As a lot because it purports to be a “optimistic and inspiring” different to the secular world, the world of Up to date Christian Music is way from being resistant to scandals and controversies.
In 1994, Michael English—who had simply received “Artist of the Yr” on the Dove Awards—confessed to having an affair with Marabeth Jordan, a member of the group First Name. English returned his awards, misplaced his recording contract, and was banished from Christian radio for a number of years. As for Jordan, she suffered a miscarriage, and regardless of contributing vocals to albums by CeCe Winans, George Strait, and Martina McBride, her profession by no means recovered like English’s.
Tait has loved unbelievable success whereas reaching hundreds of thousands of followers and releasing a few of CCM’s largest albums. He’s additionally a sexual predator.
Amy Grant, the “Queen of Christian Pop,” skilled a significant backlash in 1999 after submitting for divorce from husband Gary Chapman, additionally a musician. Stated backlash elevated when Grant married nation singer Vince Gill the next 12 months. (Opposite to widespread perception on the time, although, Grant and Gill by no means had an affair.) And naturally, earlier than that, Grant was accused of being too “worldly” when her 1991 album Coronary heart in Movement grew to become an enormous hit because of the only “Child Child.”
In 2020, singer/songwriter Chris Rice was accused of sexually assaulting a younger man within the late ’90s and early ’00s at varied worship retreats. Rice had beforehand been nominated for a number of Dove Awards, together with “New Artist of the Yr” and “Male Vocalist of the Yr,” profitable the latter in 1999.
Which brings us to 2025, and the earth-shattering and industry-shaking allegations surrounding Michael Tait.
As a member of DC Discuss and the Newsboys, two of essentially the most profitable CCM acts of all time, Tait has loved unbelievable success whereas reaching hundreds of thousands of followers and releasing a few of CCM’s largest albums (e.g., DC Discuss’s Jesus Freak, Newsboys’ God’s Not Useless). He’s additionally a sexual predator.
As reported by The Roys Report on June 4, Tait groomed and sexually assaulted different males for the reason that early ’00s. Throughout this time, Tait fronted his personal band earlier than turning into the Newsboys’ lead singer in 2009 and showing on celebrated albums like Born Once more and Hallelujah for the Cross.
All of this could show, past any doubt, that the Christian music {industry} is simply that, an {industry}.
Tait, who left the Newsboys in January, subsequently posted a confession on Instagram in response to The Roys Report article, admitting that he “used and abused cocaine, consumed far an excessive amount of alcohol, and at instances touched males in an undesirable, sensual method.” However within the days following The Roys Report’s preliminary article, extra horrific revelations got here to mild. Tait has now additionally been accused of sexually assaulting minors in addition to drugging a girl and watching a Newsboys crew member rape her. (Up to now, no legal expenses have been filed towards Tait, however given the severity of his actions, that looks as if a really distinct chance.)
As for the Newsboys, they admitted to listening to rumors of Tait’s conduct, rumors that he would “emphatically” deny. In a Fb submit dated June 5, they wrote that “our hearts had been shattered once we learn the information alleging drug abuse and inappropriate sexual actions by our former lead singer, Michael Tait” and “We’re horrified, heartbroken, and offended at this report and in some ways, we really feel as if we and our households have been deceived for the final fifteen years.”
Nevertheless, the Newsboys’ obvious ignorance has not saved their repute or profession. Christian radio stations together with Ok-LOVE, the nation’s largest Christian radio community, have stopped enjoying their music and the band has been dropped by their label, Capitol Christian Music Group. Making issues worse, the band’s newest album, Worldwide Revival (Deluxe), was launched just some weeks in the past, they usually’re set to play a number of U.S. and European festivals all through the summer season. Nevertheless, one pageant has already eliminated the Newsboys from their lineup, and extra cancellations could observe as followers strain promoters.
Extra damning nonetheless, Darren King (previously of Mutemath) posted a video on X during which he talked about his personal expertise with Tait’s advances earlier than providing a scathing denial of the Newsboys’ ignorance: “I discover it very onerous to consider that [Tait’s] bandmates didn’t know… If something about touring life or the music {industry}, there’s no method that bandmates and a supervisor wouldn’t learn about a police report.”
All of this could show, past any doubt, that the Christian music {industry} is simply that, an {industry}. And a really profitable and worthwhile {industry} at that. (Actual figures are onerous to seek out, however Christian music has grow to be a multi-billion-dollar enterprise nowadays.) Lots of these working in CCM, from the artists to the A&R of us to the label execs, are undoubtedly doing so with good and godly intentions. They see this as a religious calling, a solution to glorify God and unfold the Gospel of Christ.
Mixing celeb and wealth with ministry is a really fraught and harmful mixture.
Fame and cash, nonetheless, are powerfully corrupting influences, and maybe particularly so for Christians. Mixing celeb and wealth with ministry is a really fraught and harmful mixture. We’ve seen this play out in conditions with abusive pastors and worship leaders who loved a sure stage of fame and standing (e.g., Invoice Hybels, Robert Morris, Ravi Zacharias). It’s not onerous to see that very same dynamic at work within the Tait scenario, as nicely.
On this dynamic, persons are primed and prepared—even coerced—to miss sins, resist accountability, and silence victims. Maybe they don’t wish to lose the facility and status that they get pleasure from. Or possibly they simply can’t consider that somebody with a profitable ministry could be able to such grave sins, and so refuse to consider—or select to naïvely consider the most effective. Or possibly they’re afraid of besmirching a beloved and influential particular person’s Christian witness, and by extension, making God look unhealthy.
In any case, this dynamic sadly makes all of it too straightforward for rock stars like Tait—for all of its religion trappings, the Christian music {industry} does, certainly, have rock stars—to do horrible issues and get away with them for a lot too lengthy. (Within the weeks following the allegations, people inside the Christian music {industry}, together with former Newsboys producer Steve Taylor and Skillet’s John Cooper, have referred to as for reform and accountability.)
The Bible has some sharp phrases that strike on the very coronary heart of this dynamic. Individuals love to speak about Jesus’ pretty phrases in Matthew 18 about childlike religion: “Really, I say to you, until you flip and grow to be like kids, you’ll by no means enter the dominion of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this little one is the best within the kingdom of heaven.” It’s straightforward to gloss over the warning in his subsequent phrases: “Whoever causes certainly one of these little ones who consider in me to sin, it will be higher for him to have an important millstone fixed round his neck and to be drowned within the depth of the ocean.” Contemplating the impact that Tait’s actions have had on his victims’ religion, his millstone is sizable, certainly.
“The best single reason behind atheism on this planet at the moment is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then stroll out the door and deny him by their way of life.”
Later within the New Testomony, James writes that “Not a lot of it’s best to grow to be academics, my brothers, for that we who educate might be judged with better strictness.” This passage is commonly used within the context of pastors and different church leaders, as a reminder to show God’s Phrase with the utmost care. Its spirit, nonetheless, applies to anybody who misuses the standing and authority with which God has blessed them—even a Christian rock star who misused the celebrity he acquired from spreading the Good Information in an effort to abuse and assault those that regarded as much as him, noticed him as a job mannequin, and had been impressed by his obvious religion.
It’s deeply ironic that certainly one of Tait’s most well-known songs—“What If I Stumble” from DC Discuss’s Jesus Freak—begins with this recording of Brennan Manning: “The best single reason behind atheism on this planet at the moment is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then stroll out the door and deny him by their way of life. That’s what an unbelieving world merely finds unbelievable.” Tragically, it could be that Michael Tait’s best legacy as a Christian music star is making it that a lot tougher for an unbelieving world to consider in Christ.
