UNCOVERED: Abuse of Faith? The Valley Springs Church
What we know… and what we don’t...
Editors Note: This piece presents some verified and unverified accusations and complaints about The Valley Springs Church in Corvallis, Oregon. Other than court documents, Google reviews, interviews, sources are primarily anonymous posts, advocacy websites, news outlets, or social media claims. We listed some of the sources below at the end of the article. Sources can not be 100% verified. The Corvallis Inquirer presents this as an informative article that readers should form their own opinion.
Corvallis, Oregon (home to Oregon State University), a local church has become the focus of growing online criticism, concerns, and cover-ups.
Valley Springs Church, located in Corvallis, is part of a multi-state religious organization commonly referred to as “The Network.” The group was founded by pastor Steve Morgan (see more below), whose churches operate across several states and college towns.
Photo credit: https://leavingthenetwork.org/
While the church presents itself as a community-focused Christian congregation, critics… including former members and watchdog organizations—say their experiences inside the network tell a different, much darker story.
Across Reddit forums, testimony archives, advocacy sites created by former congregants, and supporting court documents involving past sexual abuse by the church’s founder and current leader… people describe patterns of:
-aggressive recruitment of college students, strict leadership control, isolation tactics, misogyny, homophobia
A Church Network Centered Around College Towns
Valley Springs Church openly identifies itself as part of “The Network”, according to information on the church’s own website. The Network was founded by pastor Steve Morgan and now includes dozens of affiliated churches across the United States.
Critics say the organization has a pattern of placing churches in college towns, where young adults are often searching for community.
In Oregon, the network operates two churches:
Valley Springs Church – Corvallis (home of Oregon State University)
Summit Creek Church – Eugene (home of University of Oregon)
Former members argue this geographic pattern is not accidental.
Advocacy site LeavingTheNetwork.org, which collects testimonies from former members, claims the network focuses heavily on recruiting college students.
“Most of their churches are intentionally planted near large universities,” the site states, describing what it calls a strategy of targeting young adults who are new to a city and looking for community.
Who’s who in “The Network”
“The Network” group of affiliated churches founded by pastor Steve Morgan. Morgan originally planted a church in Carbondale, Illinois, in 1995, which later became known as Vine Church. In 2006, Morgan and several churches separated from the Vineyard Association of Churches to form an independent church-planting network that would eventually expand across multiple states.
Morgan remains a central figure in the organization, as the founder and current leader. He serves as lead pastor of Joshua Church in Austin, Texas, where key leadership for The Network is based.
The Network’s model focuses heavily on planting churches and developing leaders internally, often recruiting younger members who are trained and sent out to lead new congregations.
In Corvallis, Valley Springs Church is led by Pastor Mike Luczkiw, who serves as the local lead pastor for the congregation. Local pastors remain connected to the broader leadership structure and training system established by Morgan and other senior leaders within the organization.
Steve Morgan
Steve Morgan, current leader and founder was arrested in 1987 for committing aggravated criminal sodomy against a minor in 1986 while practicing as a youth pastor in Johnson County, Kansas.
According to the report, the case was filed in Johnson County, Kansas, under case number K0053903, with charges listed as KSA 21-3506 (Aggravated Criminal Sodomy against a minor) and KSA 21-4501b (Class B Felony).
Steve waived his right to a trial.
The term of the agreement was 36 months.
Steve was required to attend professional counseling in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, until terminated by the counselor.
Steve was ordered to have no contact with his alleged victim.
Steve was responsible for paying for treatment costs for the alleged victim and their family at Steve’s own expense.
Steve was ordered to have no involvement with youth organizations for the terms of the agreement.
Photo credit: https://leavingthenetwork.org/
Online Reviews for Valley Springs Church in Corvallis
We’ve uncovered many online reviews, mainly through Google, that were scrubbed from the business profile review section.
Former Corvallis and Eugene members Speak Out Online
Many of the most detailed allegations come from former members sharing experiences online, particularly in Reddit forums and testimony archives. There are 100’s of stories. Mike Luczkiw was pastor of Valley Springs when these comments were made.
Reddit discussions on r/Corvallis about the church, from former attendees:
“I was demonized and villainize, By this church pastor. I went to this church for almost a year. Although it’s been well over a year since I’ve step foot in this church, the spiritual wounds that this man and this church has done to me is still fresh.”
“I need help getting out of the network.”
“Families of students and all in your community this is a high control group and is very dangerous. My daughter started attending a Network church in the mid-west while in college. She has now cut herself off from her entire family.”
“This group specifically targets college students and young adults because they’re easier to isolate from outside support systems.”
