As much as it purports to be a “positive and encouraging” alternative to the secular world, the world of Contemporary Christian Music is far from being immune to scandals and controversies.
In 1994, Michael English—who had just won “Artist of the Year” at the Dove Awards—confessed to having an affair with Marabeth Jordan, a member of the group First Call. English returned his awards, lost his recording contract, and was banished from Christian radio for several years. As for Jordan, she suffered a miscarriage, and despite contributing vocals to albums by CeCe Winans, George Strait, and Martina McBride, her career never recovered like English’s.
Tait has enjoyed incredible success while reaching millions of fans and releasing some of CCM’s biggest albums. He is also a sexual predator.
Amy Grant, the “Queen of Christian Pop,” experienced a major backlash in 1999 after filing for divorce from husband Gary Chapman, also a musician. Said backlash increased when Grant married country singer Vince Gill the following year. (Contrary to popular belief at the time, though, Grant and Gill never had an affair.) And of course, before that, Grant was accused of being too “worldly” when her 1991 album Heart in Motion became a huge hit thanks to the single “Baby Baby.”
In 2020, singer/songwriter Chris Rice was accused of sexually assaulting a young man in the late ’90s and early ’00s at various worship retreats. Rice had previously been nominated for multiple Dove Awards, including “New Artist of the Year” and “Male Vocalist of the Year,” winning 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 Talk and the Newsboys, two of the most successful CCM acts of all time, Tait has enjoyed incredible success while reaching millions of fans and releasing some of CCM’s biggest albums (e.g., DC Talk’s Jesus Freak, Newsboys’ God’s Not Dead). He is also a sexual predator.
As reported by The Roys Report on June 4, Tait groomed and sexually assaulted other men since the early ’00s. During this time, Tait fronted his own band before becoming the Newsboys’ lead singer in 2009 and appearing on celebrated albums like Born Again and Hallelujah for the Cross.
All of this should prove, beyond any doubt, that the Christian music industry is just 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 too much alcohol, and at times touched men in an unwanted, sensual way.” But in the days following The Roys Report’s initial article, more horrific revelations came to light. Tait has now also been accused of sexually assaulting minors as well as drugging a woman and watching a Newsboys crew member rape her. (To date, no criminal charges have been filed against Tait, but given the severity of his actions, that seems like a very distinct possibility.)
As for the Newsboys, they admitted to hearing rumors of Tait’s behavior, rumors that he would “emphatically” deny. In a Facebook post dated June 5, they wrote that “our hearts were shattered when we read the news alleging drug abuse and inappropriate sexual actions by our former lead singer, Michael Tait” and “We are horrified, heartbroken, and angry at this report and in many ways, we feel as if we and our families have been deceived for the last fifteen years.”
However, the Newsboys’ apparent ignorance has not saved their reputation or career. Christian radio stations including K-LOVE, the country’s biggest Christian radio network, have stopped playing their music and the band has been dropped by their label, Capitol Christian Music Group. Making things worse, the band’s latest album, Worldwide Revival (Deluxe), was released just a few weeks ago, and they’re set to play several U.S. and European festivals throughout the summer. However, one festival has already removed the Newsboys from their lineup, and more cancellations may follow as fans pressure promoters.
More damning still, Darren King (formerly of Mutemath) posted a video on X in which he talked about his own experience with Tait’s advances before offering a scathing denial of the Newsboys’ ignorance: “I find it very hard to believe that [Tait’s] bandmates did not know… If you know anything about touring life or the music industry, there’s no way that bandmates and a manager would not know about a police report.”
All of this should prove, beyond any doubt, that the Christian music industry is just that, an industry. And a very successful and profitable industry at that. (Exact figures are hard to find, but Christian music has become a multi-billion-dollar business these days.) Many of those working in CCM, from the artists to the A&R folks to the label execs, are undoubtedly doing so with good and godly intentions. They see this as a spiritual calling, a way to glorify God and spread the Gospel of Christ.
Mixing celebrity and wealth with ministry is a very fraught and dangerous combination.
Fame and money, however, are powerfully corrupting influences, and perhaps especially so for Christians. Mixing celebrity and wealth with ministry is a very fraught and dangerous combination. We’ve seen this play out in situations with abusive pastors and worship leaders who enjoyed a certain level of fame and status (e.g., Bill Hybels, Robert Morris, Ravi Zacharias). It’s not hard to see that same dynamic at work in the Tait situation, as well.
In this dynamic, people are primed and willing—even coerced—to overlook sins, resist accountability, and silence victims. Perhaps they don’t want to lose the power and prestige that they enjoy. Or maybe they just can’t believe that someone with a successful ministry would be capable of such grave sins, and so refuse to believe—or choose to naïvely believe the best. Or maybe they’re afraid of besmirching a beloved and influential person’s Christian witness, and by extension, making God look bad.
In any case, this dynamic sadly makes it all too easy for rock stars like Tait—for all of its faith trappings, the Christian music industry does, indeed, have rock stars—to do terrible things and get away with them for far too long. (In the weeks following the allegations, individuals within the Christian music industry, including former Newsboys producer Steve Taylor and Skillet’s John Cooper, have called for reform and accountability.)
The Bible has some sharp words that strike at the very heart of this dynamic. People love to talk about Jesus’ lovely words in Matthew 18 about childlike faith: “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” It’s easy to gloss over the warning in his next words: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” Considering the effect that Tait’s actions have had on his victims’ faith, his millstone is sizable, indeed.
“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door and deny him by their lifestyle.”
Later in the New Testament, James writes that “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” This passage is often used in the context of pastors and other church leaders, as a reminder to teach God’s Word with the utmost care. Its spirit, however, applies to anyone who misuses the status and authority with which God has blessed them—even a Christian rock star who misused the fame he acquired from spreading the Good News in order to abuse and assault those who looked up to him, saw him as a role model, and were inspired by his apparent faith.
It is deeply ironic that one of Tait’s most well-known songs—“What If I Stumble” from DC Talk’s Jesus Freak—begins with this recording of Brennan Manning: “The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door and deny him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” Tragically, it may be that Michael Tait’s greatest legacy as a Christian music star is making it that much harder for an unbelieving world to believe in Christ.
