After being named in a sexual abuse lawsuit in October, Chapelstreet Church in Geneva addressed the legal action in a letter to members, stating that “Chapelstreet has been inappropriately included in this legal action.”

A former member sued the church, its interim lead pastor Brian Coffey and a youth leader, Don Vanthournout of St. Charles Township, claiming the youth leader sexually abused him after the senior pastor was informed of a prior allegation against the youth leader.

The complaint seeks more than $150,000 in damages, according to the Oct. 21 court filing.

Attorneys of record for the church are not yet named in court filings.

The plaintiff is identified in the civil lawsuit only as “John Doe,” now 21 and a resident of British Columbia, Canada. He claims in the suit that between 2011 and 2018, Vanthournout “repeatedly subjected [John Doe] to sexual abuse.”

The suit further claims this alleged abuse occurred after another person, who is not named, told Coffey in 2010 that the same youth leader had sexually abused him decades earlier. The suit asserts Coffey allowed Vanthournout to remain in church youth leadership roles after that.

While the church has not responded to numerous requests for comment, Sterling Moore, executive pastor of campus life at Chapelstreet, spoke about the legal action for more than 5 minutes Nov. 2 in front of church members. A video of the his comments was posted on the church’s YouTube channel, but it appears to have since been removed.

“Many of you, if not most of you, have received an email this week from our executive council,” Moore states in the video. He said printed copies were available, and then he read the email aloud, saying Chapelstreet’s executive council wants “to address recent news concerning an allegation of sexual abuse involving a church member.”

The statement also said church leaders “are deeply saddened by this news and take such matters with the utmost seriousness and care.” It later stated: “Above all, our concern is for anyone who may have been harmed.”

The statement went on to say that “while the allegations involve individuals associated with Chapelstreet Church, and a related lawsuit has made some tenuous claims about the church’s involvement, we want you to know that we believe Chapelstreet has been inappropriately included in this legal action,” Moore said, reading from the email.

“We are committed to responding in a way that reflects our faith, our values, our responsibility to care for all of those involved. ... We are praying for all affected and reaffirm our commitment to maintaining a safe, caring and Christ-centered community. If you have any information or concerns please reach out confidentially to communications@chapelstreetchurch.com.”

The letter also stated: “We are taking thorough and appropriate steps to understand and address the situation. This includes working closely with outside experts to ensure a careful, truthful evaluation of the facts and a compassionate response.

After he read the executive council’s email, Moore continued speaking.

“It’s natural to want to understand what is true and what’s not and what’s next,” Moore said. “And I know this will not be enough for some of you, but we don’t have all of those answers right now. .. But we are committed to walking through this with honesty, with humility, and in faith and God’s guidance, that we care so deeply about the safety of every person in our church.”

Moore said news like this – about sexual abuse – can bring up past pain for church members, and he referred them to care teams, support groups and counselors.

Moore’s comments were a lead-in to a sermon series called “Unshakeable,” from the book of Jude, according to the video.

It is not clear if Vanthournout is still affiliated with the church, but he is not currently listed on Chapelstreet’s website as a youth leader or staff member. The church’s letter and Moore’s comments do not directly address Vanthournout’s status with the church. Vanthournout did not respond to a voicemail message seeking comment.

A case management conference is scheduled for Jan. 7, 2026, court records show.