Category: Latests

More than 50,000 people waved and cheered last year as Tom Hicks, with a big white beard and a jolly “ho, ho, ho,” passed by in a sleigh. The 68-year-old man on the float pulled by a pickup truck was the grand finale of the Lakeland, Florida, Christmas parade, as he had been every year for more than a decade.

“It’s Santa!” an employee in the city’s communication department said on the public-access TV broadcast. “We know him!”

But now local authorities say the town didn’t know the real “Santa.” Thomas Allen Hicks, a retired Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) pastor, was arrested on April 21 and charged with sex trafficking.

Hicks allegedly tried to pay an undercover detective $200 to have sex with a 13-year-old girl. According to the sheriff’s office, Hicks said he would be gentle and “give her pleasure.” He now faces a possible life sentence.

“It’s scary because this guy was well respected in the community,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at an April 29 press conference. “Thousands and thousands and thousands of children have sat on this guy’s lap thinking he was Santa Claus, when in fact what he was, was a child sex predator.”

The sheriff himself appeared in a photo with Hicks a few weeks before his arrest. Now Judd says there are “not enough bad words” to describe a man like Hicks and “all the bad things” he’s done.

“He’s not going to be Santa Claus next year,” the sheriff said.

13 years leading Lakeland church

Hicks grew up wanting to be a pastor like his dad, he told an Orlando arts magazine in 2022. He was ordained in the C&MA and led churches in North Carolina and the Florida Panhandle before moving to Central Florida. He served as senior pastor of First Alliance Church in Lakeland from 2009 to 2022, retiring shortly after his 65th birthday.

In his final sermon, Hicks noted he’d preached to the small congregation more than 600 times in 13 years. He had officiated at roughly 50 funerals and baptized nearly 70 new believers.

Preaching from Philippians 1:3-5, he told members of the church he would look for each of them in heaven, as they were very special to him.

“You’ve seen my shortcomings and loved me anyway,” Hicks said. “None of us are perfect, but I want you to know that we love you, and God loves you, and he has something special for your life.”

First Alliance Church released a statement May 2 expressing shock and sadness at Hicks’ arrest.

“The news has been a surprise to us just as it has been to this community,” the church said. “This outrageous and horrible situation is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ and not what He, God, condones in our lives.”

Allegedly believed girl was 13

According to the Polk County sheriff’s arrest report, Hicks told detectives he has been married for more than 50 years but regularly visits websites advertising the services of sex workers, looking for “hookers” and “companions.”

Detectives said that on April 20 Hicks saw a website advertisement for a 15-year-old Lakeland girl. The “girl” was instead part of a sting operation — involving 12 law enforcement agencies — called “Polk Around and Find Out.” A photo of a county employee was manipulated and de-aged to look like a child. The phone number listed in the ad connected to a detective pretending to be a man prostituting his daughter for rent money.

“She’s not very experienced,” the detective texted back to Hicks, according to the arrest report. “She is 13 dude …. if that’s not for you please let me know.”

Hicks allegedly texted back: “Wow, I didn’t know she was so young! I liked her looks.”

Detectives reported that the retired pastor was worried this might be a sting operation and asked the “father” if he was with law enforcement. He said no, and asked Hicks if he was with law enforcement. Hicks allegedly texted a photo of himself touching his ear to prove he was who he said he was.

Worried about reputation

“You can trust me 100%,” Hicks wrote, according to the arrest report. “How much for 1 hour? … She looks like a real cutie.”

Hicks allegedly agreed to pay the man $200. He was arrested in the parking lot of an area business the following day, carrying two $100 bills. The phone in his hand had the same number as the phone that texted the detectives, according to the sheriff’s office.

Hicks confessed, detectives said, telling the deputies that he knew he shouldn’t be trying to have sex with a 13-year-old or even having sexual thoughts about her. He allegedly said he “kept coming back” because he “was intrigued.”

“Throughout the duration of the interview, the suspect remained calm,” detectives wrote, “and seemingly only showed an increase in emotion when prompted about his wife or his reputation.”

Hicks was charged with human trafficking of a victim under 18 and soliciting a person believed to be a guardian of a child 13 or under to engage in sexual conduct. He was also charged with using a vehicle, computer and phone “for the purpose of engaging in unlawful sexual conduct.”

The sheriff’s office said it was the first time Hicks had ever been charged. He had no previous criminal history.

Warning to Easter Bunny

Law enforcement officers arrested 18 other men during the week-long sting operation. One allegedly said he’d served in the U. S. Marine Corps. Another had been in the Air Force. One man is accused of driving more than two hours, hoping to rape a child. Another, 27, reportedly told the undercover officer he was “definitely convinced” it was a sting operation, but showed up anyway with a box of condoms.

“You can’t fix these people,” the sheriff said in his press conference. “These are dangerous people.”

The sheriff said he hopes to make an example of these men and send them to prison for life.

“Anyone else that wants to hide behind Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny or any other child event to get to children, we’re coming after you,” he said. “If you’re the Easter Bunny, we’ll hop you right in prison to go with Santa Claus.”

Hicks is being held without bond. His next court appearance is scheduled May 26.

Report by Daniel Silliman

After convicted felon and Gateway Church founder Robert Morris was released from an Oklahoma jail shortly after 12 a.m. Tuesday, he put out a 729-word statement asking forgiveness from victim Cindy Clemishire.

Clemishire, now a grandmother living in Oklahoma, said she’d forgiven Morris years ago but forgiveness “does not erase the truth of what happened or the lifelong impact it has had on me.”

Morris had just served a six-month sentence after pleading guilty to five felony counts of lewd indecent acts involving Clemishire, then a 12-year-old girl back in the 1980s, as reported by The Roys Report (TRR).

