Tipping Point
The tide is turning. I can feel it. All over the Western church, people are now speaking up and pushing back against the culture of abuse and the tolerance of it. Every day, new scandals are surfacing, and those who try to cover them up are being called out very publicly.
This past week, Mike Winger exposed the leaders of Bethel church for remaining silent. Last Sunday, one of the senior pastors at Bethel delivered a wishy-washy sermon that minimized the damage. The reaction was immediate, and yesterday the same pastor finally apologized profusely from the pulpit. There were tears, and I don’t think they were the crocodile kind. You can watch it here.
There is nowhere to hide anymore. The elephants in the room are being exposed. Accountability is now inevitable. It will happen willingly or under duress, but it will happen. And as one skeleton walks out of the proverbial closet, more will follow.
I think people are now fed up. I also believe that good-hearted church members and leaders who remained quiet for too long are seeing the writing on the wall, and their conscience is being pricked. Excuses do not hold up anymore. We now understand the dynamics of abuse much better than we did even ten years ago. The information is out there for those who are curious and care.
So will we be part of the change? Or will we continue to keep our heads in the sand? Will we have the courage to call out predators, have the painful conversations, challenge the bullies, and hold the ones who did the cover-up accountable? Or will we persist in singing Kumbaya and putting out good news videos in an effort to drown out the voices of the survivors?
Denial is not an option anymore. The time has come. There is no going back. I pray we can be on the right side of history.
This is such an important post. Thank you for naming the moment so clearly and boldly.
I can feel the shift too, and it’s encouraging to see someone articulate it with courage and clarity. Your voice matters, and it inspires those of us who have left high-control environments to believe that change is possible.
Keep shining light on what needs to be seen—it matters more than words can say.💜
Psalm 46:1 — God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Thank you for naming the danger of “Kumbaya”—unity without truth.
Over the years, I’ve also watched faithful brothers and sisters slowly step away—not because they stopped loving Jesus, but because they were tired, overwhelmed, or hurting. Often there was little space to truly sit with their pain. We prayed, moved forward, and continued with familiar structures, while their absence—and what it might be telling us—remained largely unspoken.
That feels like the kind of “Kumbaya” you’re warning against: harmony without reckoning.
I’m not writing to accuse anyone. I’m part of this story too, and I stayed silent for a long time.
Jesus never avoided what was uncomfortable. He confronted systems that burdened people, and He offered rest to the weary.
Following Him must lead us toward freedom, not fear.
I’m sharing this with grief and hope, not certainty. Thank YOU for opening space for honest reflection.