Bethel Church leadership has publicly acknowledged its handling of serious allegations involving minister Shawn Bolz, following accusations of sexual misconduct and fraudulent prophetic activity detailed in a high-profile investigation.
In an online statement, senior leaders including Bill Johnson, Kris Vallotton, Dann Farrelly, and Danny Silk admitted they made “mistakes and failures” in dealing with claims of sexual harassment brought by a former team member and concerns that Bolz was using social media to generate false prophetic words of knowledge.
The church leaders said they “did not properly and fully bring discipline, closure, or clear and timely communication regarding the gravity of our concerns with Shawn Bolz,” noting that Bolz had been widely platformed to preach and prophesy through Bethel ministries until 2019.
They wrote that their lack of earlier transparency “hurt and scared people” and acknowledged that they should have communicated sooner and more clearly about the situation.
The statement came in response to a nearly six-hour video released by Christian apologist Mike Winger, which presented evidence alleging that Bolz had engaged in repeated unethical prophetic practices and long-term sexual misconduct.
According to the church leaders, Winger’s work highlighted both the alleged misuse of public information presented as divine revelation and years of unaddressed concerns.
Bethel’s leaders also addressed their internal actions from 2020. Vallotton acknowledged that, while he had privately distanced Bolz from Bethel ministries after concerns surfaced, the leadership did not inform the wider church community at that time. Vallotton apologized for his approach, saying it fell short of what was needed to protect people and share the truth.
In their statement, Bethel leadership said the church no longer endorses Bolz or his ministry and advised others to take the same position. They also announced plans to implement a “confrontation model” to improve accountability and launched a Safe Church reporting system for those affected to come forward.
Bill Johnson personally acknowledged that the church’s reluctance to confront the allegations earlier caused additional trauma, expressing deep regret and saying, “Sometimes it is your action, and sometimes, your lack of action, that causes harm, and I know that I failed.”
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