"It was a cult mentality, said Gume Laurel, 34, who took part in 220i in 2007 and 2008. Theres no biblical authority or principle for the specifics of his failure to be shared publicly. First Wednesday Messages. This story has been shared 122,601 times. So, its quite possible some of the pastors involved in the Grow Leader course have checkered pasts. "I understand how this has made you feel and I apologize. This has led to reverence for him that makes him a very influential speaker in what is primarily a prosperity gospel church (God rewards good works with physical blessings). Opinion: What is Revivaland is it Happening at Asbury? I love doing that. A Baptist church in Harrison, Tennessee. Minus expenses (cost of sales) we have to calculate the operating surplus then deal with general costs to arrive at a profit. Church of the Highlands Pastor: 'Not the same Chris Hodges I was two EXCLUSIVE: John MacArthur Shamed, Excommunicated Mother for Refusing to Take Back Child Abuser, Days-long Revival Sweeping Asbury University in Kentucky, EXCLUSIVE: John MacArthur Covered Up Pastors Sexual Abuse, Witnesses Say, EXCLUSIVE: John MacArthurs Church Supported Convicted Child Abuser & Pedophile, Records Show, Dante Bowe Posts, Then Removes, Apology for Behavior Causing Split with Maverick City Music, Matt Chandler Steps Aside After Admitting Inappropriate Online Relationship, John MacArthur Pulls Out of Ligonier Conference, Pastor Resigns From Houston Megachurch After Admitting Affair, Televangelist Creflo Dollar Renounces Past Teachings on Tithing, But Questions Persist. And it doesnt seem to meet the letter or spirit of the qualifications outlined in Scripture. Hodges said he met with the four black campus pastors for the Church of the Highlands this past week. When the manager of a baseball team fails he gets fired and then a year or two later another team will hire him as their manager. If I could go back and never meet Carl, I would.. She reported the incident to church leadership in December 2018. (For $10,000, pastors can bring their spouses.). Rest and relaxation for overworked clergy members and spouses at a comfortable resort is one ministry. I was a member and my wife was a prayer partner at Healing Place Church in 2012. From my experience, I doubt seriously that restoring pastors is a profitable enterprise. : http://www.piratechristian.com/fightingforthefaith/2019/5/worst-easter-sermon-do-you-love-me, Chris Rosebrough Church of the Highlands Montage of Subjectivity: http://www.piratechristian.com/fightingforthefaith/2018/9/jen-hatmaker-preaches-about-inclusion, Chris Rosebrough Sermon Review: Dream Again byChris Hodges: http://www.piratechristian.com/fightingforthefaith/2018/7/dream-again, Chris Rosebrough Sermon Review: The Babylon Mentality byChris Hodges: http://www.piratechristian.com/fightingforthefaith/2017/11/the-babylon-mentality, Chris Rosebrough Sermon Review: The Whispers of God byChris Hodges: http://www.piratechristian.com/fightingforthefaith/2017/8/thumb-and-big-toe-prophecy, Chris Rosebrough Sermon Review: Be Assured There is a Purpose and an End byChris Hodges: http://www.piratechristian.com/fightingforthefaith/2017/4/look-it-in-the-eye-and-step-into-it, Chris Rosebrough Sermon Review: Habits byChris Hodges: http://www.piratechristian.com/fightingforthefaith/2017/1/your-moses-needs-to-die, Chris Rosebrough Chris HodgesCasts Vision: http://www.piratechristian.com/fightingforthefaith/2014/9/a-tale-of-two-mars-hills, Chris Rosebrough Sermon Review: Soul-Therapy: Insecurity byChris Hodges, Church by the Highlands: http://www.piratechristian.com/fightingforthefaith/2012/03/19/perry-noble-offers-preaching-advice, Amy Spreeman Rick Warrens Top 100 Pastors toFollow: https://aspreeman.com/2013/05/30/rick-warrens-top-100-pastors-to-follow-2/, Evangelical Dark Web Is Chris Hodges a False Teacher? Hodges thanked Maxwell for inviting his sons to speak and said no other pastor had ever given his sons an opportunity like that. Chris said he invited a guest speaker to speak this past Sunday because he had been busy with training 41 pastors this past week. I just went from sharing something so personal and youre using it to shame me and condemn me.. But factspartial, circumstantial, second-handarent synonymous with truth. Church of the Highlands (COTH)a 43,000-member megachurch in Alabama, which recently sparked controversy for trying to rehabilitate a pastor accused of sexual assaultis building a $4.5-million lodge to "restore" pastors. Paul waited something like 14 years, no? Great! I am not the same Chris Hodges I was two weeks ago, Hodges said. That hoodie at the time was on the resale market for $10[,000] to $15,000. Anna Crenshaw, a preachers daughter who was studying at Hillsong College in 2016, appears in the doc to describe an instance in which she alleges that she was assaulted by a Hillsong staffer, who groped her at a house party in front of other people. Its better to get to know the person before you look them up. That was the weirdest