The lead pastor of Calvary Church of Naperville—a megachurch in the Chicago suburbs with an attendance around 6,000— this week told his staff to keep secret news that an assistant pastor had tested positive for COVID-19. Calvary Lead Pastor Martyn Sloan also instructed his staff not to tell anyone that the assistant pastor’s wife and son, who’s also a pastor at the church, were having symptoms.
This is according to two emails leaked to me earlier this week by a staff member who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of losing his job.
Also, despite knowing that staff and volunteers had been exposed to the sick pastor and family members who live with him, Pastor Sloan continued to record online services with multiple staff, the sick pastor’s family members, and volunteers.
Pastor Sloan has since informed his church about the pastor with COVID-19, as well as another staff member who tested positive for coronavirus. However, Sloan did this only after I emailed him the leaked emails and pressed him about why he had not informed his church about the confirmed cases.
The pastor at Calvary who tested positive for COVID-19 is Pastor Angel Escamilla, assistant pastor of Calvary Español. Also showing symptoms is his wife, Becky Escamilla, and son, Michael Escamilla, an associate pastor at Calvary.
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The staff member with COVID-19 is a videographer who was required to attend recording sessions with the Escamillas and dozens of others.
On Tuesday of this week, church staff received an email from the Escamilla family, informing them that Angel Escamilla had tested positive for COVID-19 and pneumonia and was “seriously ill.” The email also said that Becky and Michael Escamilla “have had symptoms but are improving.”
The email added, “For our privacy and for the peace of mind of our church family, we and the leadership team ask that this news be kept in confidence within our staff.”[pullquote]”(W)e and the leadership team ask that this news be kept in confidence within our staff.”[/pullquote]
On Tuesday evening, Sloan sent a follow-up email to church staff through his executive assistant, Becky Lopez. In it, Sloan said, “If pressed for information (about the Escamillas’ health) you should confidently reply with the following: ‘Please understand that if I knew anything about anyone’s medical condition I would not be at liberty to speak’ and then stop talking.”
Recordings Continue Despite Known Exposure to Sick Pastors & Family
According to the anonymous staff member, Pastor Sloan first knew that Angel Escamilla was sick on March 15. Yet for nine days, Sloan continued recording and livestreaming services with members of Escamilla’s family and those who had been exposed to the Escamillas, both staff and volunteers.
Even on Tuesday evening, after learning that Angel Escamilla had tested positive for COVID-19 and that his son and wife were sick, Sloan required staff who had been in recent contact with the Escamillas to record a service, which included a volunteer.
I asked Sloan specifically about these charges in an email I sent to him at 12:50 p.m. on Friday. This was in response to an email from Sloan’s assistant, saying that Sloan would respond to emailed questions.
Sloan still has not responded to my questions. However, at 2:26 p.m. on Friday, Sloan sent an email to the congregation, informing them for the first time that Angel Escamilla and another staff member had tested positive for COVID-19.
According to the anonymous staff member, Angel Escamilla had attended Calvary’s weekend service on March 15, which was livestreamed online and included all staff pastors, several support staff, volunteers, and several church attenders. The staff member said Angel Escamilla left during the 9 a.m. service because he felt sick, but not before coming into close contact with about 10 pastors.
The staff member said that on March 17, Pastor Sloan required several staff to attend a recording session of a prayer service with Michael Escamilla and his wife, Lynelle Escamilla, who both live with Angel and Becky Escamilla. The staff member said that when several staff objected due to concerns about infection, Sloan asked them if they wanted to remain “essential,” because if not, that could change.[pullquote]The staff member said that when several staff objected due to concerns about infection, Sloan asked them if they wanted to remain “essential,” because if not, that could change.[/pullquote]
The videographer who taped the March 17 recording has now tested positive for COVID-19.
The service, which was posted online, also included about a dozen volunteers. (The anonymous staff member said that when the church failed to inform the volunteers of their likely exposure to someone with coronavirus, some staff told them.)
Recordings continued on March 21, 22, and 23 with various staff members and a volunteer percussionist.
On the evening of March 24, hours after learning about Angel Escamilla’s positive test result, the church recorded another online service. On the recording are three pastors who were present at the March 17 recording session with Michael and Lynelle Escamilla, as well as the volunteer percussionist. Also on the recording is Pastor Sloan, who, according to the volunteer, videotaped his sermon just prior to the service.
On March 25, Pastor Sloan, apparently undaunted by news of his sick pastors and other staff, posted a video to Facebook. In it, he announces that weekend services will livestream as before at 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Sunday.