As he left the jail, Morris was instructed to start making monthly payments of $40 beginning April 30 to pay an outstanding balance of $8,427.50 in incarceration fees.

As part of his plea agreement, Morris, 64, agreed to pay the victim $270,000.

“What I did to Cindy decades ago was wrong,” Morris’ statement said. “There is no other word for it, and there is no excuse for it. I am deeply sorry. I have carried the weight of that wrong for a very long time, and I am grateful — genuinely grateful — that the Clemishires had the courage to bring this into the light. It is only in the light that things can truly be addressed and healed.

“Many years ago, I sought their forgiveness privately, and as Cindy’s father recently noted, he extended that grace to me — a grace I did not deserve and have never taken for granted. I ask again, publicly and sincerely, for the forgiveness of Cindy and her entire family. Whatever healing lies ahead for them, I pray for it with all my heart. 

The allegations against Morris were first reported publicly by The Wartburg Watch in June 2024, prompting Morris to resign from Gateway. He had previously described the abuse as a “moral failure” involving a “young lady” but avoided specifics.

Clemishire disputed the “young lady” moniker, saying she “was a 12-year-old girl who was sexually abused on Christmas Day 1982.”

In an interview with TRR, Clemishire said she wore “pink pajamas with bloomer pants over my underwear” at the time.

In reflection over Morris’ statement, “His words today are, in many ways, what any victim would hope to hear,” Clemishire said later on Tuesday. “But it is still deeply disheartening that those words were not spoken directly to me and my family on October 2nd, when he stood before the court and pleaded guilty. That moment mattered.”

In the six months Morris sat in a jail cell in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, he declined all media interviews. But he did meet with Pastor Landon Schott of Fort Worth’s Mercy Culture church, who declared God had forgiven Morris.

“While I hope his statement reflects genuine remorse, I cannot know whether those words came from his heart or were carefully prepared for him,” Clemishire said. “What I do know is this: what happened to me on December 25, 1982, when I was 12 years old, was not a relationship—it was a crime. And it changed the course of my life forever.

“For decades, a false narrative was allowed to exist—one that minimized the truth and helped build a platform and following, while my life was left in pieces. That reality cannot be overlooked.

“My healing journey is ongoing and will be for the rest of my life. But today is not just about me—it is about truth being acknowledged, and about accountability finally taking place.

“I am deeply grateful to those who stood beside me in that pursuit of justice, including Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, District Attorney Gayland Gieger, and lead investigator Kylie Turner. Their commitment ensured that what was hidden for so long was finally brought into the light.

“My hope moving forward is that this case helps create space for other survivors to be heard, believed, and protected—and that the truth is never again rewritten at the expense of a victim’s life.”

During Morris’ time in jail, Clemishire crusaded and spoke at conferences, advocating against nondisclosure agreements in settlements involving child sexual abuse.

In her home state, the Oklahoma House of Representatives voted 88-0 to approve The Clemishire Act, which awaits approval by the Oklahoma Senate. It is part of a national movement to end NDAs in sexual abuse cases, as previously reported by TRR. 

The measure makes any settlement agreement void and unenforceable if it conceals details of child sexual abuse or exploitation claims. Identifying information for victims would remain confidential under the bill.

The law would apply retroactively to settlement agreements, regardless of when they were signed. The legislation also removes any statute of limitations on prosecuting sex crimes against children.

Morris’ statement also apologized to fellow Christians.

“I also want to speak to the Body of Christ. I am sorry. I am sorry for the pain, the confusion, and the damage that has come upon so many believers because of my actions. That is a weight I carry, and it is right that I carry it.

“I have thought a great deal about what it means that this was brought to a legal resolution. At first, that was a hard thing to handle. But the more time I spent in that jail cell, the more clearly I could see that what the Clemishire family set in motion was an act of integrity, and that it gave me something I needed — a moment of true reckoning in the eyes of the law, not just in my own heart or before God. It opened my eyes to things I had not fully seen.”

Morris founded Gateway in the west Dallas suburbs in 2000 and watched it morph into a megachurch attracting more than 25,000 attendees.

A one-time bestselling author and spiritual adviser to President Donald Trump, Morris’ reputation took a hit while civil lawsuits have piled up against him and Gateway Church. 

Numerous former elders at Gateway, as well as several prominent Christian leaders say they knew about Morris’ abuse of Clemishire for decades.

They include XO Marriage founder Jimmy Evans and Colorado Springs pastor Brady Boyd. The latter was forced out of his pulpit because his elders didn’t believe his claims of ignorance about Morris’ abuse.

Morris said he had no future plans to speak of.

“As I look ahead, I do not have a grand announcement to make about what comes next,” the statement read. “What I have is gratitude — for (his wife) Debbie, for my family, for those who loved me when I was hardest to love, and for the mercy that I do not deserve but have been given. I intend to live quietly and with integrity, and to be the kind of husband, father, grandfather, and man who reflects that mercy in how he treats others.”

Report by Sheila Stogsdill

Charismatic pastor and bestselling “Crazy Love” author Francis Chan has finally apologized for his lengthy silence concerning fallen church leaders whom he once heartily endorsed.

In a 1,300-word statement released Friday, Chan also refused to name names and excused his reluctance by saying biblically, he’s supposed to be slow to speak.

“I know that my endorsements of leaders who have later fallen have added to the hurt and heartbreak experienced by the Body, and for this, I sincerely apologize,” Chan stated.

“I believe it is important and necessary for scandals to be exposed publicly. I just don’t see a biblical mandate for everyone to weigh in on them.”

A two-year wait

Chan, who leads the We Are Church house church network in San Francisco, has been associated with Mike Bickle, disgraced former leader of the International House of Prayer in Kansas City (IHOPKC).

