Crossville, USA - A church at the center of sexual abuse lawsuits responds to the accusations.
Last week, a NewsChannel5 investigation found three women who claimed to have been abused as children and the church did nothing to stop it.
They recently filed lawsuits in California alleging sexual abuse was rampant in the church.
In the lawsuits, Christian Gospel Temple is labeled a cult. The lawsuits also claim it failed to report abusers to authorities.
On Monday, church leaders responded.
"Sexual abuse is deplorable. It is not tolerated by our church members or its leaders," said Steve Farmer, the pastor. "As the lawsuits move through the court procedures, the Christian Gospel Temple will fully cooperate to help ensure that the truth about these claims is discovered."
"We have evolved and I am sure we will continue to evolve. And even these things that we face right now, these challenges will help us to evolve further and better meet whatever challenges present themselves in the coming years," said Todd Morrell, a church trustee.
As for accusations that the church is a cult, Farmer said Christian Gospel Temple is a non-denominational Christian church that welcomes everyone.