Ep. 477: Michael Tait, Southern Baptists Meet, Truett McConnell President Suspended

On today’s program, Christian music artist Michael Tait admits to living a “double life” after accusations surfaced that he had sexually groomed and assaulted multiple young men over the course of a decade. We’ll take a look. And, Southern Baptist abuse survivor died last week after a brief illness, sending shock waves through the community of abuse reform advocates. Before her death, she took part in a deposition, publicly revealing details of her abuse by an SBC leader. We’ll have details. Plus, pro-Israel evangelical Johnnie Moore is named chair of a Gaza aid group. But first, the trustees of Truett McConnell University have called for an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse against a former professor—and placed its president on leave under suspicions that he had helped cover it up. Truett McConnell University President Emir Caner has been placed on administrative leave following a special called meeting of TMU trustees Friday (June 6). The school, affiliated with Georgia Baptists, has been embroiled in controversy following allegations of sexual abuse against a former professor. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Laura Erlanson, Kathryn Post, Tony Mator, Kim Roberts, Bob Smietana, Yonat Shimron, Shannon Cuthrell, Brittany Smith, and Christina Darnell. A special thanks to Baptist Press for contributing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.   MANUSCRIPT:    FIRST SEGMENT Warren: Hello everybody. I’m Warren Smith, coming to you from Charlotte, North Carolina. Natasha: And I’m Natasha Cowden, coming to you from Denver, Colorado, and we’d like to welcome you to the MinistryWatch podcast. Warren: On today’s program, Christian music artist Michael Tait admits to living a “double life” after accusations surfaced that he had sexually groomed and assaulted multiple young men over the course of a decade. We’ll take a look. And, Southern Baptist abuse survivor died last week after a brief illness, sending shock waves through the community of abuse reform advocates. Before her death, she took part in a deposition, publicly revealing details of her abuse by an SBC leader. We’ll have details. Plus, pro-Israel evangelical Johnnie Moore is named chair of a Gaza aid group. Natasha: But first, the trustees of Truett McConnell University have called for an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse against a former professor—and placed its president on leave under suspicions that he had helped cover it up. Warren: Truett McConnell University President Emir Caner has been placed on administrative leave following a special called meeting of TMU trustees Friday (June 6). The school, affiliated with Georgia Baptists, has been embroiled in controversy following allegations of sexual abuse against a former professor. Natasha: The school also launched a third-party investigation. Warren: The school hired Richard Hyde with Phoenix Research, and it has installed John Yarbrough, TMU’s director of alumni and public policy, as acting president. Natasha: TMU alumna Hayle Swinson went forward last week with allegations that former TMU professor Bradley Reynolds groomed her and sexually abused her while she was a student athlete. Warren: Reynolds was employed at the school until February 2024 after Swinson went to police. Reynolds allegedly sent hundreds of emails and text messages to Swinson over a long period of time, some of them sexually explicit. It is unclear whether school administrators knew about Reynolds’ behavior before 2024. Natasha: Next, breaking news from the Christian Music world. Warren: Days after an investigation revealed allegations of sexual assault against Christian musician Michael Tait, the former Newsboys frontman publicly admitted to abusing cocaine and alcohol and touching men “in an unwanted sensual way.” Last week, The Roys Report reported that three men Tait met in the Christian music industry between 2004 and 2014 accused him of substance abuse and sexual assault. Natasha: Known for performing on Christian music hits such as DC Talk’s “Jesus Freak” (1996) and Newsboys’ “God’s Not Dead” (2011), Tait has been a mainstay of the contemporary Christian music world since the 1990s. He was a founding member of the Grammy Award-winning Christian rock trio DC Talk and later became the lead singer of Christian rock band Newsboys in 2009, before abruptly leaving in January. Warren: Tait admitted in his Instagram post that he was largely “living two distinctly different lives” and said he left Newsboys because he was “tired of leading a double life.” He said he is now sober after spending six weeks at a treatment center in Utah. He wrote, “I accept the consequences of my sin and am committed to continuing the hard work of