A third-party investigation last February found Bickle sexually abused 17 women over decades. In November 2023, Bickle was accused of using prophecy to sexually abuse a 19-year-old woman. Two more women came forward, saying Bickle groomed and sexually abused them beginning when they were 14 and 15.  

Chan was also associated with now-discredited charismatic pastor Chris Reed.  

And he served on the board for Gospel for Asia (GFA), which agreed in 2019 to refund $37 million to donors to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging rampant fraud. Chan made no apology Friday for defending GFA and his mentor, GFA founder K.P. Yohanan, even after the 2019 settlement.

The statement on his website titled, “Tremble at His Words, Be Careful with Your Own: A Public Apology for Careless Words I Have Spoken,” spells out that Chan no longer endorses Bickle. Chan said he’s been recently convicted by reading Matthew 12 to the point of “trembling” about his careless public words. He also apologized for the hurt that his past endorsement caused.

Chan also said that before the internet, leaders who once made endorsements weren’t expected to denounce their fallen brethren.

“Only in recent years has it become the expectation that everyone who ever publicly affirmed someone as a brother or sister must publicly denounce them if they fall,” he wrote.

Moreover, he didn’t want to draw more attention to disgraced leaders.

“I understand that some people see it as apathetic or irresponsible to refrain from commenting on these situations,” he wrote. “But I would ask you to consider that after issues have been disclosed about someone, there may be some of us who remain silent, not because we don’t care, but because we believe there is already too much focus and discussion about these people.”

But IHOPKC whistleblowers and advocates are saying Chan is simply making excuses for staying silent about abuse.

“He wasn’t asked to apologize, he was asked to support a public call for an investigation into his friend having sexually abused teenagers,” wrote Alyssa Degraff, IHOPKC advocate, on X. “Is that something you’re neutral about?”

Awen Dunning, an IHOPKC whistleblower, wrote of her frustration on X.

“Weak. Too late,” she posted on X. “I didn’t see an apology for all the times he covered for these guys when people were crying out in the streets. He called them gossip when they were asking for help.”

Chan also apologized for his comments in a sermon for a July 2021 Send conference, sponsored by IHOPKC. Chan called people “so foolish” for abandoning Bickle on the basis of negative rumors.

Chan said he was thinking of criticism circulating about Bickle’s prophetic and end-times theology.

“In light of everything that came out afterwards, I regret saying that, as I realize I could have discouraged people who had legitimate concerns or given the impression that silence is best when there is real abuse or unrepentant sin,” Chan stated.

Chan’s past connections to Bickle, other fallen leaders

The first time that Chan reportedly publicly endorsed Bickle was in the closing days of 2013 at IHOPKC’s uber-popular annual Onething conference in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.

“I love Mike Bickle,” Chan declared to the crowd at the Bartle Hall Convention Center.

Last Friday, Chan’s elders for We are Church, wrote in a 2,400-word companion statement that Chan vetted Bickle before speaking there.

“The consistent testimony Francis received was that Mike was a man of strong character and deep devotion to Jesus,” the elders stated.

Elders Kevin Kim, Rob Zabala, Sean Brakey and Joe Moore offered a timeline of Chan’s associations with fallen leaders. They said they also looked into any concerns — usually theological in nature — about Bickle but found nothing too concerning.

“As we evaluated these concerns that were publicly available at the time, we did not see anything that warranted breaking the relationship with Mike or IHOP,” they stated.

Concerning the Send conference to which Bickle had invited Reed, Chan’s elders said they believed Reed’s prophecies were credible and also relied on IHOPKC’s endorsement of Reed. Chan seemed to defend Reed’s prophecies, in a sermon, urging people not to discredit prophets simply because they don’t believe in prophetic gifts. Over the years, people have used this clip to say Chan endorsed Reed. The elders denied this.

“(Chan) was attempting to stir faith in people in regard to prophecy, not issue a formal endorsement of Chris Reed,” the elders stated.

In  2024, Reed admitted to engaging in sexual misconduct in 2021, while preparing to become CEO of the South Carolina-based prophetic ministry MorningStar. In January of this year, some of Reed’s former friends released videos discrediting Reed’s ministry even more.

Chan’s elders stated Chan has been unaware of such wrongdoing when he’s made endorsements.

“Had credible information of that nature been known to him at that time, he would not have partnered with or endorsed these individuals in the way he did,” the elders stated.

But they acknowledged that Chan’s past endorsements gave erring leaders credibility.

“Francis sometimes spoke strongly in defense of certain leaders, particularly when seeking unity, which may have unintentionally overshadowed or minimized concerns from others,” the elders stated. “Looking back, we recognize that some sincere believers were raising legitimate questions. Those voices deserved to be heard more carefully. We are sorry for the confusion, hurt, and loss of trust that these situations have caused.”

The elders said that in 2021, Chan warned leaders at the Send conference to guard against pride, greed and sexual misconduct.

“Please don’t let me down,” Chan stated.

This shows Francis wasn’t “blindly” promoting them, the elders stated.

They also pointed out that in 2023, when Chan learned of sexual abuse allegations against Bickle, Chan got on a plane to confront him. However, Reed literally blocked Chan’s entry into Bickle’s home.

“From that moment, Francis refused speaking engagement requests from IHOPKC and immediately stopped endorsing Mike or the ministry of IHOPKC in any way,” the elders stated.

Chan wrote that he’s seen “hundreds” of leaders fall during his 40 years of ministry.

But he added, “(I)f I were to make public statements every time I was wrong about someone I once trusted, sadly, it would be a very, very long list.”

More than 160 recordings of Ravi Zacharias’ talks and lectures are online again, five years after the deceased apologist’s ministry confirmed allegations of his grooming and sexual abuse and took everything down.