Pastor Sloan Appears Lighthearted; Flies to Florida
Though Pastor Sloan had contact with the Escamillas, and others recently exposed to the Escamillas, Sloan and his son, Landon Sloan, took a flight to Tampa International Airport on March 25. The two then took a “transport” to Southeastern University, where they packed up everything in Landon’s dorm and drove home.
This is revealed in a Facebook live video Sloan posted on March 26 while driving back from Florida with his son Landon Sloan. In the video, Sloan appears lighthearted and jokingly asks for prayer because he’s having to endure listening to country music.
The video is one of several Facebook live videos Sloan posted on the 26th. I asked Sloan about the appropriateness of the videos in the email I sent on Friday, March 27. All the Facebook live videos were deleted soon afterwards.
My first email to Sloan was on Thursday evening at 6:38 p.m. This email included the leaked emails about keeping the news about Angel Escamilla’s COVID-19 diagnosis quiet, and requested a call back. Sloan did not answer the email.
However, at 6:53 p.m., Sloan sent an email to “All Staff” through his assistant Becky Lopez, telling staff not to visit the church campus next week. Sloan added, “The care and concern for you and your family is a high priority.”
On Friday, March 27, at 9:19 a.m., I sent Sloan another email with additional questions. I also informed Sloan that I was aware that a videographer had recently tested positive for COVID-19.
At 11:45 a.m. on Friday, Sarah Dawes, associate executive director of communications at Calvary, sent an email to 33 church staff members, informing them that the videographer had tested positive for COVID-19. She added, “You are on this email because (videographer) traced his steps to a point of contact with you in the week prior to his symptoms.”
On Friday evening, Pastor Sloan posted a video to Facebook, urging church to pray for Angel Escamilla’s healing.
Today around noon, Calvary posted a FB message, encouraging people to tune in for weekend services online, noting that Pastor Sloan will be preaching on the book of Psalms.
UPDATE: On Monday, March 30, Pastor Angel Escamilla, who was 68, went to be with the Lord. On Facebook, Calvary Español posted: “Our Pastor Angel fought the good battle and his career is over. Today he was greeted in heaven ‘Well done good and faithful servant Enter into the presence of your Lord…’ Angel has passed into eternity, and is where we all want to be one day… in the eternal presence with God.”
UPDATE 2: Received this email from Kevin Sur, external affairs officer for Dupage Co. Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management , on April 1 at 5:28 p.m.: “The DuPage County Health Department Medical Officer Dr. Rashmi Chugh has attempted to reach the Calvary Church of Naperville but has not heard back from them. At this time, we are still reaching out to them.”
UPDATE 3: Calvary Naperville now is requiring staff, contractors, and volunteers to sign a waiver, releasing the church of responsibility if they get sick or die. To read new story, click here.
Below are the emails sent to Calvary Naperville staff on Tuesday:
Below is the email Pastor Sloan sent to his congregation about 90 minutes after my email. Included was an excerpt of the email from the Escamilla Family:
English 
Spanish
168 Responses
1. I’m glad to know you are an expert on HIPPA law Julie.
2. With all of your experience in how to handle a world pandemic, it’s a wonder leaders haven’t called you for advice from day one.
3. I find it disturbing that many on here are rushing “money” and you are NOT squelching that. There is NO proof that any decision was made for monetary reasons.
4. Unlike the Harvest situation with multiple sources, written and taped proof, you have lost credibility here since this did not happen to you personally, nor did you fully investigate this situation. I really don’t think you have all the facts, only hearsay.
5. I’d like to know how many that have commented on here have literally quarentined themselves. If you’ve gone to the grocery store, which YOU HAVE, you’ve exposed yourself to and others to the virus. Get real!
Hello, Calvary Attender.
As far as I can tell from DuPage County records, Calvary has a ~$17M – $18M mortgage. Do you have a copy of your church’s most current EOY financial statements? Can you confirm the church’s total current debt load?
Thanks.
What does that have to do with the issue? Now you’re assuming the church has financial difficulties, which it does not.
I don’t know much about the church’s finances, which is why I’m asking. Mortgages are public record.
This is a hard time for many churches re: giving. Decreases in giving – or the prospect thereof – are It’s especially challenging for churches with heavy debt loads.
Do you attend Calvary, Cheryl? If so, can confirm how much short- & long-term debt the church has?
Hi Calvary Attender,
I was excited to see someone from Calvary comment. Have you considered that Pastor Sloan may not have lead well and endangered the lives of key staff and volunteers?
