things were not as they seemed.
Joe says leadership was “sorely unprepared” to help someone like Angel. On the drive back to Kitimat, street heroin was purchased to help her through withdrawals. Joe was told Angel overdosed—possibly more than once. Art Lucier allegedly performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
As time went on, Angel faded from the church. Joe later heard reports of her looking very ill. What appeared to be a pregnancy turned out to be liver failure. She died from related complications.
“She deserved better. She deserved a good life… as does everyone who suffers the way she did. It still rips me apart. I thought that was God’s will, but now I don’t know.”
Joe believes Angel should have been placed in a hospital, under medical supervision, not self-medicating or withdrawing without professional help.
“Where was the leadership? Maybe adults were in the room, but they weren’t heard. We needed wisdom. This tragedy was not inevitable. It could have been prevented.”
Respectfully addressing Art Lucier's public attacks, I seek to counter the disinformation against me.
False Claim of Denominational Bias
Art Lucier has publicly alleged in videos and in a church setting that I am aligned with one denominational church and harbor hatred for others. He has further accused me on social media of serving as a Catholic and being dishonest. These claims are utterly false.
As an interdenominational street pastor, my mission is to serve the entire Body of Christ without regard to denominational lines.
Such divisive accusations have alienated me from valuable relationships within the charismatic community, undermining the trust I have worked hard to build.
Baseless Allegation of Partnership with a Witch
Lucier has made the outrageous claim that I partnered with a witch. This accusation is unfounded and deeply offensive to my faith and ministry, which are rooted in Scripture and committed to the highest spiritual standards.
Such slanderous statements have cast unwarranted doubt on my character and work throughout Canada.
Misrepresentation of Ministry Practices
In several videos, Lucier falsely alleged that I oppose donations to churches and events, claiming I discourage people from supporting anything.
This is categorically untrue. I have hundreds of publicly available videos encouraging people to donate to local organizations, including churches, food banks, and drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers.
These misrepresentations have unjustly damaged the perception of my ministry and caused significant financial losses.
Name-calling and Public Slander
Lucier has publicly referred to me as a “watchdog,” “critic,” and “fool” and has even questioned my mental health.
During a church gathering, he referred to me as “he's an ex-con.” While it is true that I have a criminal past, I have been free of criminal charges for 25 years and have lived a life transformed by God’s grace.
These statements are malicious, misleading, and intended to discredit my ministry and my personal testimony of redemption.
Deflection from Serious Allegations
I believe these defamatory attacks are an attempt to deflect from serious allegations involving Art Lucier, including the alleged purchase, transportation, and distribution of street heroin using church funds.
If proven, such actions would constitute egregious ethical violations and significant criminal offenses under Canadian law.
Legal and Financial Harm
The defamatory statements made by Art Lucier have:
It severely damaged my reputation within the charismatic community.
This led to substantial financial losses due to decreased support and donations.
Undermined the credibility and reach of my ministry in Canada.
Demand for Retraction
I demand that Art Lucier:
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Immediately cease and desist from making any further defamatory statements about me or my ministry.
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Issue a public retraction of all false statements made in videos, church settings, and on social media platforms.
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Provide a written apology acknowledging the harm caused by these statements.
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Publish this apology in video format on all social media platforms and Harvest Ministry International websites for no less than one year.
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At all future public events hosted by Harvest Ministry International, read a formal statement addressing the dangers of street heroin and awareness of Canada's National Opioid crisis.
Legal Notice
Should this matter proceed to litigation, I will exercise my legal rights during the discovery process to obtain the following:
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All private Correspondence: Emails, text messages, and other communications related to the defamatory claims and my ministry.
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All financial Records: Documentation, including receipts and transaction records, regarding the alleged purchase or handling of street heroin by Art Lucier or his church.
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All recordings: Any audio or video recordings that reference my ministry or the allegations.
Please note that I reserve the right to make any relevant records disclosed during discovery available to the public and media to ensure transparency and accountability.
Call for Resolution
While litigation is not my preferred course of action, I urge Art Lucier to comply with these demands to avoid further escalation. A peaceful resolution is in everyone’s best interest.
I trust this matter can be resolved without legal intervention, but I remain steadfast in my commitment to protect my reputation and the integrity of my ministry.
Sincerely,
Brother John Elving
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Wolf Depner, the journalist, mistakenly referred to my late brother, Ben, as transgender. This is not accurate. My brother was not transgender; it was one of his close friends who identified as such. I understand that errors can occur in reporting and hold no ill will toward Wolf. However, I want to clarify this to honor my brother's memory and accurately represent the truth.
Sincerely,
John Elving
Brothers and sisters in Christ
Abuse has no place in the Church of God—none! When leaders allegedly harm, traumatize, and silence instead of protecting and healing, we must demand accountability.
“For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God.” (1 Peter 4:17)
Survivors of #TheHarvest have raised grave allegations against Harvest Ministries International. These sins grieve the Holy Spirit and demand action. Despite receiving an open letter on November 30, 2024, pleading for a third-party investigation, the Oversight Committee dismissed these claims as "vague inferences." Such a response is unacceptable and retraumatizes survivors.
The time for inaction is over. Stand with the survivors. Demand justice. Enough is enough. Judgment begins in the house of the Lord.
For His glory and righteousness,
The Angel Story
During a concert we had attended in Vancouver, I had been out doing street ministry. I ran into a woman named Angel. I talked with her, gave her some smokes, prayed for her. While praying, I said to her that I felt God was about to take her off the streets. I felt this deep in my soul, very clear—God wanted to help her. I left her and finished our evening of street ministry, and we joined the concert for prayer and worship.
Later that evening, I had walked out of the auditorium and into the lobby. I looked to my right, and there in front of me with a big smile on her face, wearing a suit, was Angel. I was immediately informed that she was coming back to Kitimat with us. I was so blown away—God had answered. I ran over to Angel, gave her the biggest hug, and began weeping tears of joy. I went back into the auditorium and worshiped with a heart full and running over.
At the time, I was completely for this decision to bring her back to Kitimat with us. Another man named Joseph had been taken along with us as well.
Angel, on our way back, was withdrawing from opiates, so the decision was made to buy opiates from the streets to keep her stable for the drive back to Kitimat. A decision that Art was ridiculed for by many. I didn't question it—I still felt as though this was God's plan. God answered; I was convinced that everything was in God's hands.
I won't say where, but Angel was put up in a home for her to detox. I don't remember the specifics, but at some point Angel (allegedly) overdosed. She was (allegedly) dead in this place she was being kept; Art had to (allegedly) do CPR to revive her. I'm not sure if she was ever taken to a doctor. Later on, Angel began her life in Kitimat, in her own way—drinking, drugs. She hadn't been helped at all. I saw her months later; she appeared to be pregnant. It would later turn out that it was her liver; it had swelled. She was dying. Angel ended up passing away. I often think about her. Even now, it kills me to think of it. I see her smile, standing there in that lobby, how certain I was that this was God's plan. It was a plan. But not God's plan. The whole thing was a mess, a mishandled mess.
John Elving added the word (allegedly) for this post on his website.