A new website, The Ravi Zacharias Library, is selling audio recordings for $3.50, $7 and $10 each.

A family-run Facebook account announced the launch of the library to its nearly 9,000 followers on January 4. “Ravi was uniquely gifted and used by the Lord to share the beauty of the Gospel,” the post said. “We’re thankful to be able to make his content available, once again.”

Zacharias’ son Nathan published an edited version of the statement on his website on Jan. 5.

“Ultimately, this is the Lord’s truth, story, and work,” he wrote. “Our hope is that … God may use it as He wills, and those who seek it may find it.”

Former staff and leaders who pushed for accountability at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM), told The Roys Report (TRR) they were surprised, shocked, angry and heartbroken over the launch of the library.

“I stand in support of the women who were abused by Zacharias,” Amy Orr-Ewing, former president of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics, said in an email. “I cannot see any reason to publicise Zacharias’ messages.”

Carson Weitnauer, who worked in RZIM’s Atlanta office until he resigned in protest in 2021, said after he got over the surprise, he was overcome with sadness.

“Ravi would talk about how he’d leave no stone unturned in the quest for truth,” Weitnauer told TRR. “But then this library is burying the truth in the quest for profit.”

Talks and lectures removed from the Internet

Until this week, the disgraced apologist’s work appeared to be headed for oblivion. While evangelicals disagree widely about who should be “cancelled” — and what merits cancellation — Zacharias’ work was effectively disappearing.

Seven months after he died in 2020, Christian radio networks across the United States stopped rebroadcasting Zacharias’ popular program Let My People Think. HarperCollins, the largest publisher of Christian books in the U.S., pulled his titles, including several bestsellers. HarperCollins also halted plans for a final posthumous work.

Another apologist, Lee Strobel, stopped publication of a book that featured a 19-page interview with Zacharias. He released a revised edition “updated and expanded,” with the interview excised.

RZIM itself removed Zacharias’ talks, lectures and Q&As from the internet, expressing regret at the hurt he caused multiple women over the course of many years.

The apologetics ministry’s website remains dormant today. RZIM appears inactive, though CEO Peter Sorensen has continued to file paperwork with the state of Georgia to keep RZIM open.

A few old videos of Zacharias’ teaching remain on YouTube. They are interspersed with others titled “What Ravi Zacharias Did,” “Ravi Zacharias: A Tragic Missed Repentance” and “Is Ravi Zacharias in Heaven? Thoughts.”

Several stray audio recordings are available on SoundCloud, including one lecture on “desacralization” that has been streamed more than 18,000 times. And there are still many used books for sale online.

But someone who doesn’t accept the evidence of Zacharias’ abuse — or doesn’t think the abuse diminishes the value of his teaching — would be hard pressed to find much to watch or listen to.

‘Legacy will be restored’

Nathan Zacharias has been fighting to change that. Since 2021, the youngest of Zacharias’ three children and the only son has pushed and pleaded with RZIM to give the copyrights over to the family.

“I believe that one day my Dad’s actual legacy will be restored,” Nathan Zacharias wrote at the time.

Zacharias rejects the investigations of his father that found evidence of sexual abuse, including the investigation paid for and accepted by RZIM. He has accused those involved of being dishonest, biased, unethical and cruel. His website is called “Defending Ravi.”

Part of the defense is attacking the evidence, part attacking the procedures and part attempting to gain control of intellectual property.

In 2023, the board considered licensing Zacharias’ likeness, image and audio to the family for five years. The offer came with some conditions.

“It would be important that we agree not to disparage one another, publicly or otherwise,” the board said in a letter to Zacharias’ younger daughter, Naomi Zacharias Zumbach. “Our partnership in this project with you would be difficult if such disparagement occurs.”

The board also asked for a commitment to “pursue a biblical reconciliation” that might repair the relationship between the board and the Zacharias family.

Zumbach, who now runs a humanitarian grant-making organization, rejected the terms. In a letter later shared on the Defending Ravi site, she accused the RZIM board of engineering the terms so that the family would have to reject them.

“The mission or the organization … once included ‘the preaching and teaching of Ravi Zacharias,’” Zumbach wrote. “I do hope you will honor that part of the mission and make his resources available once again.”

Zumbach said she was speaking for her brother and mother, Margie Zacharias. The eldest Zacharias daughter, former RZIM CEO Sarah Phillips, was not involved.

Family controls intellectual property

It is unclear how negotiations over the intellectual property and copyright have developed in the last two years. The Ravi Zacharias Library, Nathan Zacharias, RZIM, and Peter Sorensen did not reply to emails with questions about the legal arrangements.

According to the “about page” on the new website, the library is run by family members and not associated with RZIM.

“We have no affiliation with RZIM today, nor knowledge of their current activities,” this site says. “Per RZIM’s request, we removed any mention of RZIM operations from these recordings.”

The website does not indicate whether more audio or other materials will be made available on the site in the future, or if this is a complete collection.

In its first few days online, the Ravi Zacharias Library also experimented with other efforts to restore Zacharias’ reputation. A biography, later pulled down, did not mention any controversies or scandals, presenting the late apologist as a modern saint.

“His gentleness, humility and calling were evident not just his preaching, but in his heart for those in need,” the bio said. “People would marvel at the evident mark of the Holy Spirit upon him.” 

Former RZIM board member Stacy Kassulke called the bio “a doozy.”

Kassulke said the whole project seems like an effort to evade reckoning with the real harm that Zacharias did.

“This release is heartbreaking, but not surprising,” she said. “If we’re still at the first stage of even simply acknowledging the events, there’s a long way to go.”

Experts say many Christian leaders have attempted a comeback after scandal, but the posthumous restoration of a ruined reputation is unheard of.

