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Televangelist Joyce Meyer Pauses Program at Daystar, Citing Scandal at Network

By Kathryn Post
joyce meyer
Joyce Meyer speaks during “Enjoying Everyday Life,” broadcast on Daystar on Friday, Jan 10, 2024. (Video screen grab)

Joyce Meyer, the bestselling Christian author and longtime ministry leader and speaker, is pausing her programming with Daystar Television Network after years as a leading host at the influential Christian television broadcaster, according to an email obtained from an unnamed spokesperson for Joyce Meyer Ministries.

Meyer, whose popular show “Enjoying Everyday Life” has aired daily on Daystar, is the latest in a series of Christian leaders to break ties with the network after a controversy involving allegations of an abuse cover-up. Her ministry will pause its programming with Daystar starting on Monday.

“Daystar has been a long-standing broadcast partner, helping our ministry to share the life-changing message of Jesus around the world. However, in recent weeks, we have become troubled by allegations surrounding the Daystar Television Network,” Joyce Meyer’s son, Dan Meyer, wrote in an email to staff of Joyce Meyer Ministries.

“Due to the nature of these allegations and my mom’s own story, we feel a profound responsibility to stand for truth and create space for its discovery. In addition, we must always be sensitive to the hearts of those walking on this journey with us. As many of you are aware, we have received a significant and growing amount of concern from our partners and viewers regarding the Daystar situation.”

The email, sent to staff on Friday, indicates that Joyce Meyer Ministries may consider returning to Daystar “when and if this situation is satisfactorily resolved.” According to internet archives, Meyer’s program has aired on Daystar since at least 2005. Her program “Enjoying Everyday Life” can be viewed on the Joyce Meyer Ministries website, Joyce Meyer app, YouTube and several other TV networks, including TBN and Lifetime.

Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. Give a gift of $50 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you can elect to receive a copy of “Safe Church: How to Guard Against Sexism and Abuse in Christian Communities’ by Dr. Andrew Bauman, click here.

joyce meyer daystar
Joyce Meyer speaks during “Enjoying Everyday Life,” broadcast on Daystar on Friday, Jan 10, 2024. (Video screen grab)

Daystar did not respond to requests for comment regarding Meyer’s departure.

Unlike Meyer, four of the most recent leaders to exit the network — evangelical heavyweights Jack Graham, Jesse Duplantis, Lance Wallnau and Hank and Brenda Kunneman — did not cite the Daystar scandal as reason for their departure. Canadian author Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson cut ties with Daystar in November over perceived “ethical deficits” of senior executives, and an international ministry led by Baruch Korman halted its program with the network a month later due to unspecified concerns with the network’s ability to “embrace God’s standards.”

In fall 2024, The Roys Report (TRR) reported that Joni Lamb, president of Daystar, was accused by her son, Jonathan Lamb, and his wife, Suzy Lamb, of covering up abuse against their 5-year-old daughter, an allegation Joni has repeatedly denied.

Prior to news of Meyer’s departure, Daystar told media the recent exits represent a small percentage of the network’s 100 third-party programmers and said it’s typical for Daystar to see small turnover near the Dec. 31 contract renewal deadline.

Some of the programmers who left indicated they hope to return to Daystar in 2026, according to the network. Daystar said the departures of Graham, Duplantis, Wallnau and the Kunnemans were not related to Daystar or the ongoing scandal.

joni lamb daystar
Joni Lamb speaks during a faith summit hosted by the National Faith Advisory Board. (Video screengrab)

Jonathan and Suzy Lamb have also accused Joni Lamb of spiritual abuse and financial misconduct, allegations Joni Lamb also denies. 

“Daystar does not support these false allegations and is deeply saddened by Jonathan’s refusal to participate in and work toward peaceful reconciliation and relational restoration, for which Daystar and other Lamb family members had hoped,” Daystar said in an email to media on Wednesday.

Joyce Meyer has been public about being sexually and emotionally abused by her father from childhood until age 18. Since establishing her own ministry in 1985, Meyer’s practical approach to faith, spirited speaking and personal testimony, which includes crediting her faith in God for giving her the strength to heal from abuse, has made her a bestselling author and luminary among evangelical and charismatic Christian audiences.

The 81-year-old preacher and televangelist has also been criticized for her promotion of the prosperity gospel, which teaches that faith and donations lead to wealth and happiness, and for her luxurious lifestyle, though she has walked back some of her prosperity gospel teachings in recent years. She continues to resonate with many Christians today, hosting sold-out conferences and touting a staggering 6 million followers on X.

Kathryn Post is a reporter for Religion News Service based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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49 Responses

  1. Only the beginning. Joni may have to sell one of her mansions to get by financially. Poor soul. Maybe Jimmy Evans can borrow her some cash before the rapture takes him from us.

