In a video that quickly gained traction online, Pastor Shane Idleman issued a bold and controversial announcement: “I’m leaving the charismatic community.” The statement, which raised eyebrows across both charismatic and evangelical circles, was not a rejection of the Holy Spirit or His gifts—but rather a call to return to biblical integrity, authentic revival and godly accountability.
“The title was a bit shocking,” Idleman says in an exclusive interview with Charisma Media. “But we didn’t know how else to word it.” His message wasn’t about forsaking spiritual gifts or denying God’s supernatural power. Instead, it was a prophetic cry for reform. “We need to get back to the Bible,” he says, pointing to leaders like A.W. Tozer, Leonard Ravenhill and David Wilkerson as examples of sound doctrine married with Spirit-led passion.
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Idleman lamented the current state of some corners of the charismatic world, where allegations of financial impropriety, false healings, fake prophecies and emotional manipulation have undermined the credibility of true revival. “There’s a lot of weirdness,” he says. “It’s not biblical. It lacks integrity.”
Drawing from his own church’s revival experiences in Los Angeles County—marked by repentance, brokenness and full altars—Idleman contrasted the noise of hype-driven services with what Scripture describes as genuine moves of God. “Revival is not how loud you can get or how bizarre you can become. It’s a sovereign move of God’s Spirit upon a desperate people crying out for awakening.”
At the heart of Idleman’s message is a call for accountability. He believes many charismatic leaders have isolated themselves from correction, avoiding elder oversight and brushing aside criticism as mere “spiritual warfare.”
“Sometimes, it’s not the devil,” he warns. “Sometimes it’s God confronting character.”
According to Idleman, real repentance means owning one’s actions, making amends and walking humbly before God. “There is fruit of repentance,” he emphasizes. “Right now, we just don’t see a lot of that. We see defending and deflecting.”
Adding to the personal cost, Idleman revealed that YouTube recently removed his church’s entire video archive—15 years of sermons gone overnight. “I’ve been wrongly accused before,” he says. “So my heart is not in attack mode. But there comes a time when you have to say: ‘This doesn’t look good. You have to own this.’”
He also cautioned against the other extreme—Christians who delight in tearing others down online. “The body of Christ must speak the truth in love. We should not be excited about making videos that destroy people.”
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Idleman ultimately gives a powerful reminder: “True revival isn’t clean. But it’s not weird for the sake of weird, either. It elevates Christ, exposes sin, brings repentance and draws people to the fear of the Lord. Without that, it’s not revival—it’s mockery.”
His message is striking a chord with those desperate for a reformation within the charismatic movement—one rooted not in hype, but in holiness. In a time of confusion and controversy, Idleman’s call serves as a timely reminder that true spiritual awakening honors Christ above all else.
Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.
I agree whole heartedly with the pastor!
So often, there’s a focus on the extremes and excesses, with the impression that that’s the way of the majority. Most Charismatic ministers are sound and godly, with a desire to honor God and His Word and serve as He leads.