Christian publishing veteran Jeff Crosby, president of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, said he couldn’t think of any examples from his 42 years in the industry.

Historian Suzanna Krivulskaya, author of Disgraced: How Sex Scandals Transformed American Protestantism, said she didn’t know of any from history.

“Most got away with things while still alive,” Krivulskaya told TRR. But considering how often abusive behavior has been excused with platitudes about the biblical King David and how God uses broken people, she said, “I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Report by Daniel Silliman

A woman who was sexually abused by a Hillsong worship leader has refused to sign a settlement offer by the Australian megachurch because it included a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).  

On Thursday, Anna Crenshaw, daughter of a Pennsylvania pastor, told reporters outside of a court in Sydney, Australia, “I will not give up my voice. This has never been about money for me, but about justice and accountability, which we’ve not received this week.” 

According to NCA Newswire, the failed settlement would have required Crenshaw to sign an NDA. It also required Crenshaw to co-sign a statement saying that Hillsong had reported the assault immediately, which would conflict with her repeated statements in recent years. 

A former student at Hillsong College, Crenshaw, now 26, has stated that she was touched inappropriately by former Hillsong staff administrator Jason Mays at a party in early 2016.

In January 2020, Mays pleaded guilty to an assault with an act of indecency in the Penrith Local Court. A judge sentenced Mays to two years’ probation and mandatory counseling, but no criminal conviction will remain on his record, according to media reports. 

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Two years ago, Crenshaw sued Hillsong Church over negligence and breach of duty, in a case recently set for a five-day trial at New South Wales (NSW) Supreme Court. The suit, which also names Mays, claims the church has “(no) policy or procedure in place for the proper or adequate handling of complaints of sexual assault.”

In a statement, Hillsong leaders said they entered into “good faith discussions” with Crenshaw last week, but the church has denied being “liable for the assault.” The statement noted: “We reject any suggestion that we attempted to prevent Anna from having her day in Court or that there were any attempts to silence or intimidate her.” 

Crenshaw’s attorney, Boz Tchividjian, whose law practice specializes in representing church abuse survivors, praised Crenshaw. 

“So proud of my client for rejecting a settlement that would have been ‘hush money,’” he said in a post on X. “Settlement payments are for damages the institution inflicted upon the victim, not to buy the victim’s silence.”

Crenshaw told media in 2021 that Hillsong did not relay her report of sexual misconduct to police for five months. That disclosure occurred only after her father, Ed Crenshaw, pastor of Victory Church in the greater Philadelphia area, complained to Hillsong leaders, she said.  

“Everything is centered on trying to keep her story quiet for five months to try to obscure it, to try to minimize it, and to try to get Anna, I think, ultimately to drop it,” Ed Crenshaw told 60 Minutes Australia, in a program that aired in September 2021.

However, this week Hillsong claimed that the church provided Anna Crenshaw support and “respected Anna’s directions and requests for confidentiality.” 

The church statement added: “After undertaking its own investigations and obtaining independent legal advice, Hillsong reported the matter to the NSW Police after notifying Anna’s representative of its intention to do so.” 

The incident occurred during the leadership tenure of Hillsong founder Brian Houston, who resigned from the global megachurch in March 2022 after an internal investigation found he acted inappropriately towards two women. 

“We’re not talking about a sexual predator here,” Houston told church staff at the time, regarding Mays. 

Seeking justice following assault by church staffer

In 2016, when Crenshaw was 18, when studying at Hillsong College, she attended a party hosted by a Hillsong congregant.

Several church staff, including worship leader Jason Mays, were reportedly drinking. As reported by Vanity Fair, Mays “moved closer to Crenshaw and put his hand on her inner thigh.” 

Crenshaw said in a statement: “When I stood up, Jason grabbed me, putting his hand between my legs and his head on my stomach and began kissing my stomach. I felt his arms and hands wrapped around my legs making contact with my inner thigh, butt, and crotch.” 

At the time, Jason Mays’ father, John Mays, served as head of human resources at Hillsong. Crenshaw waited two years to report the assault. She disclosed it to Hillsong’s head of pastoral care, who reportedly told her, “I’m sure he’s very sorry.” 

“There’s so much shame that comes along with these types of abuses, and victims shouldn’t feel shame,” Crenshaw told media last week. “. . . They have, from day one, tried to silence me.” 

Following Crenshaw’s report to the church, Jason Mays was banned from ministry at Hillsong for a year, according to a church statement at the time. The church later rehired Mays.

Jason Mays later told Australian Christian media outlet Eternity News that the 2016 party was the “first time” he had been drunk. “In my zombie-like state, I crossed a boundary,” said Mays.

During Mays’ criminal trial, a witness, Gerald Salmon, disputed Crenshaw’s recollection of the events. Salmon, among a group of friends who left the party with Crenshaw, stated in court that Mays “did not touch her crotch. Neither did he touch her inner thigh or kiss her stomach.”

Mays also addressed the Crenshaw family in his media interview, saying, “I wish with everything inside of me that we could have resolved this differently. I wish my apologies had been enough.” 

According to media reports, Brian Houston said in 2021: “The Lord has forgiven Jason, and we felt he deserved another chance.” 

In February 2023, Phil and Lucinda Dooley, longtime ministers and friends of the Houstons, who pastor a Hillsong church in South Africa, were announced as the new “global senior pastors” of Hillsong. 

The church’s 350-word statement noted Mays was not acting as church staff during the 2016 assault. “(It) occurred at a private gathering of friends attended by the now former staff member in his personal capacity and arranged without the knowledge or involvement of Hillsong.” 

The legal maneuvering has been constant from the church, Crenshaw told media last week. 