    *Warning: preceding message is sarcasm

    1. I pray that God will restore Daystar. The long legacy of faithfulness to Jesus shown by Marcus, Joni and their family has been a bright star for decades bringing knowledge of healing, salvation, and discipleship to countless souls, strengthening the message of the Gospel everywhere. I myself have been deeply blessed by the ministry of Daystar, as have millions, but have we on turn been comitted to cover this ministry with continual prayer ? The enemy is striving to bring Daystar down in these end times, but we who have been blessed must pray fervently for God to continue to bring beauty from ashes as only He can, and glorify Jesus through restoration. We are in a battle with unseen forces of evil, but thanks be to God Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

      1. This scandal exposes hypocrisy and wrong ideas perhaps like no other scandal before. Who is the “enemy” in this situation? Did Satan come from roaming to and fro on the earth and personally fire Suzy and Jonathan Lamb in a disgraceful and disrespectful way, as they stood for Jesus (the Word of God)? Or did Satan send a high-level demon for cover up? What about Suzy’s father, how he was handled, and Joni said this week on Ministry Now it was for “strategy” that the prayer center leadership was changed? Jezebel didn’t need a demon to make her do evil. She was just fine doing it on her own.

      2. This is God bringing judgement not the enemy. What is done in secret is being exposed. God will not tolerate evilness in leadership. He gives enough time to repent sincerely,then reaping begins.

      3. Rosalyn, what enemy is striving to bring Daystar down?

        Is shining light, truth, full disclosure and transparency an enemy?

        1. The “enemy” to those supporting this craziness is the Holy Spirit. They are literally calling that part of the Godhead as Satan. Very close to the unpardonable sin. Likely it is the unpardonable sin.

      4. is there a rolling eye emoji I can use in reply to your comment? Financial malfeasance and CSA, yeah let’s restore that Network…LORD have mercy!

      5. Well said! I have also been blessed by this ministry for over a decade. I pray that the evil one is not allowed to take down this ministry completely.

        1. Oh, I see, the devil made the leadership at Daystar coverup CSA, adultery, financial malfeasance, lying and cheating. It is our HOLY GOD pulling back the curtain on people who say “LORD, LORD” Matthew 7:22.

        2. The evil 😈 one is not trying 2 take down DayStar the Lord is exposing the leaven and GROSS 😝 SIN in the Camp at DirtStar

      6. Where are the examples of “faithfulness?” Marcus Lamb was running Daystar while engaging in a long-term affair with another woman. Joni Lamb failed to report credible reports of sexual molestation of her granddaughter to the police. She also married a man after Marcus’s death that got an unbiblical divorce from his first wife. She then tried to get her son to rubber stamp the marriage as being acceptable. She also brought in Jimmy Evans to try and bully her son into approving of the marriage and take the taint off of the marriage. Faithfulness? You must have a different definition of the word than I do.

          1. Unfounded gossip is slander and you should make sure that your facts are straight before you write anything. The real truth will prevail. We should be praying for the ministry because it reaches many people and nations. The scandal is putting the blame on Joni but what about the parents, Jonathan and Suzy? They didn’t report anything…until they decided to cause so much trouble for the rest of the family. I think it is shameful for a son to cause this for his own Mother. I don’t think it is Joni who is lying.

          2. Shirley, please read our investigative reports, which show that Jonathan and Suzy reported their daughter’s alleged abuse the day after their daughter reported it to them.

      7. This is abuse on every level. With decades of this abuse hidden. This is not an attack of the enemy. This is wolves in sheep’s clothing being exposed.

    2. I’m very far from being an apologist for Joyce Meyer but why don’t people criticize Ray Comfort (and his team) and Mike Winger (with his wife as treasurer) who each give themselves around $200,000 per year according to their 990 forms?
      [And their donations well exceed these totals]
      That’s more than the salary of the UK Prime Minister and I’m not sure how many of their donors realize that…

      1. Do you have a link to the 990 forms?

        On a different note, I’m not sure that comparing to the UK Prime Minister is a fair comparison since they have so much provided to them – all major living expenses, as an example. I am actually very familiar with the city where Mike Winger lives (I grew up there), and it’s not a place where a high-income earner would live. It is a high cost of living area, but the particular part of the city is a rough part, where white people are a minority. Because of that, I’d like to see the documentation myself, because it doesn’t make sense for a high-income earner to live in a bad neighborhood.

    3. Vast amounts of her sermons and teachings are available free on YouTube and on her website. She is an amazing woman and the survivor of the most horrifying sexual abuse, continual by her father for the whole of her childhood. She has long repented of her involvement in the Word of Faith movement and has helped untold numbers of Christians to get up, carry their cross and follow Christ. She has written 150 books and the money from that alone would make her a wealthy woman – and justifiably so. Her ministry carrries out massive humanitarian outreach as well. Your sarcasm is ugly and inappropriate.

