Photos: 1) Nathan at Fellowship Church, 2) Nathan with Executive Producer Chris Ayoub at Tarrant County Courthouse hearing
Religion Business documentary producer Nathan Apffel flew in from out of state and presented himself in a Tarrant County courtroom this morning, November 18, 2024, to face a criminal trespass charge. The crime is considered a Class B misdemeanor and can be penalized with a fine of up to $2,000 or 180 days of jail time.
At the court hearing, Nathan’s dad, Ed Apffel, said, “I’m proud of having to bail my son Nathan out of jail for going to church. The floodgates have opened for his documentary about the religion business.”
Sunday, October 20th, Apffel was arrested at Fellowship Church in Grapevine Texas while holding up a large sign asking Pastor Ed Young to reveal the amount of his housing allowance. Young’s security team included a zealous deputy sheriff who roughed up Mr. Apffel and forced him to get his elbow x-rayed and left bruises on his wrists from the handcuffs.
Fellowship Church security called in the Grapevine police and Apffel was charged with trespassing. “I wasn’t expecting so much brute force,” Apffel told Trinity Foundation investigators following his release from jail (initial article here). During the incident, Nathan’s cameraman Steve Hickey’s camera was confiscated and damaged by security guards and Hickey received a trespass warning. Apffel mentioned that the Grapevine police department treated him with kindness and respect, unlike the church’s security team.
Apffel’s hearing appearance today was only a first step of good faith to prevent a warrant being issued for his arrest and he will be required to return at least once more as the case against him proceeds. His next court hearing is scheduled for December 17th.