Leaders of Fort Worth-based megachurch Mercy Culture say they will 鈥渟tand with鈥� elder Michael Brown, joining a group of religious leaders publicly rejecting a recent third-party investigation concluding that Brown engaged in 鈥渟exually abusive misconduct鈥� in the early 2000s.
Brown, 70, is the founder of , a North-Carolina based ministry that describes the author and speaker as 鈥渢he world鈥檚 foremost 补辫辞濒辞驳颈蝉迟.鈥�
He鈥檚 also associated with Mercy Culture Church, which has earned headlines for its and a 100-bed 鈥� a project long anticipated by congregants and opposed by hundreds of neighbors that earned Fort Worth City Council approval in December.
Brown is listed as an apostolic elder on Mercy Culture鈥檚 website and has across Texas several times since the church opened in 2019.
For the past four months, Brown has faced sexual misconduct allegations involving two adult women in his ministries more than 20 years ago. He is accused of holding hands, kissing and slapping the buttocks of a member of the Fire School of Ministry he founded. He also acknowledged an inappropriate relationship with a married woman within the congregation, according to an outside .
The allegations were first in December by The Roys Report, a Christian media outlet which publicized abuse allegations against leaders of Tarrant County-based and .
Brown said in a Dec. 2 that his actions were 鈥渃ertainly foolish and irresponsible 鈥� but neither sexual nor amorous in any way.鈥� He stepped away from public appearances that month at the request of The Line of Fire board, which hired outside firm Firefly to conduct an independent investigation in January.
The conclusions of Firefly鈥檚 report, first released by Brown鈥檚 ministry April 12, have been at the center of debate among religious leaders. Some, like Mercy Culture, have defended Brown, while others say he failed to admit or apologize for misconduct years ago.
While the Firefly report described Brown鈥檚 actions as 鈥渟exually abusive misconduct,鈥� a group of prominent Christian leaders asked by Brown鈥檚 ministry to review the report said it 鈥渙verreaches beyond its intended boundaries.鈥� They characterized Brown鈥檚 behavior as 鈥渕oral indiscretions鈥� and 鈥渓eadership misconduct.鈥�
Brown has been in the lives of Mercy Culture lead pastors Landon and Heather Schott for many years, the church wrote in a 2021 Facebook . In February, before the initial investigation鈥檚 release, Landon Schott for Brown during a Mercy Culture conference, calling out the partnership between churches and what he termed 鈥渃ancel culture鈥� as being the 鈥渁ccuser of the brethren.鈥�
鈥淭his has been an absolute assassination on his reputation,鈥� Landon Schott told conference attendees. 鈥淒r. Brown, we honor you, we celebrate you and this presence-driven church and community of pastors is behind you.鈥�
Mercy Culture released an April 29 in support of Brown, referring to his actions as a 鈥渓apse in judgment and propriety by Dr. Brown, which he has addressed.鈥� The statement warned congregants to 鈥渂eware the spirit of Jezebel that weaponizes accusation.鈥�
鈥淭hey are not preserving righteousness; they are spreading division. They are not restoring the church; they are attempting to tear it down,鈥� the statement reads. 鈥淢ercy Culture Church will continue to walk in honor, truth and the fear of the Lord 鈥� and we will not bow to unbiblical cancel culture.鈥�
The church deleted its initial statement on social media before republishing it with additional comments about how the church has supported survivors of abuse and stating Brown was not afforded 鈥渂iblical process.鈥�
The debate comes as , a nonprofit led by Heather Schott that the couple describes as a 鈥渉oused vision鈥� of Mercy Culture, is expected to break ground on its Justice Residences shelter May 9.
鈥淲e will always defend those preyed upon. However, defending victims must never become an excuse to falsely accuse the righteous,鈥� the statement reads. 鈥淏oth justice and mercy must be rooted in biblical truth, not emotion, outrage, social media mobs or cancel culture.鈥�
In response to questions about Brown and his future involvement with the church, Katie Mendoza, media director for Mercy Culture, said the church is 鈥渘ot responding to any additional media requests.鈥�
Allegations against Michael Brown
In the early 2000s, Brown founded the Fire School of Ministry in Florida before relocating it to North Carolina in 2003. Brown is accused of having an 鈥渋nappropriate relationship鈥� in 2001 and 2002 with Sarah Monk, a then-20-year-old member of the school who Brown 鈥渄escribed as being like a daughter to him,鈥� according to Firefly鈥檚 investigation in April.
In the report, Monk alleges the two held hands on multiple occasions. She would sit on his lap and later alleged Brown 鈥渨ould also kiss her on the neck, head, and mouth, and would occasionally slap her buttocks.鈥�
The report also concluded that Brown had a second 鈥渋nappropriate relationship with a married woman within the congregation.鈥� That woman is now deceased.
