He suggested taking the same approach to racism as the Berlin Wall. Hodges thanked Maxwell for inviting his sons to speak and said no other pastor had ever given his sons an opportunity like that. (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Chuck DeGroats When Narcissism Comes to Church is very helpful. May Jesus be Exalted. 1 Peter 4:11 challenges those who speak to speak as it were the very words of God.. 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. backstage sign on the pic at the top. 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. Its really been one of the most painful things Ive been through, he said. Chris remains the senior pastor and Chancellor of Highlands College, a ministry training school that has trained and launched hundreds of students into full-time ministry careers all over the world. Hope youll give us another try and check out some other articles. In 2001 Chris Hodges founded Church of the Highlands, now known as one of the largest churches in the U.S. with over 60,000 members and 23 campuses. *All services are in Central Time Zone unless otherwise specified. I want to grow. Connection Card:. I AM an RZ survivor. What's next for the megachurch? 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. You state that Restoring and training pastors appears to be a lucrative endeavor However, you only give examples of moneymaking in training pastors. He said, Ive never done this before, theres nothing wrong with my relationship but you have everything I want in a woman. This was very odd, she says. Larrry Stockstill is Pastor Chris' longtime friend and mentor, and currently serves as teaching pastor at Bethany Church. What he failed to tell everyone is his RoundTable cost $7500 for the Pastor or $10,000 if they bring their spouse. The organization then asks pastors to re-invest those dollars through their missions giving.. We met playing golf. 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.. : https://evangelicaldarkweb.org/2020/03/30/is-chris-hodges-a-false-teacher/, Russell Hinson Church of the Highlands bloodless gospel: https://churchofthehighlandsbloodlessgospel.com/, 9Marks 4 Reflections after Listening to 18 Hours of Sermons in Americas Biggest Churches: https://www.9marks.org/article/4-reflections-after-listening-to-18-hours-of-sermons-in-americas-biggest-churches/, Disrupting Giants Chris Hodges: http://disruptinggiants.blogspot.com/, The Wartburg Watch Where Have All the Flowers Gone? Church Website Design by . The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.. Clergy = HIghborn, Laity = Lowborn. His brother who is a member of the Freedom House congregation spoke at the South End campus. No One Knows. Chris has a deep passion for developing leaders and planting life-giving churches. Youre only embedding their narcissistic crowns with more jewels. To waste money setting up a place for people to go to restore is outrageous. In introducing Chris Hodges to speak at the main campus on Feb. 17, Freedom House Pastor Troy Maxwell called him a longtime friend. I think it would be better if the pastor sold insurance or used cars in the future.and not lead the church of Jesus Christ. 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. The. In Alabama, the Church of the Highlands is kind of a big deal. Return to homepage. For every person that has been marginalized, rejected or belittled, abused or even afraid because of how God made you, Tammy and I, the Church of the Highlands family, stand with you.. Rest and relaxation for overworked clergy members and spouses at a comfortable resort is one ministry. And as ARC states, it has not only a personal relationship with the churches/pastors it launches, it also has a financial relationship. But Proverbs 31 says to speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves. As the documentary details, Lentz grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and before his decadelong stint as the head of Hillsong NYC from 2010 to 2020, he was a youth pastor at Wave Church in Virginia Beach. We believe the result is eternal as good leadership grows churches. We've received your submission. On June 8, the Birmingham Housing Authority voted to ban the Church of the Highlands from providing volunteer services on Housing Authority property. Which means we cant arrive at the truth. The church has been referred to as a cult by people who left the program. . It is a culture of protect the brand at all costs, Elle Hardy, author of Beyond Belief: How Pentecostal Christianity Is Taking Over the World, says in the documentary. 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 . ARC CFO Derek Neece told The Roys Report that about 24% of ARCs cash donationsabout $2.8 million annuallygoes toward ARC salaries. He resides in Birmingham, Alabama with his wife Laura. AL.com's religion reporter Greg Garrison talks about the incident. 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. The Roys Report also looked into the financial arrangement between ARC and its church planting pastors. Named in a similar lawsuit filed in Mississippi is Dino Rizzo. The Roys Report tried to confirm with Neece whether ARCs Lead Team donates $2.8 million per year to ARC, but did not receive a response by time of publication. Be quick to listen, slow to speak.. Learn about Next Steps to connect to the opportunities available at . Some have even brought our church or even me into question. . Highlands College is a biblical higher education institution that exists to supply the Church with leaders of competence, character, and spiritual maturity, holistically trained to lead lives of eternal impact by fulfilling the Great Commission. But restoring a fallen pastor after a year at a new congregation that doesnt even know him is nuts. This is the newest thing on my desk. It makes you feel like your belief system is valid in the modern world, Hardy says, referring to Lentzs cutting-edge haircut, tattoos and clothing, which lured in millennial and Gen Z congregants. Not only a whole lot needs to be said, a whole lot needs to be done, Hodges said, to applause from a limited audience that was on hand to prepare for the possible reopening of in-person public worship services on June 21. . YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. The sign also caught my attention. They were definitely checking for mix-ups or errors. Lentz told Hayes and her then-boyfriend to stop seeing each other, and they did, to their mutual heartbreak. I dont know the background of the pastors enrolling in the Grow Leader training. Houston, 68, stepped down as the churchs director in January (amid a court caseaccusing Houston of hiding his late fathers sexual abuse of children all of which the church has denied), and he resigned for good March 23, after an internal misconduct investigation, which found Houston had behaved inappropriately towards two women. America, Im crying out to you, learn, lament, and lets get each others backs again, Hodges said. