Duplicitous Affair Alleged Against Houston Pastor

HOUSTON (CN) - While providing marriage counseling, two associate pastors concealed that a third pastor was having an affair with a man's wife, and the adulterous pastor had the gall to pray with the husband, asking God to reveal the identity of his wife's lover, the cuckolded husband claims in Harris County Court.

David Molina claims the Rev. Johnny McGowan carried on the affair with Molina's wife for years. Molina says the affair began in 1998 when his wife began working with McGowan's construction company.

He says he and his wife sought marriage counseling from associate pastors Leo Tyler and Paul Osteen in 2003. Molina sued all three pastors, and the Healthy Soul Network Inc. and Lakewood Church.

"Osteen instructed (Molina) to spend more time with his wife, and less time at the church," according to the complaint. "That meeting occurred after Osteen had counseled Mrs. Molina and he learned of the adulterous affair she was having with McGowan."

Molina says that in 2006 he found proof of other affairs his wife was involved in, and of her extensive "phone relationship" with McGowan.

He says met with McGowan and his wife after Sunday service to discuss the improprieties and McGowan claimed he used the phone conversations to counsel Molina's wife about her other affairs.

"McGowan claimed he personally knew of three such extramarital affairs of Mrs. Molina. Plaintiff only knew conclusively about three affairs, but felt strongly there was a fourth. The plaintiff and defendant McGowan prayed that day for God to reveal the identity of the man in the fourth affair. Sometime later God answered plaintiff's prayer," according to the complaint.

Molina claims that Tyler told him about his wife's affair with McGowan later that year, and subsequent DNA tests revealed McGowan was the father of Molina's youngest daughter.

McGowan then threatened to strike up a relationship with his biological daughter and cut Molina out of her life if he took action against him, according to the complaint.

After an attempt at reconciliation, the Molinas divorced in April.

Molina seeks punitive damages for fraud by nondisclosure, conspiracy to commit fraud and gross negligence. He is also suing on behalf of his non-biological daughter, whom he is raising as his own. He is represented by Arden Morley of Bellaire, Texas.

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