“While it has been a year since I’ve stepped foot in that church, the wounds that were done to me by this man and some of its members left me scarred. This church is not run in a biblical manner. They’re controlled by fear and are very controlling. Learn from my mistakes stay away from This church.”
“Stay away from this church. What this church did to me nearly killed me.”
“They’re also HORRIFICALLY homophobic”
“Happened to someone close to me there. Said she was never ‘really’ saved even though was on fire for Jesus before going to this church. Ended up doubting her salvation, got rebaptized. Has cut everyone off.”
“People were encouraged to distance themselves from friends and family who questioned the church. Everything started revolving around the group.”
“It’s not just a church community—it becomes your entire life. If you leave, you lose most of your social circle overnight.”
“I spent years rebuilding my sense of self after leaving. I didn’t realize how much control the leadership had over everyday decisions.”
“Most of the people I met there were college students. It felt like the entire culture revolved around campus outreach.”
“They recruit heavily from OSU. A lot of people get involved during their first year.”
Because Reddit allows anonymous posts, these claims cannot be independently verified. But the volume of similar stories has led to growing attention online. A pattern has emerged. The numbers speak.
Claims of Strict Leadership and Culture
On testimony websites run by former members, critics describe what they believe are strong hierarchical leadership structures within the network. Stories archived on LeavingTheNetwork.org and related advocacy sites describe environments where pastors are seen as spiritual authorities whose guidance extends “deeply” into members’ lives.
Several testimonies also raise concerns about the network’s teachings regarding gender roles and sexuality.
Former attendees describe what they believe are strict views on gender hierarchy and LGBTQ identity.
Valley Springs Church’s public materials emphasize traditional Christian teachings but do not directly address the allegations raised by former members.
These are allegations of misogyny, homophobia, and isolation tactics.
Oregon State University and College Recruitment
One of the most frequently repeated concerns centers on college recruitment. Multiple online posts claim “The Network” churches prioritize outreach to students at nearby universities. Valley Springs Church operates in Corvallis (home of Oregon State University), and Summit Creek Church operates in Eugene (home of the University of Oregon).
We point this out again, because strangely, these are the only two network churches operating in Oregon. There are none in higher-density population centers like Portland, Portland surrounding areas, or Salem. Higher-density population areas provide more opportunities for gaining new members. Yet there are none.
Oregon State University’s club directory, which lists student organizations and affiliated groups, have “Valley Spring Students” listed. See the listing here (view page 17). Valley Springs Church is referenced through campus groups connected with its network, according to listings on OSU’s student engagement portal.
Does Oregon State University fund this club? RSO Funds.
What This Means for Corvallis
That is up to you. The Corvallis Inquirer believes in freedom of religion, as much as we believe in freedom of the press. As more former members share experiences online, the controversy surrounding the church, the current leader, and the broader network it belongs to, continues to grow.
The church has ties with OSU… and the Corvallis Community.
The church itself does not have a permanent sanctuary building. It typically meets for Sunday services at the Corvallis Community Center (2601 NW Tyler Ave.) while maintaining an office (968 NW Circle Blvd).
Businesses and organizations often draw positive and negative reviews. When reviews share the same themes, they often reveal patterns rather than isolated complaints. Consistency across complaints can signal systemic problems rather than one-off experiences.
This article was purely written as an informative piece… to supply background info on “The Network”, expose court documents on leadership, and show patterns amongst former members.
Sources:
https://leavingthenetwork.org/network-churches/
https://see.oregonstate.edu/ela/find-clubs
https://leavingthenetwork.org/
https://www.notovercome.org/
https://www.valleyspringschurch.com/about/church-network
https://leavingthenetwork.org/stories/valley-springs-church-reviews/
https://www.jocogov.org/department/district-courts
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Network_(group_of_churches)
https://thebatt.com/news/christland-church-former-members-describe-alleged-abuse-manipulation-control/
https://www.reddit.com/r/corvallis/comments/1fginmj/mental_health_fallout_from_highcontrol_group/
https://www.reddit.com/r/leavingthenetwork/comments/1qf27xy/new_online_reviews_archived_for_hills_church_and/
https://www.reddit.com/r/corvallis/comments/1eupzhj/valley_springs_church/
https://www.reddit.com/r/corvallis/comments/pc8ma8/stay_away_from_valley_springs_church/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Eugene/comments/1fkcpxs/summit_creek_churchs_network_leader_in_the_news/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Eugene/comments/pc8kt4/stay_away_from_summit_creek_church/
https://www.reddit.com/r/corvallis/comments/1f48e76/stay_away_from_this_horrific_cult/
https://www.reddit.com/r/leavingthenetwork/
— The Corvallis Inquirer, Mar 9, 2026
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