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Moral failings are a personal issue, and should be handled with private counseling for the person and their family. Youre a true mentor, youre a dear friend. He continues to serve these churches and leaders through making all of Highlands Resources available at no cost. The Highlands Growth Track guides you to discover your redemptive purpose and live the life God created for you. But behind the scenes, he was not practicing what he preached. So, its quite possible some of the pastors involved in the Grow Leader course have checkered pasts. I found something troubling," Clisby told AL.com. "Whites left the inner city. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The Micahn Carter debacle is not the only scandal thats resulted from COTH and ARCs restoration efforts. But in 2012, Rizzo took a sabbatical from the church, citing spiritual, physical, and emotional exhaustion. Two months later, he resigned, saying he and his wife felt God moving them into a new season.. I dont think that there is any sin that God cant forgive, and no brokenness of soul or morals that cant be healed, and that it should be our hope and goal that any fallen brother or sister should experience the fullness of such a work. How so? Profit is what he made. Dipper Pines IRL. Hodges and his [..] band of professional pastors are the upper echelon of the church. Amy Spreeman Association of Related Churches: Time to get off the ARC: https://bereanresearch.org/association-of-related-churches-time-to-get-off-the-arc/, Chris Rosebrough Che Ahn Modern-Day (Restoration of) Apostles: http://www.piratechristian.com/fightingforthefaith/2019/1/if-im-a-butterfly-why-am-i-still-crawling, Chris Rosebrough Che Ahn Who Are the Apostles: http://www.piratechristian.com/fightingforthefaith/2018/7/live-fearless, Chris Rosebrough Chris Hodges: Do You Love Me? If you live in the Auburn area, you and your family will feel right at home at Highlands Auburn. The real reason Church of the Highlands wants to put a white church in a black neighborhood is they have too many black folks at their main campus and they want them to leave and come to a church in their inner city. Much of whats reported in this article is fact. . Let me get this straight, a Pastor is caught in adultery or embezzlement, and these guys want to restore the pastor to leadership??? 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, Michael Hodges, Son of Megachurch Founder, Removed as Pastor Due to Moral Failing, Megachurch Pastor Chris Hodges: Church Is Not Just for Christians, Megachurch Pastor Les Hughey Admits 'Sinning' After 4 Women Accuse Him of Back Rubs, Sex, Birmingham Pastor Slams Local Megachurch as Racist, Tells Blacks to Get Out of White Churches. uhhhhhh never mind.. At first I was put off at what appeared to be putting down a ministry to restore ministers who fell into sexual sin. They would be calling him f-t and they were spraying water from a hose into his mouth while he was trying to tread water, Laurel alleged. What he failed to tell everyone is his RoundTable cost $7500 for the Pastor or $10,000 if they bring their spouse. Chris remains the senior pastor and Chancellor of Highlands College, a ministry training school that has trained and launched hundreds of students into full-time ministry careers all over the world. I once served Dino Rizzo, his wife and daughters while working at Ruths Chris Steakhouse just before the scandal broke of him having the extra marital affair. Chris has a deep passion for developing leaders and planting life-giving churches. Highlands Auburn East Campus is located a short distance from Interstate 85 in a facility on Samford Avenue in Auburn. He added that ARCs key executive salaries are set by an independent compensation committee and are based on independent compensation data. They can blame Carl, and not the culture in the church, she says. Christian Rocker Posts Stunning Response to Recent Apostasy of Christian Leaders, Chicago Radio Host & a Former Bodyguard Say James MacDonald Asked Them to Arrange Murders, James MacDonald Took Millions from Harvest & Now Demands Broadcast Ministry, Mancow Airs Shocking Comments By James MacDonald: My Response. Im not absolute that certain things ban a pastor for lifeif Paul can murder Stephen and become an apostle, that seems to exceed the Biblical restraintbut I do think that its key that a person demonstrate good behavior for a few years before resuming ministry. To donate, click here. 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. The same should be done with Dino. Ensure justice for those who are being crushed.. So he made a quick $307,500-$410,000. I am not the same Chris Hodges I was two weeks ago, Hodges said. Theyre wondering, where do you really stand? In 2001 Chris Hodges founded Church of the Highlands, now known as one of the largest churches in the U.S. with over 60,000 members and 23 campuses. According to Hodges, many of the pastors within his and Rizzos sphere of influence are experiencing moral failingsand restoring them is what Hodges wants to be known for., Pastor Dino (Rizzo) and I are in the middle of about 20 pastoral moral failures or restorations right now, Hodges announced last spring at Gather 2021a one-day conference, sponsored by the Association of Related Churches (ARC). 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. Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone by making a one-time donation today. The fact that it doesnt meet the demands for disclosure from The Roys Report or its readers doesnt mean it wasnt biblical or effective. We are protected by Trustees. It was his birthday. The Stockstill family still runs Bethany Church in Baton Rouge, LA as well as their other campuses. The church has been referred to as a cult by people who left the program. Michael Hodges, son Chris Hodges, founder and senior pastor of the nearly 40,000-member Church of the Highlands in Alabama, returned to the pulpit this month in what appears to be his first public engagement since he was removed as pastor of the churchs Greystone campus for a moral failing just over a year ago. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 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. Hes influenced churches all over the world.. I started to pull back and say, I dont want this anymore, leave me alone. But, the more you say no to him, the more he keeps coming back., Karim describes her relationship with Lentz as the most toxic thing Ive ever had to deal with.