answer I had ever heard, she says. Return to homepage. Auburn East | Campuses | Church of the Highlands Neece said ARCs non-officer board members are not paid. Birmingham schools, housing authority cut ties with Church of the Highlands. Restoration of the morally fallen is another entirely, and it must begin with godly sorrow as described in 2 Corinthians 7:10. Michael reportedly spoke at the Lake Norman campus of the church while his father spoke at the main campus. | Instagram/Chris Hodges Chris Hodges, founder and leader of Church of the Highlands, one of the largest churches in America, apologized Sunday for liking social media posts of Turning Point USA leader Charlie Kirk that have been criticized as racially insensitive. Oxford | Campuses | Church of the Highlands Oxford About Events Campus Staff Oxford Our Oxford location meets at the Oxford Civic Center. A former Wave Church staffer, who appears in the documentary anonymously due to having signed a nondisclosure agreement, says on-screen, I was at Wave for a few years before Carl left. That means acknowledging that an affair or inappropriate relationship between a pastor and his congregant is, in fact, abuse. Michael Hodges, son of Alabama megachurch founder, returns to public Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. IT IS A PRIVILEGE TO BE ON THIS STAGE. Messages; Current Message; First Wednesday. ARCs website states that all of its overhead and administrative expenses are covered by the generosity of the ARC Lead Team, which allows 100% of your giving to fund new church plants through ARC.. On Reddit, a post to an account called Allabout COTHa group with 1.3K members discussing alleged financial and spiritual abuse at COTHnoted that the event netted hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Stockstill family still runs Bethany Church in Baton Rouge, LA as well as their other campuses. Some arent. The church has been video-streaming services only and not holding public in-person worship since March 10. We used to go to these border walls. But when they questioned her about it, Crenshaw says, It fel[t] like an interrogation.. Church of the Highlands is a life-giving church meeting in multiple locations throughout Alabama and West Georgia. The Micahn Carter debacle is not the only scandal thats resulted from COTH and ARCs restoration efforts. The biblical standard for an elder is being above reproach or blameless, so it is very difficultif not impossibleto attain that standard after admitting to impropriety. Before the coronavirus lockdown, more than 50,000 people attended weekly services at 22 branch campuses statewide, including in Anniston, Auburn, Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile Bay, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa, with one across the state line in Columbus, Ga. Hodges said he met in the past week with the four black campus pastors of Church of the Highlands branches Jamil Gilleylen of Woodlawn, Mychal Smith of Riverchase, Mayo Sowell of West Birmingham and Steven Winston of McCalla, along with their spouses. 401 McCullars Lane Thats fine. . Ensure justice for those who are being crushed.. Being a victim is extremely costly. They provide counsel to the Senior Pastor Leadership Team regarding the major financial commitments of the church. Im asking you to do your section of it, he said. and our Chris said he invited a guest speaker to speak this past Sunday because he had been busy training 41 pastors this past week, the post stated. In January 2021 we launchedGrowLeader in order to better support pastors and leaders in their desire to personally grow in leadership so their churches can reach more people and make a greater impact. Sharing life through community is part of our design, but meaningful relationships arent always easy to find. If you live in the Oxford or Anniston area, you and your family will feel right at home with us. Hodges and his [..] band of professional pastors are the upper echelon of the church. Hodges compared racism to the Berlin Wall, which was torn down in 1989 after the fall of communism that had separated West Germany and East Germany. Chris Hodges is founder and leader of Church of the Highlands. But again, I dont know. Communism fell. Which means we cant arrive at the truth. A historic first: Vietnam allows Franklin Graham to hold evangelism event with 300 churches, Teen who had breasts removed says health system lacks 'standards of care', School district rejects student-teachers from Arizona Christian University, Its smut: Kid reads sexually graphic book he got from school library to school board members, Ukraine war exposes weaknesses in Russia and the West, ChatGPT, consciousness and the human mind, A post shared by Chris Hodges (@pastorchrishodges), Church delivers powerful protest over George Floyds killing with hymns, Gospel, Minn. megachurch pastors offer biblical response to George Floyds death, 4 reasons the race riots do far more harm than good. ", White supremacy or any