“I was seeking some justice, and I was ready for that Monday, and I feel like Hillsong ripped that opportunity from me, and they’ve delayed the pain,” said Crenshaw. “. . . despite their new leadership, they have the same tactics.”

The case, Crenshaw v. Hillsong Church Ltd., at NSW Supreme Court in Sydney, has been adjourned until May 13, when a new trial date will be set

Report by Josh Shepherd

Two well-known Christian worship leaders, Kevin Prosch and Misty Edwards, privately confessed to a years-long affair that started before Prosch and his second wife divorced, sources told The Roys Report (TRR).

According to Brent Steeno, Edwards told him about an affair with Prosch in December 2021. Steeno is a former staff member at the International House of Prayer Kansas City (IHOPKC) and Bickle’s personal ministry, Friends of the Bridegroom (FOTB). Steeno said Edwards told him the affair was ongoing and had begun seven years earlier, around 2014.

Prosch and his second wife, Shelly Bickle, divorced in August 2016, records show. Shelly Bickle is the sister of International House of Prayer Kansas City (IHOPKC) Founder Mike Bickle who’s been embroiled in a sex abuse scandal since late last October.

Steeno said Edwards also confessed another secret involving a man she refused to name. TRR is not reporting the details of this other alleged secret to protect a possible abuse victim.

Steeno said he reported the affair and the other secret to IHOPKC in January 2022. But leaders there did little to hold Edwards accountable or investigate the other secret, and instead retaliated against Steeno, he alleged.

During the alleged affair with Prosch, Edwards, who’s released seven albums and has 249K followers on Facebook, was serving on IHOPKC’s Executive Leadership Team (ELT). Edwards stepped off the ELT sometime last fall but remained on IHOPKC staff.

Edwards also was one of a handful of people involved in leadership at FOTB, according to Stephen Magnuson, a lawyer formerly involved in managing FOTB.

Prosch was once a prominent worship leader within the Vineyard movement. But in 1999, he confessed to a string of adulterous relationships. Despite this confession, he led worship at an IHOPKC conference soon after his confession—in either 1999 or 2000, former IHOPKC leaders told TRR.

Prosch was formally restored to ministry in 2002 by More Church in Amarillo, Texas, where he served as senior associate pastor until 2013. In 2014, Edwards recorded a song written by Prosch, called “The Gift,” on an album produced by IHOPKC’s Forerunner label.

Prosch currently owns a music label called Third Ear Music, and as recently as last fall, led worship and preached at a church in Texas called Rock City Corpus.

According to Steeno, Edwards told him the relationship with Prosch had become coercive in recent years because Prosch had a recording of Edwards divulging her other secret, which Prosch was holding over her head. Steeno added that Edwards was “deathly scared” of the other secret becoming public.

When TRR contacted Edwards, she denied an affair with Prosch. She also claimed Steeno’s story about the other secret was untrue.

However, Steeno has produced texts with Edwards that corroborate several elements of his account.

Plus, Steeno’s ex-wife, Kjirsten Berglund, shared a screenshot of a conversation she had with Edwards last November. In this conversation, Edwards admits to a relationship with Prosch.

“Kevin and I had a relationship, that part is true (sic) but we were considering getting married,” Edwards wrote.

In addition, best-selling author and Bible teacher Joel Richardson told TRR that Prosch confirmed the affair with Edwards in a three-way call last October between Richardson, Prosch, and Jose Diaz. Diaz is a pastor and former board member of FOTB.

Richardson said Prosch also confirmed the other secret Edwards had reportedly divulged to Steeno.

TRR reached out to Prosch for comment. He responded in an email, “I did not tell anyone (the other secret) neither did I tell anyone that Misty and I had an affair I won’t (sic) nothing to do with your bullshit narrative,” Prosch wrote.

TRR replied, specifically asking Prosch if he had an affair with Edwards and whether he had a recording of her divulging her other secret, but Prosch did not respond to our questions.

However, both Diaz and Richardson’s wife, Amy Abele, who said she overheard the call with Prosch on speakerphone, confirmed Richardson’s account.

Diaz resigned from his position at FOTB shortly after that call.

TRR also has obtained a police report and video of a traffic stop in 2018, in which Prosch and Edwards were charged with driving under the influence and public intoxication, respectively. Prosch was also charged with failing to stop at a stop sign and speeding.

The video shows a shirtless Prosch doing poorly on several sobriety tests.

It also shows Edwards, who was alone in the car with Prosch, attempting one sobriety test. However, Edwards almost fell into an officer and was too inebriated to continue with field tests, according to the report.

When the officer initially asks Edwards in the video if she’s been drinking, she responds, “I’ve been drinking a little, yes.” However, later she admits she drank “a lot of wine and a couple vodkas.”  

The officer also asks if there was anyone with Edwards and Prosch at the camp where they were previously. Edwards responds, “No, just me and the dog.”

According to a court document obtained by TRR, Edwards received a “deferred” sentence, meaning she pleaded guilty and was placed on probation. Her file is no longer publicly available, indicating her case was dismissed after successful completion of probation.

Prosch also received a deferred sentence, court records show. In addition, he completed a DWI education program and paid more than $2,000 in fines and fees.

Steeno said he was very concerned about Edwards’ well-being after hearing her confession. So, in January 2022, Steeno said he told two members of IHOPKC’s ELT—former IHOPKC Executive Director Stuart Greaves and Senior VP Lenny LaGuardia—about what Edwards had told him. Despite this, Edwards continued serving on the ELT for another 19 months.

Then, in October, when news broke about Bickle’s alleged clergy sexual abuse, Edwards and Mike Bickle began disparaging Steeno to others within the IHOPKC community, Steeno said. He added that IHOPKC also evicted him from his apartment at IHOPKC.