1) It’s HIPAA, not HIPPA. And according to HHS HIPAA does not apply in terms of a pandemic.
2) Fair point. To my knowledge no one has that experience including you or I. However, Pastor Sloan knowingly exposed others to someone who had the virus.
3) Agreed. There is no proof but it is a fair “leap” as bills must be paid and giving will surely drop.
4) There are time-stamps in all communication. It seems that Julie’s diligence noticeably forced necessary communication to the church body.
5) I don’t think you articulated this well… Quarantine is necessary if you have the virus. If you do not have the virus you are fully able to go to the grocery store, etc. You may be unknowingly putting others at risk. But that is very different from having the virus and purposefully putting others at risk.
If your argument is that the author did not do her homework, it seems that you have done significantly less (or zero).
Shane, I am a layman at another church, and I have no authority whatsoever. In saying “Pastor Sloan will be fired immediately” I was simply stating what certainly must be the case assuming that the elders are sane and spiritual. When Mancow Muller aired his recording of James MacDonald on February 12, 2019, the elders met and fired him that same night. It would be a woeful grief if the same did not happen here – though of course Calvary’s elders (or whoever constitute Calvary’s governing authority) might need to meet remotely.
You are mistaken, I was at the first plant of James’ Harvest for 14 years. I saw first hand what 2.0 looks like. That is why I left. I see NOTHING of what you speak in Pastor Sloan.
if I go to the grocery store and I know I have the Coronavirus then and only then have I exposed others to the coronavirus. If I knowingly have people at my house, chuch,or any other establishment and find out that one of the people who attended had the virus and I tell my staff to keep it in house and did not warn every single person who was there immediately that they may have been exposed to the coronavirus then I would be at fault…IMO either pastor Martyn just doesn’t care about people being exposed to the coronavirus and that may or may not be true, or he’s protecting the “Brand”. My question for him would be, why wouldn’t you warn people right away if they had been exposed to the virus???
But you don’t know you have it for 2 weeks and you are contagious. Once the staff at Calvary knew, the band member stood 6 feet apart (same as reporters) and congregants were allowed in the auditorium. Julie has not seen every live stream, and this mornings worship was from an old Sunday. Julie is not doing her research and obviously many commenting on here don’t know facts about this virus.
That’s the best you can come up after reading that reply? Keep drinking the kool-aid pal!
That was in response to Ben’s comment about tithing – I thought my reply would post beneath it.
I’m a member of Calvary, and this article could not be more false or misleading.
How dare you accuse a pastor and the church of doing something like this intentionally. You should be ashamed of yourself.
You are taking one persons word (I’m assuming a disgruntled employee) and running with it, not realizing the impact it will have on an entire congregation and many, many people’s lives. Your work is from the devil and your intent is to harm instead of help.
It’s an AG church. Calvary Chapel is it’s name.
How does someone defend a pastor who threatens to fire those working for him when they have concerns about showing up due to the coronavirus? That attitude right there… in his own email… says it all. Pretty hard to defend…
AMEN, brother! The arm (“z’roah” in Hebrew) of the Lord is strong and mighty – but He does not grant His under-shepherds to strong-arm the sheep!!
Shane, I think you may want to talk to the Calvary staff member who leaked the emails… if you have concerns about someone spreading “false information”. Where is your outrage at the whistleblowers on the staff?
Ben – no it does not. Tithing is the most convoluted and self-serving warping of what the scriptures actually say. It is taught in order to scare and shame people into giving to institutions that, mostly, do not have Jesus as their head. Instead God is leveraged in a way that abuses the sheep. Tithing is pure garbage theology from start to finish…
If you are serious about #5 please tell us about pastor Sloan quarantine as well as the rest of the staff from this church.
Thats why the concerned anonymous employee shared the emails then? Because Julie has it all wrong? You sound Trumpian
Thank you for your article. So many many more people can now become infected and even die because, well because why? HOW SELFISH OF THE PEOPLE! Shame on them! All of the local news stations need to pick this up! These people belong in jail!
Julie, I believe you have lost your way. Your investigation regarding Harvest was extensive with multiple sources. This is hasty, headline grabbing news. You have not heard back from Pastor Sloan or interviewed Board Members. If misjudgment was made, then it needs to be addressed in the church first.
It’s sad really sad. I remember when Calvary was Calvary Temple. A small downtown church. Then moving into a bigger building and then Route 59. I quit going to that church years ago.
