Thread by @TaylorMatthewD

There's an undercovered, ongoing scandal involving sexual & spiritual abuse by unaccountable nondenominational Christian leaders. Sound familiar?

Except, because this segment of Christianity is nondenominational, people tend not to see the pattern. 1/

julieroys.com/president-morn…

Specifically, the series of abuse revelations are occurring in what are known as "fivefold" or "apostolic & prophetic" ministry circles.

These ministries take their inspiration from Ephesians 4 & believe the primary leadership of apostles & prophets should be restored today. 2/

The fivefold/apostolic & prophetic concepts & leaders are sometimes labeled as part of the "New Apostolic Reformation," but the NAR is merely one set of such networks, & many other similar networks are involved in this scandal. 3/

icjs.org/charismatic-re…

These modern-day charismatic apostles & prophets today serve as *spiritual oligarchs* over vast networks of nondenominational charismatic churches.

As w/ most oligarchies, the 100s of American apostles & prophets protect each other. They also happen to mostly be friends. 4/

The current round of scandals kicked off in fall 2023, when a victim of prophet Mike Bickle (founder of the International House of Prayer Kansas City - IHOPKC) came forward with evidence of Bickle's long-running sexual abuse & prophetic manipulation. 5/

matthewdtaylor.substack.com/p/important-co…

IHOPKC was a major brand within this fivefold movement, built around Bickle's acclaimed prophecies & personal brand of eschatological speculation.

It's current future is very much uncertain, after Bickle's (slow-walked) ouster. 6/

christianpost.com/news/internati…

But close watchers of IHOPKC shouldn't have been surprised by this: 2 of the orig. prophets (Bob Jones & Paul Cain) who helped found IHOPKC -- members of the so-called Kansas City Prophets in the 1980s -- also faced accusations of sexual misconduct & prophetic manipulation. 7/

As this scandal rippled thru the apostolic & prophetic networks, it called to mind the alleged abuses of Alan Scott, a former Vineyard pastor, who "steeplejacked" the iconic Anaheim Vineyard, taking it nondenom & making himself the top-dog apostle. 8/

julieroys.com/report-former-…

Then, in June, Robert Morris, pastor of Gateway Church (1 of largest megachurches in the U.S.), apostle, & evangelical Trump advisor, resigned over a "moral issue."

Translation: he sexually abused a 12-year-old girl.

Talk about understatement! 9/

cnn.com/2024/08/29/us/…

It's generated less attention, but a few days ago, another central Gateway Church leader under Robert Morris, Kemtal Glasgow, was also dismissed for a "moral issue."

Given Gateway's gift for disingenuous euphemism, we can only guess what that means. 10/
crosswalk.com/headlines/cont…

Then, this past week, Chris Reed, rising-star prophet & heir apparent of Rick Joyner's Morningstar Ministries empire, announced his sudden resignation, because he's "standing on the side of victims" who're suing Morningstar over another abuser. 11/

julieroys.com/president-morn…

Then, good golly, it breaks that Chris Reed himself prophetically manipulated & sexually pursued a young woman in 2021. This was evidently known about & covered up within Morningstar.

Seriously, watch his wife's face in this video. 12/

Not for nothing, Rick Joyner, Morningstar founder, was also one of the Kansas City Prophets & deeply tied in w/ the other scandals there.

Now he's throwing around accusations about Chris Reed's "deceptive spirit." Those who live in glass houses... 13/

https://x.com/alterofinquiry/status/1828808152235577482

Because these scandals are all happening in independent, nondenom ministries, this doesn't perfectly parallel the pattern in the Roman Catholic Church or Southern Baptist convention where a single hierarchy or institution does the covering up of sexual abuse. 14/

Instead, here we have an entire leadership culture & movement, built around often authoritarian apostles & prophets (who are all friends!), each presiding over their own charismatic fiefdoms, w/ legions of fawning fans & congregants.

It's a culture rife w/ abuse & cover up. 15/

I suspect we're only seeing the tip of the iceberg of lies, manipulation, abuse, coverup, spiritualization of crimes, & silence in the face of abhorrent behavior by these ldrs.

But, journalists & analysts, we need to stop treating these as diffuse scandals & see the forrest! 16/

You almost couldn't imagine a better lab experiment for facilitating leaders' sexual abuse than elevating a few ppl as modern prophets & apostles at the apex of unaccountable orgs & making them Christian media celebrities.

The story isn't "bad leader(s);" it's the system. 17/