Another former IHOPKC staff member, Joel Sorge, told TRR that Steeno also told him about Edwards’ confession in May 2023. Sorge said that soon afterward, he reported his concerns about Edwards to Greaves.

Sorge said Greaves told him that he had more important things to do than to address the issue with Edwards. Greaves added that if Sorge had a problem with Edwards, Sorge should talk to Edwards directly, Sorge added.

Sorge said he felt Greaves’ request was inappropriate, so he didn’t talk to Edwards.

TRR reached out to IHOPKC and IHOPKC’s lawyer, Audrey Manito, for comment about Greaves and LaGuardia’s involvement, but no one responded to our inquiry.

We also contacted Mike Bickle for comment, but he did not respond.

Edwards’ confession to Steeno

According to Steeno, Edwards initially opened up to him in December 2021, when Steeno expressed regret about the prior decade he had spent backslidden in California, dealing drugs and living immorally. At the time of the conversation, Steeno said he had recently returned to Kansas City and was trying to get his life together.

Edwards responded that she had a past, as well, Steeno said, and then divulged that she had an affair, which had started seven years earlier, when the man involved was married.

According to a timeline Steeno wrote for attorney Boz Tchividjian, who’s representing alleged victims of Mike Bickle, Edwards said the man was a famous worship leader who was much older than her. But she wouldn’t reveal his identity, Steeno said.

Yet, after asking some questions, Steeno guessed the man was Kevin Prosch. Edwards confirmed that, Steeno wrote.

Edwards also revealed a secret to Steeno involving another man, but wouldn’t name the man, Steeno told TRR.

Edwards then told Steeno that Prosch had made a recording of a phone call in which Edwards confessed the other secret to Prosch, and revealed the other man’s identity. Edwards said Prosch was “blackmailing” her with this recording and this was why she would not preach or lead worship at IHOPKC, Steeno said.

“It was obvious to me that this secret and blackmailing was eating away at Misty and preventing her from doing absolutely anything that she loved doing,” Steeno wrote in his timeline. So, Steeno implored Edwards to tell Mike Bickle and Stuart Greaves about the affair and the alleged blackmail, but she refused, Steeno wrote.

Steeno added that Edwards was so desperate to delete the recordings off Prosch’s devices that she moved in with Prosch for two years.

During this time, Edwards told everyone she had moved to Israel, Steeno said, but this “was just a cover story for what she was really doing. Yes, she visited Israel and spent time there (took pics etc) . . . (but) she was so desperate to delete the recording that she moved in with Kevin and did whatever he wanted to gain his trust.”

Steeno told TRR that Edwards also said that she and Prosch would do drugs and drink together frequently and mentioned being charged with public intoxication around this time.

Based on this information, TRR searched for a police report and bodycam video from the Tahlequah Police Department in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Tahlequah is about 60 miles from Bixby, where Prosch was living at the time of the alleged incident.

After receiving the 2018 report, we then reached out to Edwards, who claimed the intoxication incident happened before she moved to Israel.

When asked if there was anyone who could corroborate her story of being in Israel for two years, Edwards said yes. However, when we asked for names and contact information for those people, Edwards declined to provide those.

According to Steeno, Edwards said that during her time with Prosch, she eventually was able to gain access to Prosch’s computer, find a recording of their conversation, and delete it. Feeling relieved, she returned to Kansas City, Steeno said.

But after being back only a short while, Edwards said she began receiving clippings of the recording from Prosch, Steeno said. So, she returned to Prosch until she was able to get into Prosch’s other devices and delete all the recordings, Steeno said.

Edwards then went back to Kansas City, but reportedly still feared Prosch had a copy of the recording somewhere.

Steeno reports Edwards’ confession to IHOPKC

Steeno said he repeatedly urged Edwards to confess her affair and the other secret to IHOPKC leaders, but she refused. So, in January 2022, Steeno said he called former IHOPKC ELT member, Brian Kim, and former IHOP University instructor, Corey Russell, and told them what Edwards had confessed.

TRR reached out to Kim and Russell, who both confirmed they talked to Steeno in January 2022.

Both men said Steeno seemed genuinely shaken by what Edwards had confessed. Russell said he was shocked by what he heard but believed Steeno’s account. Kim said he took Steeno’s story seriously and didn’t see any reason Steeno would lie.

Kim and Russell said they urged Steeno to report what Edwards had told him to Stuart Greaves.

A few days later, Steeno said he did just that. Greaves was “stirred” by what he heard, Steeno said. But, after talking to Mike Bickle about the situation, Greaves reportedly told Steeno that they would deal with the matter when Bickle, who was in Florida at the time, was back in town.

That never happened, Steeno said. Instead, about a month later, Greaves asked Steeno to tell Edwards that Steeno had told Greaves about her confession, Steeno said.

When Steeno did this, Edwards “freaked out at me for telling Stuart,” Steeno said.

After this, Greaves met with Edwards, Steeno said. Greaves told Steeno that Edwards admitted to the affair with Prosch, but not the other secret, Steeno told TRR. Greaves added that Edwards also agreed to get some counseling, Steeno said.

Greaves then directed Steeno to tell Lenny LaGuardia about what Edwards had confessed, which Steeno said he did. Steeno said he and LaGuardia talked about the situation off and on over the next two years, but IHOPKC didn’t take any further action.

TRR reached out to Greaves and LaGuardia, specifically asking about these events, but neither of them responded.

Texts support Steeno’s account

To corroborate his story, Steeno sent TRR several screenshots of conversations he had with Edwards. According to Steeno, Edwards referred to Prosch in the texts as the “second one”; the “first” referred to the man involved with the other secret.

