Author and Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute Kara Powell has withdrawn from speaking at the upcoming Orange Conference, citing a desire to “side with survivors of abuse.”
The annual conference April 29—May 1 in Atlanta is touted as the “biggest family ministry conference in the world.” But following a clergy sex abuse scandal involving Orange Founder Reggie Joiner, Powell said she would not participate.
“It is with deep sadness, grief, and concern that I’ve decided to withdraw from speaking at this year’s Orange Conference, a conference I’ve spoken at for over a decade,” Powell wrote in a statement posted on Instagram. “. . . I believe the stories of those who have come forward to report clergy sexual abuse. And I believe their stories require each of us as leaders to consider how we will respond in this moment.”
Powell’s actions come after a woman recently accused Orange Founder Reggie Joiner of grooming and sexually abusing her for years, beginning when she was a teen.
This woman’s identity was confirmed by North Point Pastor Andy Stanley, who said he believed her allegations but denied culpability for Joiner’s misconduct, which allegedly began when Joiner was on staff at North Point.
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Last April, Joiner and former Orange CEO Kristen Ivy resigned from Orange due to what was initially termed an “relación inapropiada.”
Ivy later accused Joiner of clergy sexual abuse. And reThink, the former parent company of Orange, launched an independent investigation into the allegations. However, the woman who published her statement last week called the inquiry “a sequence of delayed responses, unanswered questions, gaslighting, and victim blaming.”
Since the scandal, Orange has been acquired by Dallas-based Amazing Life Foundation (ALF). Initially, the new venture was called a “merger” with Orange. However, in a new statement last week, Amazing Life called it an “acquisition” and referred to Orange as an “asset.”
The statement also emphasized that Amazing Life “has no ongoing, relationship with the reThink Group,” the former parent company of Orange.
However, when asked about whether ALF would continue to pay six-figure, annual royalties to Joiner and reThink Board Chairman Joel Manby, ALF responded, “Royalty obligations remain with Orange.”
An account on Instagram called “orangeuntold” called the new language an attempt by ALF to distance itself from Orange and “from accountability.”
“Unfortunately, when you inherit Orange, you inherit Orange’s hurts, too,” the account said in a post.
Other well-known speakers at Orange include Vous Church Pastors Rich and DawnCheré Wilkerson, Rap artist Larae, Mosaic Lead Pastor Erwin McManus, and author and speaker Jon Acuff. Leading worship at the conference is Rita Springer and Mosaic MSC, worship leaders from Mosaic Church.
Andy Stanley’s son, comedian Andrew Stanley, is also performing at Orange. Other notable speakers include Growing Leaders Founder Tim Elmore, and Hope Church NYC Pastor Drew Hyun.
Powell’s Fuller Youth Institute (FYI) issued a companion statement today, saying, “FYI stands with our Executive Director, Kara Powell, and our colleagues at TENx10 to advocate for empathy and full transparency by the reThink board and the Amazing Life Foundation regarding the public allegations made against Reggie Joiner. We cannot partner with Orange until we have confidence that victims are treated with dignity and the allegations are fully explored.”
FYI also stated that they “lament the pain felt by the Orange leadership and staff, many of whom have lost their jobs in the wake of the fallout and subsequent sale of the organization.”
Como El Informe Roys (TRR) previamente reportado, when ALF acquired Orange, it required that all Orange employees sign a non-compete agreement to keep their jobs. Then, a month later, ALF cut 25 Orange staff, including Orange Interim President Mike Clear.
Julie Roys es una reportera de investigación veterana y fundadora de The Roys Report. Anteriormente, también presentó un programa de entrevistas nacional en Moody Radio Network, llamado Up for Debate, y ha trabajado como reportera de televisión para una filial de CBS. Sus artículos han aparecido en numerosas publicaciones periódicas.
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6 Responses
Last Fall we were looking for a new church. I was in Mosaic’s neighborhood in Hollywood, so my dog, Jack, and I stopped by for a look-see between services. As you know, if God gifts us with some measure of discernment of spirits, on a good day you can just walk into a place and get a sense of things. We nodded and walked through the small narthex to peek into the sanctuary. A group of too-handsome, ascetic looking endomorphic male deacons smiled and let us pass. Just the type of people happy to genuflect to the glory of a dominant cowboy with a bent towards the apostolic. Right then, a stout Korean lady approached us with blazing eyes. With a piercing round of staccato “we’re not open now’s,” we were banished to the barking lot. Jack shook his paws off and we split from that place forever.
That reminds me of Melissa Scott’s (Wife of the late Gene Scott) church in Glendale who requires reservations to be made in order to attend her church
https://www.pastormelissascott.com/attend.html
Well, that’s probably better than my experiences with multiple “churches” where leadership just won’t respond to my initial email inquiries at all ….
There is “abuse” and “sexual abuse”. There is no such thing as “clergy sex abuse”. This is an artificially invented term that does way more harm than good.
I beg to differ, as does Dr. David Pooler: https://julieroys.com/podcast/understanding-adult-clergy-sexual-abuse/
Unlike Julie and Dr. David Pooler, I do not beg to differ with you, Daniel. I DEMAND to differ!! You are so FAR BEYOND just mistaken, sir!