A pastor instructs his staff not to tell anybody that a member(s) tested positive for the covid-19 virus, then threatens them if they do with apparently some removal of employment action, in addition an anonymous whistle blower notifies, in fear of loosing his job notifies Julie via email and now who know how many people are infected at that congregation and some of you say Julie is wrong for posting this? Please give me a break. God bless you Julie.
Did you not read the email from the Escamilla family? I quote, “For privacy and the peace of mind of our church family, we and the leadership team ask that this news be kept in confidence within our staff. We will keep toy updated as needed,” You may want to read Proverbs 18:2.
Ummm, as a former public health nurse, I would imagine that this request would not be honored. If there is a public health crisis in which people are getting sick, the community needs to know in order to protect themselves unless you are saying that anyone who has a seriously contagious disease can run around and infect others with impunity.
Regarding the statement that “Sloan asked them if they wanted to remain “essential,” because if not, that could change.” – I’m curious as to what the term “essential” means.
Your blog seems to imply a threat to their jobs. However, in this situation, many organizations have been forced to categorize employees as “essential” or “non-essential.” For example, in my husband’s organization at this time, he is categorized as “non-essential” because while his work is essential to the overall mission, it is not essential to immediate operations during this crisis. That does not mean, however, that he will lose his job. It simply means that he is not required to work onsite and can work remotely during this time.
Another thing I just posted a comment I didn’t quit attending Calvary Temple Church because of anything like this I loved Pastor Randall Ross and Pastor Schmechel sorry for the bad spelling there I’m talking into the phone It’s just important to remind the skeptics and unbelievers and those like this woman that are working for the devil to keep their eyes on the Lord and what the Scriptures say like my mom tells meAnything beyond the cross means nothing this man Is a human being and his flesh Is carnal by nature and he will have to answer one day just like all of us and just like Miss Julie Roy’s so keep your eyes on the Lord not on the people .
Excellent Response. I am always amazed at people who make excuses for bad behavior.
1) Calvary Church Naperville is an A/G church not affiliated with the Calvary Chapel and it’s affiliates which began in Costa Mesa,California
2) Pastor Marty has been the lead pastor for this congregation since Jan 1, 2020 so any of the financial indebtedness did NOT occur on his watch plus the church’s leadership has a solid financial plan in place to get out of debt
3) The board of deacons took two years of painstaking searches to find a replacement for the previous lead pastor. This board has a high level of spiritual integrity and as a group their decisions are without fault
4) This current pandemic is a very fluid situation and decisions made one day are subject to change at any moment No one has ever faced something like this and mistakes will be made. To scrutinize this man after only three months at his new location and demand his firing is absolutely WRONG.
5) One of Pastor Marty’s sons was attending college in Florida. So what is wrong with driving to Florida, picking his son up and driving home and making Facebook posts about it?.
6) This church started in 1967 as a home missions church. It evolving into a Mega Church happens to be a sovereign work of the Almighty. So to those who have issues with mega-chuches, all I have to say is get over it and attend somewhere else.
Mike.
Slight correction on #5:
He didn’t *drive* to Florida. He flew into an international airport, after knowingly been in close contact with people who were positive (and in once case, severely so) for COVID-19. He drove home.
What he should have chosen to do was:
1) Ideally, he should have self-quarantined for 14 days.
2) Barring that, he should’ve driven the entire way, so as to maintain social distancing. As it was, everyone on his flight, and any number of people in close proximity to him at the airport, are now possibly infected.
3) Barring *that* he should’ve just had his kid fly home, as long as his kid was not showing any signs of infection.
Hi Mike. Can you say more about the “financial indebtedness”? How many debt does the church have? County records along suggest $18 million or so. Thanks.
Correction: how MUCH
As an employer (yes, the church is an employer) you must respect HIPPA laws. You must respect the privacy of your employee’s personal health information. If an employee chooses to keep their health issue private or semi-private management must comply.
As an employer you must follow current state guidelines regarding essential and non-essential workers. If, as an employee your job requires you to be onsite and you do not wish to be onsite to perform your role, then one should expect to be furloughed. I’m not sure why someone would think their employment is being threatened as there are very limited choices for employers currently.
Fiery darts being thrown at the Pastor for traveling to FL to bring his son home. Maybe an error in judgement. Maybe he already tested negative.
As far as the videographer testing positive. The videographers are rarely anywhere near the stage, so how this person contracted the coronavirus is speculative at best.