supremacy other than Christ, is of the devil, he said. Nothing different going on in this church if the focus in discouraging the behavior in the first place. If you live in the Oxford or Anniston area, you and your family will feel right at home with us. A broken and contrite heart is the pathway to the presence and the anointing of God. Larry Stockstill is also on the board of Overseers at Church of the Highlands and Bethany Church is currently a member of ARC Churches, overseen by Church of the Highlands. Larry Stockstill, who took over from his father as pastor of Bethany World Prayer Center in Baton Rouge, told AL.com that Chris Hodges had asked me to take charge of the process of bringing discipline and long-term restoration to Michael.. He continues to serve these churches and leaders through making all of Highlands Resources available at no cost. We dont have to look alike, we dont have to act alike, but we do have to have one heart, Hodges said. Thats why small groups existto make these life-changing relationships relevant and accessible to you. According to Guidestar, ARC is classified as a church by the IRS so it is not required to file a form 990, revealing executive salaries and the identities of its board members. Though The Roys Report has done much to create conversation about the sicknesses in the world of evangelicalism, much that is good and right (I loved the article about the Tomlin-Hillsong experience), it often falls short of its stated mission: reporting the truth. Hope youll give us another try and check out some other articles. After Lentzs allegedaffair with Karim made headlines, Hayes watched the news and remembered how Lentz split her from her boyfriend, simply because they had had premarital sex. Ralph Northam with two men wearing blackface and a KKK costume with the caption Progressive Leftist Ralph Northam in the 1980s.. Through the months that we were seeing each other, I started to realize that it was always his way or no way. 20K views Streamed 2 years ago It's been a week of controversy for the Church of the Highlands. Nice business plan but thats about it, if this will be real life changing kingdom work it remains to be seen. Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed is produced by Breaklight Pictures in association with New York Post Entertainment for Discovery+. Theres never been a pastor in the history of my life who has given my sons, so thank God for the opportunity to stand here but thank you sir for loving my sons the way you do. For more information, please see our Watch. This free resource allows you to experience messages on-demand, read the One Year Bible, watch services live online, access information about church events, locations and much more . 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Grow quickly multiplied year over year, and it became evident that church leaders are hungry to be trained and equipped in a very practical, hands-on way. But according to the documentary, Lentzs behavior was not an anomaly within the larger organization. NEWSLETTER: Digitaldownstream.substack.com. Youre only embedding their narcissistic crowns with more jewels. They have 5 children and are Boss and Lovey to 7 beautiful grandchildren. Recently, Hodges and Lee Domingue, COTH Legacy Pastor, launched Grow Leader, a for-profit limited liability corporation (LLC) aiming to grow leaders who grow churches and businesses., Grow Leader offers numerous services, including Hodges speaking services and professional coaching and consulting. So he made a quick $307,500-$410,000. GrowLeader is also committed to generosity by supporting organizations like, who grow churches by helping them reach their. We are protected by Trustees. I find it difficult to call a sin that demands execution in the Torah a moral failing. This story has been shared 132,431 times. Shame on those people who agreed to donate money to such a cause. David, I confined my reporting to facts that are substantiated, and stated what is known and what isnt. Youre a true mentor, youre a dear friend. Many of the comments indicate circumstantial evidence or possible scenarios. Sign: It is a privilege to be on this stage thank you God for choosing me. If so, then a rehabilitation process makes no sense, because the person was not qualified for the pastorate in the first place. Some discussion here is little more than speculation. Whether that holds or not, the timelines here suggest that the pastors are being declared restored long before one could actually get a good handle on how they are repentant of their sins, and long before one could see if the steps theyve taken are adequate to prevent remission. I would be upset if it comes off as me judging him. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. About a year later, when Rizzo was restored to ministry at ARC and COTH, Greg Surratt admitted that Rizzo had been in an inappropriate friendship with another woman. Surratt added that Rizzo had submitted to a restoration process led by Chris Hodges and others and now was qualified to serve. It strikes me that perhaps some churchesIm wondering if megachurches are a key demographicare more likely to attract those with overly exuberant sexual behavior or even narcissistic personality disorder. More or less, does the pastoral hiring process express the qualifications of 1 Timothy and Titus, or is it more heavily weighted towards personal attractiveness and magnetismand thus many churches find out the hard way that theyve selected pastors who are bad boys. to help business leaders live out their legacy by partnering through their local church. Clericalism only Clergy (Priests, Monks, Nuns, Ministers, Pastors, Worship Leaders, Full-Time Professional Christians) matter before God; Laity (everyone else) can all go to hell. Chris states that Robert Morris and Phil Pringle are his mentors. In 2019, after a period of restoration, Hodges returned to the pulpit at Freedom House Church, an ARC member church in Charlotte, North Carolina. ", A post shared by Chris Hodges (@pastorchrishodges) on May 30, 2020 at 8:45am PDT. Church of the Highlands, founded in 2001 in a rented space at Mountain Brook High School, has spiraled out of Birminghams suburbs to become the largest church in Alabama. He said the church will work on initiatives and changes to improve race relations and they will be posted on the churchs web site. Ben Kirby, who created the Instagram account PreachersNSneakers, began noticing Lentz because of his expensive threads. a GrowLeader event that we know will be transformative in the way you lead. Massive Nerd. This sub advocates for transparency and accountability at Church of the Highlands, and provides support for former and current members. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. He said he proposed to his wife, Tammy, in Germany in 1986 when the wall still stood. My favorite people like my favorite people, Hodges said in response. I remember I would go to leaders meetings, and he would hammer in our heads, Do not have sex before marriage. He was aggressive about it., Meanwhile, the staffer claims, I had a friend Carl tried to sleep with her. When she asked for his last name, He was like, When people Google people its not a good look. To waste money setting up a place for people to go to restore is outrageous. When all of this came out, I was really mad, she says. Rizzo used to be a pastor of The Healing Placean ARC member megachurch in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Lee Domingue is an entrepreneur for over 34 years, as well as dad, grandparent and avid LSU fan. AL.com's religion reporter Greg Garrison talks about the incident. Fun fact, I was a participant in the program in one of the early years. Oxford, Alabama 36203 What he failed to tell everyone is RoundTable cost $7500 for the Pastor or $10,000 if they bring their spouse, the post said. If you want to love somebody, the best way to love somebody is to love the people they love, Chris Hodges added. One suit accuses ARC of allowing Joshua Mauney, ARCs former national director of church planting, to plant an ARC church in Florida, where he allegedly raped a woman on staff. But he should stay out of ministry and not expect a congregation to trust him. If you live in the Auburn area, you and your family will feel right at home at Highlands Auburn. Church of the Highlands - Apps on Google Play I posted a picture of him wearing a Supreme-Louis Vuitton hoodie, he says in the doc. The separation came shortly after Carters former assistant disclosed online that Carter had sexually assaulted her while at Carters previous megachurch in Yakima, Washington. The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. Church of the Highlands controversy: What's next for the megachurch continues to provide resources to over 16,500 churches globally at no cost. Houston, who is not interviewed in the documentary, has since pleaded not guilty to concealing his fathers child sexual abuse when New South Wales police brought charges against him in August 2021. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. from AllaboutCOTH. Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. . We just needed you to feel it. The brothers grandfather founded the megachurch in the familys living room in 1963, and it has since grown to over 8,000 members across five Louisiana campuses, making it among the largest megachurches in the US. Honestly, its understandable to me. What he failed to tell everyone is his RoundTable cost $7500 for the Pastor or $10,000 if they bring their spouse. The church has been referred to as a cult by people who left the program. 