Shawn Bolz Wasn’t Truthful, Say Bethel Church Leaders
Bill Johnson, in his portion of Sunday’s statement, said he “slowed things down” when it came to revealing allegations against Shawn Bolz. “I believe in people when they don’t deserve it,” Johnson wrote. Describing the prophetic minister as his friend, Johnson admitted that he didn’t want to believe the accusations.
RELATED: Former Bethel Worship Leader Steffany Gretzinger Explains How We’ve Gotten Worship Wrong
Although a Bolz staff member had told Johnson about traumatic experiences, Johnson failed to act, partly because he’s “not good at confrontation.” Johnson wrote, “I willingly rally to those in trouble. But in this instance, I did this at the expense of the victims.”
Near the end of the joint statement, Bethel Church leaders wrote:
The evidence we have seen concerning Shawn’s prophetic integrity has produced broken trust with his ministry. We believe that Shawn was not truthful in how he received his words of knowledge and prophetic words. We also acknowledge our belief that he engaged in sexually explicit and harassing behavior towards some members of his staff. We do not condone his actions, or endorse his ministry. We strongly advise you to take our position into account if you choose to interact with his materials.
Leaders then explained Bethel’s Safe Church process and encouraged any victims to reach out for support and counseling. “We are allowing the Lord to sift our hearts that we might walk in holiness, righteousness, purity, and the fear of the Lord before Him and before those whom He has entrusted us with,” they concluded.
Mike Winger Reacts To Bethel’s Statement
About the Jan. 25 statement from Bethel Church leadership, apologist Mike Winger noted there was “much to appreciate.” He posted, “It’s incredibly rare to see such openness and accountability from leaders on stage and I was very impressed by it,” adding, “There are also some significant concerns that should be noted.”
Winger said he will take time to process Bethel’s statement, before responding during a Jan. 30 livestream. “Praying for wisdom, hoping for the best, prioritizing the normal folks, and remembering the gnarly path that brought us here along with what a good way forward would look like,” Winger added.
Other people reacting to Bethel’s statement said it shouldn’t have taken so long for church leaders to speak up. “I’m so sad that you knew [about the allegations],” someone wrote on Facebook, adding that they’re “being addressed only after someone (Mike Winger) had the courage to do a FIVE HOUR video documenting evidence.”
“I commend [Bethel leaders] for their repentance,” another person commented. “Unfortunately, it came at such a severe cost. Many have walked away from God entirely due to the cover-up culture they cultivated surrounding this.”
Other people defended Bethel leadership. “Even leaders fall short, are fallible, miss the mark,” someone else wrote. “We all have sinned and fallen short.”
