Fandom and the Plague of CCM Scandal

American evangelicals have always wanted rock stars who were safe to look up to. But entertainment industries don't reliably produce role models.

*note: several people reached out to say that the original subtitle of this post made it sound like I was blaming audiences for expecting more of artists, which wasn’t the intended meaning. I’ve since changed the subheading. Thanks to those of you who let me know how that landed! I appreciate it.

This week, two stories rattled the Christian music world. The first to break was about allegations of financial mismanagement and morally bankrupt behavior by right wing worship protester Sean Feucht. The second came from The Roys Report, alleging sexual assault and substance abuse over decades by veteran CCM artist Michael Tait, who co-founded DC Talk and has been the frontman for the Newsboys since 2009.

The personal lives of Christian musicians have always been subject to evaluation. Since the rise of CCM, Christian audiences have wanted pop and rock stars of their own, not only to produce music that was “safe for the whole family,” but also to serve as godly celebrities in a godless world. Christian audiences wanted to have their own concert cultures, music magazines, and music videos. They wanted a place to safely play the part of “the fan.”

But, as Katelyn Beaty points out in her book Celebrities for Jesus, celebrity culture is a modern phenomenon that comes with pitfalls and incentives that seem, in many ways, directly in conflict with the way of Christ.

Michael Tait, photo credit Augusta Chronicle

For some Christian music enthusiasts, participation in fan culture has historically offered more than a fun social outlet or method of identity-formation. It has also offered moral high ground in a culture “gone wrong.” A fan of Amy Grant was a fan of the “good girl” of 80s/90s pop. Fans of Switchfoot could have good music taste and a straight-edge sensibility that set them apart from other drugged-out or inebriated rockers.

Unfortunately, fandom is never safe from the moral failings of its object. The Christian music industry has tried to let artists play two roles: entertainer and spiritual guide. Again and again, the artists trying to navigate this faith-based entertainment world have flamed out. There have been struggles with addiction, murky stories of inappropriate behavior, and outright abuse.

And because celebrity and faith are woven together in the personas of these stars, revelations of gross misconduct can be cast as spiritual warfare, conspiracies, or simply as evidence that Christianity itself is a vacuous delusion. As Josh Garrels said to me during an interview a few months ago: “we expect to see transformation, and when we don’t, we’re left wondering why.”

For long-time Christian music fans, Michael Tait has been a fixture of the industry, helping make Christian rock cool in the ‘90s for a generation of young adults and youth group kids. Over the past 15 years, he and the Newsboys have maintained their relevance in the industry through the group’s appearances in multiple films in the “God’s Not Dead” franchise.

When The Roys Report published its explosive and difficult to read article on Wednesday, I started getting messages on Instagram and X, asking if I knew this was coming. Had I ever interviewed someone in the band? Had anyone talked with me about this before? Did I think there was a chance none of it was true? Did the reporting seem legit?

Regarding the reliability of the article, it seems to me that the reporter, Jessica Morris, and her editors did their due diligence. Julie Roys has become a polarizing figure for evangelicals, so I expect that many will simply write this off until another outlet publishes a corroborating report.

Many of us who cover Christian entertainment have known that something like this was probably coming for months now. Michael Tait very abruptly left the Newsboys in January, the day after influencer Azariah Southworth posted a TikTok video in which he claimed Tait was gay. As The Roys Report noted, that video has since been taken down.

I am not a Nashville insider, but even I was aware of rumblings about Michael Tait’s behavior over the years. After reading the full article, I see why this story has simmered for so long. None of the victims’ names are on the record, and it’s not hard to see why they are choosing to remain anonymous. The described assaults and encounters were shocking and confusing, and the men involved were certainly aware that in the Christian music industry, even allegations about homosexuality could be career-ending. And in each case, Tait was clearly in a position of power over the alleged victim.