500 years ago, wasnt Clericalism one of the Reformers BIG beefs about Romish Popery? It seems to imply that we (in ourselves) are good enough to do Gods work for Him. We cant get there if were not willing to change. In Alabama, the Church of the Highlands is kind of a big deal. As allegations of sexual abuse against a former pastor took hold on social media, the Church of the Highlands has cut ties with the accused minister they had agreed to help rehabilitate. Grow, now called Highlands Resources,continues to provide resources to over 16,500 churches globally at no cost. (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)/*Bethany Church, Pastor Chris Hodges' former church, exposed for Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. Its literally the definition of a hypocrite., Lentz was fired from Hillsong in November 2020, with Houston citing his moral failures.. I remember being in a greenroom at a Church where this clown (Hodges) was bragging about how little he pays lower staff members because people are lined up wanting jobs at COTH. The reason he isnt building a retreat center for victims is because he sees upper level ministers/pastors as more important than your average lowly church attender. Sengstock claims that when he reported this to church leadership, they tried to pay him off with hush money. I dont know the background of the pastors enrolling in the Grow Leader training. Pastor Michael Hodges and wife Katie on their wedding day June 18, 2016. Chris Hodges, founder and leader ofChurch of the Highlands, one of the largest churches in America, apologized Sunday for liking social media posts of Turning Point USA leader Charlie Kirk that have been criticized as racially insensitive. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! After founding AppOne, a national financial tech company acquired by a multi-billion dollar company 10 years later, Lee served as CEO until retiring in 2011. During that time, Lee committed. Hillsong originated in Australia in 1983, founded by Houston, who grew up in dad Frank Houstons Sydney-based Pentecostal church. Pastor Chris Hodges responds to social media controversy It seems like Pastors have created a similar good old boys club where once you are in the club you are taken care of regardless of your failures. He continues to serve these churches and leaders through making all of, Lee Domingue is an entrepreneur for over 34 years, as well as dad, grandparent and avid LSU fan. Hes been a mentor to me, a friend to me, golfing partner. : http://thewartburgwatch.com/2013/11/13/dino-rizzo-stovall-weems-and-steven-furtick-banking-on-the-arc/, The Wartburg Watch: A Closer Look at Pastors in the ARC: http://thewartburgwatch.com/2014/11/07/a-closer-look-at-pastors-in-the-arc/, NAR Watch Israel Sickening, But Hardly Surprising: https://www.narwatchisrael.info/nwi-blog/sickening-but-hardly-suprising, Regional President & CEO Teen Challenge Pacific Northwest, https://bereanresearch.org/association-of-related-churches-time-to-get-off-the-arc/, http://www.piratechristian.com/fightingforthefaith/2019/1/if-im-a-butterfly-why-am-i-still-crawling, http://www.piratechristian.com/fightingforthefaith/2018/7/live-fearless, http://www.piratechristian.com/fightingforthefaith/2019/5/worst-easter-sermon-do-you-love-me, http://www.piratechristian.com/fightingforthefaith/2018/9/jen-hatmaker-preaches-about-inclusion, http://www.piratechristian.com/fightingforthefaith/2018/7/dream-again, http://www.piratechristian.com/fightingforthefaith/2017/11/the-babylon-mentality, http://www.piratechristian.com/fightingforthefaith/2017/8/thumb-and-big-toe-prophecy, http://www.piratechristian.com/fightingforthefaith/2017/4/look-it-in-the-eye-and-step-into-it, http://www.piratechristian.com/fightingforthefaith/2017/1/your-moses-needs-to-die, http://www.piratechristian.com/fightingforthefaith/2014/9/a-tale-of-two-mars-hills, http://www.piratechristian.com/fightingforthefaith/2012/03/19/perry-noble-offers-preaching-advice, https://aspreeman.com/2013/05/30/rick-warrens-top-100-pastors-to-follow-2/, https://evangelicaldarkweb.org/2020/03/30/is-chris-hodges-a-false-teacher/, https://churchofthehighlandsbloodlessgospel.com/, https://www.9marks.org/article/4-reflections-after-listening-to-18-hours-of-sermons-in-americas-biggest-churches/, http://thewartburgwatch.com/2014/11/19/where-have-all-the-flowers-gone-demons-tongues-and-healings-at-chris-hodges-church-of-the-highlands-arc/, http://thewartburgwatch.com/2014/11/17/pastorcentric-looking-at-the-arc-and-robert-morris-thru-chris-hodges-church-of-the-highlands/, http://thewartburgwatch.com/2016/10/31/the-arcs-church-of-the-highlands-prayer-force-leaders-guide-and-analysis/, http://thewartburgwatch.com/2017/01/16/did-you-hear-the-weird-story-about-pastor-david-pursifulls-resignation-from-the-arcs-building-church/, http://thewartburgwatch.com/2014/11/05/building-the-arc-an-overview-of-this-church-planting-network/, http://thewartburgwatch.com/2014/12/01/arcs-robert-morris-paul-preached-under-the-influence/, http://thewartburgwatch.com/2015/06/26/personal-experiences-with-arcs-lifeway-church-of-milwaukee-wisconsin/, http://thewartburgwatch.com/2013/11/13/dino-rizzo-stovall-weems-and-steven-furtick-banking-on-the-arc/, http://thewartburgwatch.com/2014/11/07/a-closer-look-at-pastors-in-the-arc/, https://www.narwatchisrael.info/nwi-blog/sickening-but-hardly-suprising.