Founder of Metro Church sued for $450k by new church board
The corporate entity behind the Gold Coast Air Church has sued its founder and former director, claiming he owes nearly $500,000 in unpaid loans and interest.
Police & Courts
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The corporate entity behind a Gold Coast Pentecostal church has sued its former director and founder, claiming he owes $455,137 in unpaid loans and interest.
Metro Church Australia Ltd, a public company and registered charity which provides church and pastoral care services in Varsity Lakes, has sued former senior pastor Garry McDonald, 51, of Tallai, in Southport District Court.
Mr McDonald left Metro Church, now known Air Church, two years ago, and now volunteers as a pastor at non-denominational CitiChurch in Robina, as well as working with acute mental health patients under the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
Metro claims in court documents that it loaned $355,000 to Mr McDonald in June 2019 to buy equipment, and that he has failed to repay the debt or the quarterly repayments when they were due.
Metro is claiming the $355,000 principal plus $100,137 in interest.
On August 15, Metro’s lawyers wrote to him demanding repayment but he has failed to repay the money, or make a part-payment, the claim states.
Metro is part of the largest Pentecostal movement in Australia, the Australian Christian Churches.
McDonald is a founder and former director of Metro.
He was appointed as a director in July 2007 and resigned in July 2020, according to the director’s report.
He is now a director of CitiChurch Australia Pty Ltd, which runs church services in Robina and Drug Awareness Australia Ltd.
Current directors of Metro include US-born Russell Baker, 41, from Upper Coomera, Aaron Trevis, 52, from Surfers Paradise, Damien Taylor, 47, from Merrimac, UK-born Chris Brock, 77, from Reedy Creek, and Air Church senior pastor James Foord, 35, from Robina.
They were appointed to the board in May, company searches show.
Metro is three months “overdue” in filing its 2021 financial report with the Australian Charities and Not-For-Profit Commission.
No defence has been filed to the claims and no hearing date has been set.
Speaking outside of court Mr McDonald said the loan was used to pay costs for a cafe and financial advisory business whose profits went back to the church.
He told The Sunday Mail he was broke and could not pay the debt, and had repeatedly reached out to mediate the dispute through the Australian Christian Churches, but it had been “fruitless”.
He said he was heartbroken that the case had ended up in court, given his dedication to Christianity.
“I’m sad that it’s been dragged into the courts,” he said.
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