His parents used to argue with their son about his membership in the Pequannock-based Gospel Outreach Church, saying he had been donating a large chunk of his salary to the church and sometimes was so broke that he borrowed money from co-workers for lunch and even to pay tolls on the way home. They said he wanted to leave the church and may have disappeared to accomplish that goal.

A Pequannock church's lawsuit against its critics appears to be nothing more than an effort to harass, intimidate and gain publicity, a federal judge said in a decision released Friday.

Pequannock church sues over cult label

A Pequannock church accused in a lawsuit of engaging in cult-like behavior says the suit is an attack on its religious freedom.

It began with a group of earnest young hippies who loved Jesus and lived together at a Northern California commune.