Scandals At Elevation Church And Potter’s House

Megachurches in America Have Come Under Great Scrutiny

The church scandal bug at megachurches continues to bite!

Over the last seven years the well-known megachurches in America have come under great scrutiny and have raised suspicion in a myriad of ways. But maybe not like you would think.

Pastor Steven Furtick has for years lauded Bishop T.D. Jakes as his mentor and hero. He has spoken of him as the one he calls when he is struggling on Saturday nights before preaching the next day.

Bishop T.D. Jakes has been under fire now for roughly a year.

Between his appearance at PDiddy’s sex party and now the most recent accusations brought by Duane Youngblood, a former associate of Bishop T.D. Jakes ministry.

Comments Prompted the Medical Emergency

Youngblood broke his silence on Larry Reid Live and from this interview Bishop T.D. Jakes had what appeared a stroke on stage and then the day after the stroke, filed a lawsuit against Youngblood claiming the stress of Youngblood’s comments prompted the medical emergency on stage. Bishop T.D. Jakes was treated at a local Dallas hospital afterward by one of his own parishioners who just so happened to be a doctor. No report was ever released stating what occurred.

During all this back and forth, Youngblood’s brother, Richard Edward Youngblood, and now a third person, Timothy Anderson, has come forward stating the details of supposed inappropriate action by Bishop T.D. Jakes.

The silence is deafening!

Amid all of this, Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, led by Pastor Steven Furtick, has been in the news because of their youth pastor, Tim Somers, potential past indiscretions at a church in Texas.

In both situations, Pastor Steven Furtick has remained, silent. The silence is deafening!

Sadly, the inner workings of many high-profile megachurches create a vacuum of accountability and transparency, especially during these sorts of matters, when they make it to the public eye. I write about the inner workings of megachurch leadership and board practices here.

Truth Established But Not Shared?

What would be a proper response from Pastor Steven Furtick regarding his youth pastor, Tim Somers, and his mentor, Bishop T.D. Jakes, being in the news regarding potential indiscretions? A proper response regarding his youth pastor would be, “I am praying for our well-known youth pastor and his family at this time, we have put him on leave, until the details of this matter is resolved.” Firing someone before truth is established is not biblical, unless of course the truth is established but not shared. If the accusations are true, then God calls us to rebuke pastors publicly when they have fallen(1 Timothy 5:20). Our lives have a greater judgment on them due to the role and position we represent for Jesus(James 3:1).

A proper response from Pastor Steven Furtick regarding his mentor Bishop T.D. Jakes would be, “I am praying for my mentor at this time as he is under fire. I am standing with him publicly as he deals with the attacks and scrutiny of his character in the public eye.”

However, to date, silence! The silence is deafening Pastor Furtick.

Youngblood is a Registered Sex Offender

What would be a proper response from Bishop T.D. Jakes regarding the accusations being leveled against him at this time? Right now, Bishop Jakes lawyer is using the media and public eye to attempt to discredit the testimonies of all the people who are bringing these accusations against him. He is the one who filed the lawsuit, not Duane Youngblood. I listened to Larry Reid Live’s interview with Duane Youngblood. He made the interview about his experience with Bishop Jakes. Yes, Youngblood is a registered sex offender, and his track record is less than stellar. His guilt is in the public eye and Bishop Jakes lawyer tried to use this record to discredit his testimony. The fact that two more testimonies have come forth, seems to indicate the net has now been cast wider and the same tactic of discrediting their accounts is still the primary tool being used to silence the accusations.

Every pastor at some point in their ministry finds themselves in circumstances, situations, and relational conflict where they are accused of certain things and their character is called into question. Depending on the level of “success” and how well known they are in the public eye, determines the level at which others are aware. For good or bad, pastoral ministry is a lot like public politics. At whatever level you “use” the public to promote your ministry, you are accountable to the public at the same level for matters like this that come to the attention of the public.

Our Job is to Stand for Truth

When we pastors are attacked or accused in public, we have a responsibility to care more for the witness and testimony of Jesus than how others perceive our reputation. Our job as public leaders, to whatever degree that is given to us, is to stand for truth and the advancement of the Gospel of Jesus Christ at the expense of our own lives. I don’t see this occurring with Bishop T.D. Jakes.

Historically, when those closest to high-profile leaders refuse to come to their defense, the silence tells everyone in the public eye all they need to know. As pastors, we can’t just mention the names of high-profile people to boost our followers and our ego and our ministries and then go silent when these sorts of matters make their way to the public eye.

About the Advancement of the Gospel

Billy Graham was friends with Jim Baker before his public downfall. And after his public downfall, Billy Graham went and visited Jim Baker in prison. Billy never primarily worried about his public reputation. He publicly demonstrated what it looks like to be for people when they are up and when they are down. It was not about what he “could get from their fame for himself.” It was about true friendship and more importantly, it was about the advancement of the Gospel, not the advancement of his own fame or success of his own ministry. I had the privilege many years ago to sit with Cliff Barrows and George Beverly Shay the Billy Graham headquarters in North Carolina and hear them talk with fondness about Billy’s character and the friendship he shared with them and so many others.

It is high time that high profile pastors that associate with one another don’t go silent when their heroes face such scrutiny. It’s time for us to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. It is also time for the high-profile pastors of our day to make the Gospel the focus when we fall under the scrutiny of accusation. It is time to take the high road for Jesus.