      1. All that is meaningless when she is disseminating false doctrine. She preaches a false Word of Faith message. She is also a purveyor of the “Little Gods” doctrine. She claims to be sinnless. She teaches that Jesus had to be saved after He went to Hell at his death. All these are not just false doctrinal points, they are heretical. Any good you think Meyers does is immediately cancelled out by the false teaching she fowards every single day. Instead of trying to defend her you should be calling on her to repent and end her false teaching.

        1. No~ she most certainly does NOT teach she is sinless!!! And never have I EVER heard her preach on little gods. I listen to her nearly ever day. I have never heard her preach what you said. Maybe you have confused her with some one else. I did hear her repent for her Word of Faith involvement in her earlier years. No, just no.

  2. I am so proud of Joyce Meyer Ministries. It doesn’t matter what took them so long or if it is just because of pressure. What matters is that it will make a statement and more will follow.

    1. What “statement” does it make? It took shamefully long for such a high profile individual to address shocking issues and take public action against the largest or one of the largest Christian television networks in the world. Joyce’s ministry is public. It doesn’t matter what happened behind the scenes leading to this. Shocking audio and thorough interviews have been sufficiently public for weeks.

  3. It’s brutal to watch a longtime religious broadcast ministry implode in real time like this. As one of the big names, Joyce’s departure is not a good sign for their future.

  4. I am thankful for Joyce Meyer pausing from DayStar. Hopefully more ministries will follow until there is an investigation of the alleged sa of Joni’s granddaughter … and true repentance from the cussing leaders of Daystar.

    1. This cussing of Joni Lamb-weiss-evans did not start with cussing on jonathan and his wife, and Doug Weiss talking dirty sexual language, the Bible said it is wrong to use words like he use to young Jonathan and Suzy. Somewhere Joni is going have to come off her proud look(God Hates ) and repent from her language filthy Lucre Greed of God”s Money. We and me have made mistakes but I have ask God to help. David ask God to deliver him from presumptuous [sins Ps 19:13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous [sins]; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Sins, hello Joni doug and Jimmy Evans.

  5. While some of these broadcasters leaving Daystar is due to the effects of the scandal, I also have to wonder if these ministries were considering switching to a lower-cost communication method such as podcasts, YouTube, etc., and this scandal sped up their decision-making?

    These big evangelical ministries are probably facing significant financial challenges. Daystar may no longer be the most cost-effective way to communicate.

  6. I highly respect Joyce Meyer, and knew she would do the right thing in the right time. She is a godly woman with much integrity. It’s apparent she had to wait for her contract to run out.

  7. I first heard of Daystar through TRR. Raised a granddaughter of a Midwest pastor and daughter of a pastor, prosperity gospel was always frowned upon in our circles; even as I worked out my own salvation later as a young adult, it was obvious the Benny Hinns and Joel Osteens of the world (the only ones I knew of then) were false teachers. I’m just confused as to why so many people follow them, listen to this type of messaging. What is the draw? Were Marcus & Joni honest and trustworthy and humbly following the Lord back in their early beginnings, but then the money and power? Now that I know more about Daystar and their history, Joyce Meyer, IMHO, is questionable for choosing to be affiliated with this type of programming for all those years. It’s hard to understand how so many people are being deceived, except that the Bible says this will happen. I pray the light will continue to shine in the darkness, truth will be revealed, and people’s eyes will be opened. 1 Timothy 6

    1. I’m in complete agreement with you. Having from my early years understood the falsity of so much of that teaching I had never cared to watch most of the programming that has been available on the Christian networks. Even the good was too mixed up in questionable programming. And the money that is such a huge part of it just turned me off.
      So I as well have never understand the huge followings. But it explains where The Evangelical Church is today. A lack of discipleship in the foundational teachings of Christianity and fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith have brought us to where we are today. I’m so thankful for this site and others that are bringing exposure. But I think we’re at the tip of the iceberg.

    2. MT,

      “What is the draw? ”

      Most people, given the choice, will take the easy way.

      Mt 7:13-23

      13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad (EASY) is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

      14Because strait is the gate, and narrow (HARD) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

      15Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

      16Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

      17Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

      18A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

      19Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

      20Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

      21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

      22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

      23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

  8. While not an advocate for some of the doctrinal positions held by Meyer, in making this proclamation, I believe she has demonstrated herself to be a leader holding to a high view of Scriptural principles, by putting integrity first. And to the Roys Report, thank you for your continued coverage, leaving no rock unturned in the pursuit for truth. Since on their page Daystar is asserting that they have an “insider report” from authorities that the SA case for Baby Lamb is about to be concluded with “no charges” filed, do you know whether the same is being told to reporters following up on the case?

