Powell expressed her sorrow regarding Joiner’s alleged sexual abuse through words of lament:
I lament that I was unaware, and that my unawareness meant women were harmed, including Kristen, and didn’t experience the freedom they deserved. I lament the sin of abuse and its power to destroy so many lives. And when it’s clergy sexual abuse, its manipulation is enveloped in spirituality, which makes the impact all the more twisted and traumatic. I lament that this is just one more example on a seemingly never-ending list of clergy misconduct. I grieve that the level of misconduct and moral failure in ministry contexts is such that it’s hard to even keep up with. I lament that malformed leaders are leading others in malformed ways.
“I love the Orange mission and have valued Orange as a partner,” Powell stated. However, she said, “at this time, there are too many unknowns for me to feel peace about being a main stage speaker at the 2025 Orange Conference.”
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Powell said that she cannot speak at an Orange Conference until she has the “confidence that the seriousness of the public allegations against Reggie Joiner are receiving the care and attention they deserve in a transparent process.” She clarified she wants to see this transparency from both the ReThink board, which was overseeing Orange during the time the accusations took place, and the Amazing Life Foundation, with which Orange recently merged.
Powell also said that she “cannot speak at Orange” until she is “certain that women who may have been victimized have been able to share their stories.” She said it is “especially troubling” that the survivors’ “exploitation seems to have started when they were young people.” That is a “life stage,” Powell said, she feels called “to serve and advocate for.”
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“My withdrawal is not meant to be a permanent judgment on any organization,” Powell said. “It is a reflection of my hope and my urging—that this challenging moment be met with courage, character, and clarity.”
“I believe in the possibility of repentance, accountability and healing, and that the current investigation can be part of that process,” she added. “And it is my hope that I, and other colleagues, would be able to collaborate with Orange in the future when the allegations have been fully addressed and women have been heard.”
Powell, echoing statements made by Strickland, Alcoholics Anonymous, and Jesus, said, “Danielle Strickland is right that we can handle the truth. Alcoholics Anonymous is right that we are only as sick as our secrets. Most importantly, Jesus is right in John 8:32 that ‘the truth will set you free.’”
“When confronted with abuses of power, I will side with those who are the most marginalized and silenced,” she said. “I side with survivors of abuse.”
ChurchLeaders reached out to Orange and will update this article in the event of a response.
 that she has withdrawn herself as a speaker at this year’s Orange Conference following new allegations that Reggie Joiner committed sexual abuse.){kind=link}