鈥淎fter reviewing evidence, conducting interviews, and analyzing the situation, the investigation concluded that Brown鈥檚 actions toward the two females were inappropriate and unacceptable for his leadership position within the ministry,鈥� the investigation reads. 鈥淪uch conduct violated the ethical standards expected of someone in his role and undermined the trust and integrity essential to leadership within the church community.鈥�
Over the past 25 years, Brown 鈥渄eliberately deflected questions about allegations of sexual misconduct,鈥� the Firefly investigation wrote, citing instances when ministry leaders tried to confront Brown, and noting that he 鈥渞eiterated that there was no evidence to support such claims and reassured him that nothing inappropriate had happened.鈥�
鈥淭his pattern of deflection appears to be a calculated effort to evade accountability, suppress the allegations, and protect his ministry鈥檚 reputation,鈥� Firefly鈥檚 investigation found.
Investigation conclusions face pushback
The findings have since faced criticism by a group of religious leaders who formed the Elder Accountability Team, which was invited by Line of Fire鈥檚 board to review and respond to Firefly鈥檚 investigation and then offer recommendations to Brown and his ministry. Line of Fire representatives did not respond to a request for comment.
In their 27-page report released April 28, the team described Brown鈥檚 behavior as 鈥渓eadership misconduct鈥� rather than 鈥渟exually abusive misconduct,鈥� arguing that Firefly鈥檚 labeling 鈥渙verreaches beyond its intended boundaries.鈥� The elders also described Brown鈥檚 behavior with a married woman as a 鈥渕oral indiscretion.鈥�
鈥淗is actions in these instances during those time periods reflect a lapse in wisdom and good judgement,鈥� the elder team wrote.
The group said Firefly left out Brown鈥檚 rebuttal to statements in the report or the testimony of his wife, Nancy Brown. They also said Line of Fire leadership should have been officially contacted to seek 鈥渁 proper Matthew 18 process鈥� five years ago, when the allegations were circulated among the ministry鈥檚 alumni rather than being carried by 鈥渏udgement and sentencing by a jury on social media.鈥�
鈥淭his process is unbiblical and caused irreparable damage to Dr. Brown鈥檚 credibility and ministry,鈥� the team wrote.
The elder accountability group said Brown and his wife met with Monk to apologize for his 鈥渋nappropriate actions towards鈥� her. Monk denies the meeting ever took place, according to the Elder Accountability Team . The elder group recommended Brown or his ministry offer to cover 鈥渞easonable counseling expenses鈥� for Monk, engage in counseling himself and be allowed to return to ministry.
Brown stated in December that he and his wife had a familial sort of relationship with Monk and viewed his behavior toward her 鈥渁s normal within family relationships.鈥� After Monk confronted Brown and his wife in 2002 about the interactions, he claims he apologized and said, to his knowledge, 鈥�(Monk) wanted to move forward in peace.鈥�
鈥淯nfortunately, when Nancy and I learned through The Roys Report that there was an offense towards me in this woman鈥檚 heart, we were not allowed to follow the mandate of Jesus in Matthew 5:23-26, but only given the option of offering a response to an article that would be released online. What happened to biblical process?鈥� Brown wrote.
Debate over the seriousness of the allegations and whether Brown should be allowed to return to his ministry role has divided leaders in Christian and Messianic Jewish circles. Several leaders have called for the elder report to be retracted, according to .
Meanwhile, Brown remains an apolostic elder at Mercy Culture. Shortly after the investigation into the allegations began, Brown appeared on the church鈥檚 platforms as a guest on Heather Schott鈥檚 鈥淗oly Disruption鈥� . The Dec. 4 episode discussed the topic of women in ministry and 鈥渢he role of men in supporting women, the dangers of a reactionary and abusive patriarchal system, and the transformational power of obeying God鈥檚 calling regardless of societal barriers.鈥�
Apostolic elders like Brown are to govern the vision of the church by establishing policies that 鈥減rovide philosophical boundaries for church life,鈥� uphold 鈥渂iblical standards鈥� and discipline for behavior among church members and 鈥渋ndividually demonstrate a model for ministry and godly living鈥� in the Gateway Church model, according to its .
Gateway, which planted Mercy Culture six years ago, has been at the center of a child sexual abuse scandal involving its founder Robert Morris . Morris is to five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a minor in Oklahoma, where an initial hearing is set for May 9.
Mercy Culture Church is 鈥渆lder governed, staff managed and congregationally owned,鈥� according to its .
Brown recently returned to Mercy Culture to speak to members of the church鈥檚 Spiritual Leadership School, according to by pastor Landon Schott. He wrote it was 鈥減owerful having Dr. Brown back from sabbatical.鈥�
鈥淭he apostle Paul taught that elders are to be given double honor and triple defense (1 Timothy 5:17鈥�19),鈥� Schott shared alongside photos of him and Brown. 鈥淚 refuse to participate in cancel culture鈥擨 will only lead a MERCY CULTURE.鈥�
This story has been updated with comments from a May 8 Instagram post by Landon Schott.
Marissa Greene is a Report for America corps member, covering faith for the Fort Worth Report. You can contact her at marissa.greene@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy
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