After the surprise departure of Chris Reed from MorningStar Ministries last week, MorningStar’s founder, Rick Joyner, spoke to the congregation on Sunday, Sept. 1 about Reed’s resignation.
While Joyner says he was “shocked” but not “surprised,” he says it is the way that Chris left suddenly which he found most concerning.
“I did not feel that there was a shepherd’s heart revealed,” Joyner says. “A shepherd lays down their life for the sheep and certainly has regard for them. I didn’t feel like there was regard for me, for our board, any of this stuff that we had entrusted a lot to him. And I don’t think to just quit like that is what we ever need to do with anyone, with no notice.”
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Joyner discussed the lawsuit which had been filed against MorningStar regarding young men in a youth group from MorningStar who claim to have been sexually abused by a former volunteer at MorningStar, Erikson Lee. The suit against MorningStar read:
“At times from 2019-2022, Erikson Lee provided alcohol, vapes and pornography to children as young as thirteen (13) years old, including Plaintiff John Doe #1, and eventually sexually exploited and abused multiple minor male children in a youth program at MorningStar, including Plaintiff John Doe #1.”
Joyner says that some of the claims within the suit as “wildly untrue,” but that it is true how one of the volunteers used their ministry position to commit awful actions against minors from MorningStar.
“We don’t ever want this to ever happen again to anyone,” Joyner says. “If we go to court, we’re not going to be against these victims. We’re not going to be on one side…we’re on the same side. We want the truth.”
Joyner then turned his focus toward Reed and the reported relationship he had with a MorningStar Ministry student. He says that MorningStar looked into the claims from both Reed and the woman to figure out how to best deal with the situation.
“They said there had been no physical contact, just texts and things like this. And Chris had gone to his wife, Missy, with us, showed her his phone, showed her the texts,” says Joyner.
“He was put in a place of parole, kind of, went on a process of restoration where he met with Tom, I think once a week,” he continues. “He was being prepared to take over the leadership of the ministry…that was put on hold during this process, and after a little time we made him acting president, acting CEO because that was part of the process. And I honestly wanted to see how he [was] going to behave when he gets the authority.”
Joyner then discussed how many pastors today consider ministry a profession instead of a calling to be a shepherd over God’s flock.
“I honestly believe there are very few shepherds with a shepherd’s heart that are really seeking to protect God’s people as He said they would, which is lay down their life if they have to for the people,” Joyner explains.
In the MorningStar Ministries Facebook livestream of the Sunday service, Joyner says that the board made the best decision they could at the time with the evidence they had been presented.
“This lady affirmed to us as strongly as I could imagine, there was nothing physical in this relationship. She and Chris both affirmed that,” Joyner continues. “The [woman’s] mother affirmed it…we had to take their word that they cut it off, drawn a line, nothing physical had happened. Well, now I can say with a lot of confidence that’s not true. Neither one of them were telling us the truth.”
Joyner states that anything discovered further about the situation will be brought to light, not to be covered up. He also says that if Chris wanted to come back to the MorningStar family, he would be welcomed with open arms.
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Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.
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Michael L. Brown