In one of the screenshots, Edwards texts, “The guy I was with was a very well known guy. He found his identity in sin.”

Steeno replies, “Which guy? Second one?”

Edwards replies, “. . . Yes the second one.”

In another text, Edwards seemingly texts about the recording on Prosch’s devices, stating, “I want to get all of his devises (sic) and smash them.”

TRR read that tweet to Edwards and asked her what she was referring to. Edwards responded, “No comment.”

Then Steeno texts that he “went to Stuart after having hours of convos w you about a real situation thsy (sic) was and continues to mess w your life.”

Edwards replies, “You betrayed me . . . I went to you. And you still shut me out and didn’t listen.”

Steeno replies, “Yeah and I went to Stuart out of concern for your safety. And you turn that on me.”

“You should’ve. (sic) Come to me like I am coming to you,” Edwards writes.

Steeno replies, “. . . I came to you But (sic) you refused to get help and I went to Stuart.”

In another other text, Edwards calls Steeno a “traitor” and “selfish,” adding, “You can keep these messages to prove you are right But (sic) you betrayed me.”

Alleged retaliation

At the time Edwards allegedly confessed to Steeno, she was Steeno’s supervisor at FOTB. However, after the confession, Edwards “became obsessed with where I was and what I was doing,” Steeno wrote in his timeline. “She would watch to see where my car was, and if my car wasn’t at my apartment, she would ask me where I was.”

In January 2023, Mike Bickle asked Stephen Magnuson if he would take over Edwards’ job overseeing Steeno, Magnuson told TRR. At the time, Bickle told Magnuson that Edwards was a terrible manager, Magnuson added. But now that he knows Steeno’s story, Magnuson told TRR he believes Steeno’s knowledge of Edwards’ secrets is what caused trouble in their working relationship.

In July 2023, Steeno resigned from FOTB. He told TRR that he planned on keeping what he knew about Edwards private. But without asking, Steeno said Bickle offered to pay him for the next three months, and Edwards continued to offer him small jobs for pay.

Then, in October, as news about Bickle’s alleged sexual abuse was about to become public, Steeno said Edwards began texting him and offering him more money to come back to work at FOTB. Steeno refused.

Steeno then told two key people what Edwards had confessed to him—Dwayne Roberts, a former IHOPKC leader and advocate for Bickle’s alleged victims, and Joel Richardson.

Richardson told TRR he confronted IHOPKC leaders on Oct. 28 with the information Steeno had shared with him.

Around this time, Steeno said Bickle, Edwards, and other IHOPKC leaders began to retaliate and discredit him to other people in the IHOPKC community.

Steeno’s ex-wife, Kjirsten Berglund, shared a screenshot with TRR from the  conversation she had with Edwards on Instagram in early November. In the screenshot, Edwards claims Steeno stole $10,000 from Mike Bickle.

However, according to Magnuson, the $10,000 was an overpayment from Bickle’s social media revenue that went to Steeno’s bank account by mistake last May. The issue was resolved quickly to everyone’s satisfaction, Magnuson said, so he was stunned that months later, Edwards accused Steeno of stealing.

When TRR asked Edwards about the issue, she responded, “No comment.”

In November, IHOPKC evicted Steeno from his apartment on campus, allegedly for illegally subletting his apartment to Kyle Scott, Mike Bickle’s nephew. However, Steeno told TRR that he let Scott stay with him because IHOPKC ELT member Lenny LaGuardia asked Steeno to take in Scott because Scott was “homeless.”

TRR specifically asked IHOPKC about the eviction and Steeno’s claim, but no one responded.

On Dec. 1, Bickle sent Magnuson an email, including text from an Instagram post by someone named Mike Brown, rehashing sins Steeno had confessed when he returned to Kansas City in 2022. (In texts provided by Joel Richardson, Brown claims he’s close with some of Mike Bickle’s family members, including Richy Bickle, Mike’s Bickle’s nephew.)

In the post, Brown claims that the accusations against Bickle originated from Steeno—“an individual with a history of manipulation and shady behavior.” Brown then lists some of Steeno’s sins, including “selling drugs” in California and “having affairs during business trips.”

Magnuson said he was surprised to receive the email from Bickle, given that Steeno had resigned months earlier, and the information was common knowledge at IHOPKC. Later when he learned about Edwards’ confession, the effort to discredit Steeno made sense, Magnuson said.

Prosch questioned

After hearing Steeno’s account in October, Richardson said he and FOTB President Jose Diaz called Prosch to confirm what they had heard.

Richardson told TRR he was less concerned with Edwards’ alleged affair with Prosch than he was with Edwards’ other secret. Richardson said Prosch confirmed Steeno’s account of both situations.

“He said, ‘It’s all true. You know, it’s absolutely all true,’” Richardson recalled.

Richardson said he also asked Prosch to release the recording of Edwards confessing the other secret, if Prosch still had it. Richardson said Prosch said there’s no need for him “to frost a cake that’s already been baked,” which was Prosch’s way of saying he wasn’t going to help.

Diaz confirmed that what Richardson told TRR about the phone conversation was accurate.

Richardson’s wife, Amy Abele, said she overheard the entire conversation with Prosch on speakerphone.

When asked what transpired, Abele said her husband told Prosch that he knew about Edwards’ affair with Prosch and the other secret. Abele said Prosch told Joel, “It’s all true. Everything you’re saying is true.”

Edwards resigns from IHOPKC

Edwards told TRR that she resigned from her staff position at IHOPKC last week. She said she tentatively plans on going to Israel and serving in prayer rooms there.

Edwards also said she no longer holds any official position with FOTB.

She recently took down her website, mistyedwards.com, though an archived version is still available.

As for her current relationship with Prosch, Edwards says “he is a friend.”

Report by Julie Roys