Days after MorningStar Ministries leader Chris Reed abruptly resigned Monday, citing, among other things, the sexual abuse of minors by a former volunteer and police officer, the organization’s founder, Rick Joyner, blamed his departure on “the most deceptive spirit” he’s ever encountered, suggesting Reed “is in a battle for his future.”
In an extensive statement shared on X, Joyner revealed that the family of one of the four teenage boys sexually abused by the former volunteer has filed a lawsuit against the South Carolina-based organization. He says they are alleging “many outrageous things about the ministry that are not true” and the organization is defending itself in court because “we are confident we can prove our innocence.”
Joyner’s post appears to have since been taken down, but screenshots have been shared on social media, charismatic news sites and discernment blogs.
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In a letter to MorningStar staff shared on X, Reed announced his resignation effective on Monday and explained he was returning leadership of the ministry to Joyner to focus more on what God called him to do, which is “to prophesy, pastor, teach, preach and write.”
Reed pointed to the 2023 arrest of former church volunteer and police officer Erickson Douglas Lee, who is accused of sexually abusing multiple minors connected to a youth group of MorningStar Fellowship Church. He then revealed that both he and his wife, Missy, had “experienced the evils of sexual abuse” as children.
Joyner noted in his statement that he wanted to “clear up some things,” suggesting that Reed’s resignation may not have been the right move and likely appeared bizarre to his followers.
“This resignation may seem bazaar (sic) and confused to those have followed, and I hope this will clear up some things. First, I want to thank all who have communicated your prayers and support for Chris and for us,” he began.
“This is a serious situation, and I’ve seen this kind of thing several times over the 50+ years I’ve been in ministry, and I’ve seen it rob some with very powerful gifts of years of effective ministry. One was me, as this deception came upon me and cost me more than ten years of ministry. I saw it cost Bob Jones eight years, and I think it cost Paul Cain his ultimate purpose. It is the most deceptive spirit I’ve ever dealt with, and right now I think Chris Reed is in a battle for his future,” Joyner said.
“Later, I will elaborate on this in much more detail because I have witnessed many Christians led astray from their purpose by this, with an incalculable cost to the body of Christ. However, I’ve seen some wake up, get restored, and even when they had lost many years of effective service, the Lord make this up to them,” he added. “For this reason, I never give up on anyone, regardless of how far off they seem to get. Many of the great voices in Scripture and history also experience this. Not all recovered, but those who did were used in an even greater way.”
Joyner did not immediately respond when asked by The Christian Post on Thursday to explain more about this “deceptive spirit” and how he saw it working in Reed’s life as well as his.
“Chris has an important calling for this time, and I feel at least partially responsible, understanding this as I do, for not seeing this coming at him. I could have done better [by] helping him resist it. Even so, whether in a short or long time, I am confident Chris will get through this and take his place doing what he is called to do,” Joyner said. “This is not to imply that leaving MorningStar will cost people their purpose. Many come to MorningStar for a period of time to get what they need from us, and then need to leave to go on to their purpose.”
A release from the York County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina said they arrested Lee after he turned himself into detectives on May 2, 2023. He was charged with dissemination of obscene material to a person younger than 18, assault and battery first degree, and criminal sexual conduct with a minor second and third degree.
Warrants connected to Lee’s arrest cited by WSOC-TV said between December 2020 and June 2022, Lee allegedly committed a sex act with a victim younger than 16 years old for as many as 30 times over 1.5 years.
Investigators allege that around July 22, 2022, Lee, who served as a 17-year-old victim’s youth leader, hurt him through “nonconsensual touching” while the victim was intoxicated at his home. Lee also allegedly played a pornographic video for the teenager.
Warrants show that Lee did the same thing to at least three other victims who were younger than 18 years old at his home from August 2021 until January 2023.
Reed took over leadership of the ministry over a year ago but worked with MorningStar Ministries for three years before he resigned on Monday.
While he did not reveal the specifics of the allegations made against MorningStar Ministries, Joyner insists that they were not negligent in their handling of the volunteer, but the family of one of the victims disagrees.
“Overall, we felt that the victims and their families dealt with this with remarkable grace, but one decided to sue us. They alleged many outrageous things about the ministry that are not true. None of the leaders of MorningStar were charged with anything or were in any way involved in this. There was no negligence found on our part. There was drinking and pornography given to under-aged minors by the police officer charged, but to our knowledge, none of this happened at a MorningStar event, or property,” he said.
Joyner further noted that the ministry brought in a professional agency to review how they handled the situation, and the agency found no negligence on their part.
“Of course, the lawsuit filed alleges differently and accuses the ministry of some very outrageous things that are not true. Because these accusations are so outrageous we do not intend to settle but want it to go to court where we are confident we can prove our innocence,” Joyner said.
“We are grieved by what happened to these young men, and the hurt this has caused everyone touched by it. Even though we may have been innocent negligence (sic) in this, we have offered to take care of any counseling or ministry needed by these families because we want to help any of God’s people who He has put in our care get healed from any spiritual or emotional wounds and turn what the devil meant for evil … into good as God is so good at doing,” he added. “In these times, this kind of thing is getting much more frequent, and we are seeking to use it as much as we can to help any victims of it.”
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