Sean Feucht has been the subject of public scrutiny for several years. During the height of Covid, he staged events in protest of mask mandates and gathering restrictions. He has been a vocal supporter of the Trump administration, and often rails against individuals and institutions he perceives as “woke” or “liberal.”

Now, five former employees or volunteers of the musician’s ministries are alleging financial misappropriation and spiritually coercive leadership tactics. They have published their own report on truthandfreedomstories.com. It’s important to acknowledge that this website is the result of the whistleblowers’ own findings, not an independent third-party investigation.

Those familiar with Feucht probably made up their minds long ago about his organizations and mission. I don’t think my article changed anyone’s mind about him. His supporters believe he has a righteous cause and that media organizations and mainstream institutions are out to tear him down. Those who think he’s a grifter were likely unsurprised by the reporting.

I don’t want to put the allegations against Feucht and Tait in the same category. They are not the same. However, both stories illustrate the ways Christians can use celebrity status to amass power, influence, and wealth, to a degree that it is possible to get away with abuse. This obviously happens in the mainstream music industry as well, but here, there is a troubling spiritual valence.

The separate sphere of the Christian music industry has provided a false sense of security to fans looking for an alternative to mainstream music. The fact that the lyrics of most CCM songs don’t have curse words or references to sex and drugs shouldn’t be as reassuring as it has been. There’s more to music than sounds and lyrics.

I’ve written about this in the context of “spiritually dangerous” music. Christian influencers these days love to talk about the risks of listening to secular music, as if it’s the lyrics and sounds themselves that pose a threat, slipping in and exerting dark power through the use of our ear drums. Music doesn’t invade your spirit, change your worldview, or fix your mindset against your will. Music builds worlds and environments and cultures.

The Christian music industry has its own subculture, and that subculture includes radio stations, awards shows, industry magazines, labels, and writers like me. It has all the trappings of the mainstream entertainment industry, celebrity culture included. And it has provided a context for Christian artists and audiences to have the star-fandom interplay.

But Christian music fans have wanted too much from this entertainment ecosystem, believing that their version of it could be free of many of the scourges of the mainstream (exploitation, abuse, greed, substance abuse, narcissism). They have lifted up a set of celebrities who seem to offer safe fandom, free of the moral entanglement of throwing in one’s lot with someone who might be the subject of scandal.

But here's the inconvenient truth of fandom: there is no guilt-free version. There is no Snackwells parasocial relationship that allows us to suspend our judgement and buy in to a celebrity’s schtick without the problem of that person’s problematicness.

Furthermore, there is no Christian celebrity who offers safe haven for those who want guilt-free fandom. Saying “it’s all for the glory of God” from the Winter Jam stage doesn’t exempt anyone from the dynamics of entertainment and celebrity culture.

That’s not to suggest that every Christian celebrity has the capacity to do what Tait or Feucht are alleged to have done. It’s simply to say that the Christian music industry does not actually offer a safe alternative—for artists or fans. It has a subculture that grows, among other things, celebrity. Celebrity (usually) comes with power and influence. And, as Tolkien observed, even the most noble and well-meaning of us are susceptible to the corrupting qualities of power—even power within the provincial Christian niche of the music industry.

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Thanks for reading! As always, here are a few recommended reads and listens:

This essay in Plough on optimization logic, industrial pig farming, and our collective failure to see our cultural practices as part of “the natural” is beautifully done, supported by original photographs taken by the writer (who also happens to be my husband). I’m obviously biased, but I think it’s brilliant.

When is the last time you listened to Paramore’s album, Riot!? It’s so good. My seven year old is currently really into “crushcrushcrush.”

Finally, I had the pleasure of getting to hang out with Dave Bazan for a while at a conference a couple of weeks ago. And he is as thoughtful and generous as you would expect. On the way back from the conference, I revisited his 2009 album, Curse Your Branches. Bazan’s voice is one of those musical core memories for me. He was in my regular rotation when I was a DJ at the local college radio station.