  9. Way to go Mama Joyce! We knew we could count on you to stand with Baby Lamb. A child can never lie about such serious things. Shame on you Daystar for throwing Jonathan and Suzy under the bus just because they challenge things which are not biblical. Jon, that husband is not your covenant husband, period!

  10. Of all the ministries which have left Daystar, this is probably the most prominent to date. This likely will lead a lot of others – large and small – to follow suit.

  11. Thank you God, for opening the eyes of prominent Christian leaders like Joyce Meyer!
    I’m praying my pastors will follow suit!

  12. I finally went to the Daystar site and found a list of programs on Daystar:
    Adrian Rogers
    Allen Jackson
    Andrew Wommack
    Annette Capps
    Aquilla Nash
    Barry Segal
    Betty Robison
    Dr. Bill Winston
    Bishop Dale Bronner
    Bishop T.D. Jakes
    Bobby Burnette
    Caleb Colson
    Charles Capps
    Dr. Charles Stanley
    Creflo Dollar
    Dr. David Jeremiah
    Doug Baert
    Doug Batchelor
    Drenda Keesee
    Ed Young
    Gary Keesee
    Gary Stearman
    Gene Bailey
    Greg Laurie
    Hal Lindsey
    Dr. Harold E. Salem
    Jack Hibbs
    Dr. James Merritt
    James Robison
    Jeff Redlin
    Jentezen Franklin
    Jerome Fernando
    Joel Osteen
    John Ankerberg
    John Hagee
    John Paul Jackson
    Dr. John Tweedie
    Jonathan Bernis
    Jordan Easley
    Joseph Prince
    Joseph Z
    Josh Reinstein
    Joshua Colson
    K.A. Schneider
    Kenneth Copeland
    Kenneth W. Hagin
    Dr. Kynan Bridges
    Larry Huch
    Mac Hammond
    Marilyn Hickey
    Mark Chironna
    Dr. Michael Youssef
    Mondo Gonzales
    Paula White-Cain
    Perry Stone
    Ray Comfort
    Rick Renner
    Robert Jeffress
    Rod Parsley
    Ron Carpenter
    Dr. Sam Kojoglanian
    Sarah Bowling
    Sherry Burnette
    Sid Roth
    Ted Shuttlesworth
    Tim Moore
    Tim Timberlake
    Tiz Huch
    Timothy Scott
    Troy Brewer
    William Decker
    Dr. Ed Young

  13. I’m very sad and sorry about the scandal that’s going on at Daystar. I absolutely think that this is most ridiculous to be canceling so many shows on Daystar! Especially the popular ones like Joyce and Jesse Duplantis and cancelling even more popular kids Christian shows like Dr. Wonder and Hermie! I hope and pray 🙏 that this scandal goes away very soon.I don’t have a lot of favorite preachers, which is why I’m very disappointed ☹️ but I love the channel otherwise and I’m sorry 😐 that you’re going through this problem. GI was angry and disappointed about this but I’ll still pray 🙏 for the Daystar company

  14. Goodness, with all these ‘ministries’ seemingly hand in glove with presentation, marketing, money, and business practices. Could this simply be defined as, crisis management? 🤔

  15. I applaud Joyce Meyers, Jesse Duplantis, Lance Wallnau, Jack Graham & Kunnemans for leaving Daystar. It didn’t take long after Marcus passing for the family to fall apart. So many people felt sorry for Joni because Marcus was unfaithful but I don’t think she was so innocent herself. Her new marriage happened pretty fast and it’s such a joke to say that Jimmy gave his approval of their marriage. That’s pretty ridiculous considering the recording of how Joni and Jimmy spoke to her son that’s just evil. The issues obviously have always been there the difference is now they’re exposed.

  16. I have doubts about all involved at this point. Believers love scandal as much as non believers. A shame in my view.
    The Lambs are uncommonly good at documenting things. Who is their handler in this? Also what is the endgame? “Exposing the Truth “? I don’t think so at this point. Use your head, please people. Qui bono- who benefits?

  17. She must be afraid her grifting will be hurt by staying with Daystar. Multi-million dollar mansions and plastic surgery don’t pay for themselves, after all.

  18. I don’t listen to Joyce Meyer faithfully, but the few times I have, I haven’t heard anything doctrinally off-putting. (And it was through her ministry that I was introduced to Priscilla Shirer, who has richly blessed me and my discipleship group.) Yet what stands out to me is how, whenever I would travel to St Louis for work, so many local residents and business owners had “Joyce Meyer” stories – and ALL said she is who she presents herself to be on TV: gracious, giving, loving, and “stays ready to tell you about Jesus.”
    This move by JMM further confirms the integrity of Joyce. (I can only imagine how it also stirred her spirit, given her own story with abuse).
    I pray this is not just viewed as “bad for Daystar” but a testimony for truth, love and accountability by Joyce and all who are pulling away from Daystar and the Lambs.

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