repentance and healing-work I will do quietly and privately, away from the stage and spotlight,” Natasha: After the allegations against Tait, current Newsboys members Jody Davis, Duncan Phillips, Jeff Frankenstein and Adam Agee said in a statement they were “devastated” by the implications. Warren: When he left the band in January, Michael confessed to the band and management that he ‘had been living a double life,’ but bandmates said they never imagined that it could be this bad. America’s largest Christian radio network, K-LOVE, has since pulled DC Talk and Newsboys from its music rotation for the time being. Natasha: Next, Focus on the Family has joined a long list of conservative Christian ministries to receive a “hate group” designation by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). Warren: Specifically, the SPLC has labeled the Colorado Springs-based ministry an “anti-LGBTQ+ hate group” for its “biblical worldview strategy” that opposes same-sex marriage and affirms biological sexual identity. Natasha: But as the SPLC wrestles with mounting accusations that its hate lists are mere political hit lists, Focus on the Family is swinging back. Warren: In a statement reported by Colorado Politics, Focus on the Family president Jim Daly called the hate label “slander.” “It really is a faux hate list—just because Christians believe there’s a natural order to marriage and creating families and gender doesn’t make you homophobic or intolerant,” Daly said. “It’s common-sense beliefs that have stood the test of time for millennia.” Natasha: Released in May, the 2024 hate list includes 1,371 groups. Among those listed as anti-LGBTQ+ are numerous Christian ministries such as the Family Research Council, Alliance Defending Freedom, and D. James Kennedy Ministries. Warren: Daly suggested that the SPLC’s hate list has become just “a fundraising gimmick” that has “incited violence against innocent believers and fanned the very behaviors they claim they wish to combat.” Natasha: The latter claim seems to reference a 2012 incident in which a man shot a Family Research Council security guard while attempting a mass killing inspired by the SPLC hate group list. Warren: More recently, the Family Research Council has drafted a petition calling on the Department of Justice “to immediately sever all ties with the Southern Poverty Law Center and formally renounce its influence on federal law enforcement and public policy decisions.” Natasha: Warren, let’s look at one more story before our break. Warren: The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), a global ecumenical movement that works to unify evangelicals across geographical and denominational lines, has responded to a “whistleblower report” that criticized its leadership and governance. The whistleblower report raised concerns about the WEA ranging from its “increasing engagement with Roman Catholic institutions and broader ecumenical bodies” to the theological positions of some of its leaders. The report also claims the WEA lacks accountability because the chairman of the board also serves as the group’s chief executive officer. Natasha: The report did not identify the whistleblower, but it was published on April 29 by the Christian Council of Korea, which was previously part of the WEA. Warren: The WEA’s lengthy statement responds to the theological and governance concerns raised by the whistleblower document, noting that the upcoming General Assembly is slated for October 27-31 in Seoul. Natasha: Do we know the source of these accusations? Warren: No. The details of the whistleblower account were published in both Christianity Daily and Christian Daily International, publications that are part of a group of brands founded by Korean pastor David Jang. MinistryWatch attempted multiple times to reach Christian Daily International and Christianity Daily to ask about the source but received no reply. World Evangelical Alliance has 5 stars and an A transparency grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a donor confidence score of 93. Natasha: Warren, let’s take a quick break. When we return, abuse survivor and former Lifeway executive Jennifer Lyell died last week after a brief illness. But before she passed, she revealed details about her alleged abuse by former seminary professor David Sills. I’m Natasha Cowden, along with my co-host Warren Smith, and we’ll have that story and much more, after this short break.   BREAK   SECOND SEGMENT Natasha: Welcome back.  I’m Natasha Cowden, along with my co-host Warren Smith, and you’re listening to the MinistryWatch podcast. Next, the story we promised before the break. Warren: In early April, Jennifer Lyell, a former Christian publishing executive, sat for a deposition in a defamation lawsuit filed by her once mentor and professor David Sills. ...