Leaders make decisions and judgement calls all the time. Sometimes those decisions are great, other times they fall short. Hindsight is 20/20. We all wish we made perfect decisions, but alas we are imperfect beings. We haven’t known Pastor Marty for a very long, but there is nothing about what we have observed that would lead me to believe that he is/was/has attempted to cause anyone undue harm. We are all learning how to live in this Covid-19 reality.
Your claim that HIPAA applies to employers is flat out wrong. HIPAA governs healthcare providers, NOT employers. Marty is hiding behind a law that doesn’t even apply to him.
I am an employment lawyer, but you don’t need to take my word for it. Here’s what the federal government has to say:
“The Privacy Rule does not protect your employment records, even if the information in those records is health-related. In most cases, the Privacy Rule does not apply to the actions of an employer.”
https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-individuals/employers-health-information-workplace/index.html
Hi Calvary Attender,
I was excited to see someone from Calvary comment. Have you considered that Pastor Sloan may not have lead well and endangered the lives of key staff and volunteers?
1) It’s HIPAA, not HIPPA. And according to HHS HIPAA does not apply in terms of a pandemic.
2) Fair point. To my knowledge no one has that experience including you or I. However, Pastor Sloan knowingly exposed others to someone who had the virus.
3) Agreed. There is no proof but it is a fair “leap” as bills must be paid and giving will surely drop.
4) There are time-stamps in all communication. It seems that Julie’s diligence noticeably forced necessary communication to the church body.
5) I don’t think you articulated this well… Quarantine is necessary if you have the virus. If you do not have the virus you are fully able to go to the grocery store, etc. You may be unknowingly putting others at risk. But that is very different from having the virus and purposefully putting others at risk.
If your argument is that the author did not do her homework, it seems that you have done significantly less (or zero).
The HHS Secretary MAY make changes to certain regulations and laws. I have not seen any amendments posted related to HIPAA, therefore I stand by my initial statement.
You are entitled to your opinion and I am entitled to mine.
My apologies, this reply was meant for an earlier comment and somehow posted twice, it was not meant for you. In regards to HHS & HIPAA…
Here is the resource from HHS:
https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/special-topics/hipaa-covid19/index.html
“During the COVID-19 public health emergency, the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has provided guidance that helps explain civil rights laws as well as how the HIPAA Privacy Rule allows patient information to be shared in the outbreak of infectious disease and to assist patients in receiving the care they need.”
Here is the limited waiver of HIPAA Rights for COVID-19:
https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/hipaa-and-covid-19-limited-hipaa-waiver-bulletin-508.pdf
Hope that brings clarity.
Blessings.
That pastor has died.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/ct-nvs-calvary-church-pastor-coronavirus-st-20200329-cb6wd57t2bhfveyswoq2ss5cy4-story.html
JF-I have foreseen a great storm that was coming that would bankrupt many a church, and the bigger the faster it would go. This time of great trouble is here, now. Now that this man has died and given the circumstances, this “church” has no future. It will be one of the first to close its doors, never to be seen again. God is cleaning house and no man is going to stop it. If you want to understand the times we live in go look up Exod. 20:20…
Your point?
To the Calvary Pretender,
If you would be so kind with all of mankind’s appreciation, that you immediately cease and detest in providing any and all of your opinions as they are irrational, illogical and immaterial. (perfect 3 point “I” sermon in the making) Your 3/29/20 4:36pm was very difficult to follow and comprehend written in the manifesto literary style of Ted Kaczynski. You prefer to focus and attack Julie Roy’s reporting and not the “GET REAL” issues at hand. 1. The CCN staff member took the initiative to provide her with two emails for her open, honest and unbias investigating reporting. 2. This CCN staff member was proactive in exposing the seriousness of this pandemic at CCN. In contrast, the CCN leadership was both indecisive and flippant in making the church body aware of this “serious illness”. 3. The CNN leadership should have led by example on Day One and have the entire 6000+ congregates in prayer to the Great Physician for their beloved Pastor’s healing. At all times, turn first to Jesus and be obedient to Him. Colossians 6:2 My deepest condolences to the Escamlilla family in the passing of Pastor Angel into glory.
I used to go to harvest Bible Chapel. It broke me to fine a leading pastor deceive the church. I left. I started watching Calvary, my son goes to Calvary. I love watching pastor Ross. New pastor I don’t know to much about him. All I can say is that with coronavirus going around everyone should know about who has it. Keeping this a secret for what. All it does is a miss trust in a leadership in Calvary church. End time God’s word says father against sons, mothers against daughters, etc. These day only person you can trust is The Holy Spirit to guide us. With what is going on in this world I pray for the return of Jesus Christ.