Recently, a group of former members at MorningStar Ministries in South Carolina have filed a petition against the church calling for an investigation into the organization following sexual abuse allegations against leaders in the ministry involving minors.
The petition published earlier this week stated, “We the undersigned publicly and emphatically stand in solidarity and support for the victims of sexual abuse at MorningStar. Each of us had some level of experience with the many facets of MorningStar ministries, whether their K-12 school, the ministry school MSU, or the Sunday morning congregation. We were students, church attendees, MorningStar staff, CSCL teachers, and volunteers.”
The statement from the group of over 100 members called out the alleged “negligence” and “abuse of power” that occurred at the ministry that has occurred for decades. “Many of us live in different places now, and we approach this statement with a spectrum of beliefs about God, religion, and our time at MorningStar. One thing we share is a firm belief that corruption, negligence, and abuse of power has gone on at MorningStar and its affiliated organizations for decades,” they said.
We believe it is this corrupt and toxic leadership culture that enabled various forms of abuse to take place, including a child predator being able to abuse children for years,” the petition continued, expressing its grievances regarding the alleged conduct that took place.
Calling out the ministry’s founder, Rick Joyner, the petition continued, “We strongly condemn the MorningStar Board, its leader Rick Joyner, and other executive church leaders for their inadequate response to grave allegations. Their attempts to ignore, downplay, and discredit victims and the severity of their claims are not only morally reprehensible but also betray the trust placed in them.”
The group called out anyone affiliated with MorningStar to reevaluate their relationship with the ministry in light of the allegations. “We encourage current members, supporters, students, staff, and volunteers to review all available information regarding the allegations made against MorningStar’s leadership and to carefully reconsider your continued support (financial or otherwise) to MorningStar absent significant MorningStar actions toward ensuring transparency, accountability, and prevention of abuse in the future, continuing to support this organization may contribute to continued abuse,” the petition read.
The Christian Tribune previously reported on the ongoing controversy with MorningStar where a lawsuit had been filed agains the ministry accusing Joyner and several others of gross negligence for their handling of the alleged coverup of sexual abuse in the ministry.
“The negligent, grossly negligent, reckless, willful, or wanton acts, omissions, and liability of Defendants includes that of their agents, principals, employees, and/or servants, both directly and vicariously, pursuant to principals of non-delegable duty, corporate liability, apparent authority, agency, ostensible agency, and/or respondent superior,” per the lawsuit.
“Upon information and belief, Joyner, Yarns, and Doug Lee knew of these assaults and helped orchestrate the victims not reporting the criminal incidents to law enforcement. The actions by MorningStar, Joyner, Yarns and Doug Lee in the investigation and actions of them after each assault incident involved neutral principles of law,” the lawsuit adds.
Featured image credit: MorningStar Ministries, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rick_Joyner_speaking_from_the_Podium_at_MorningStar_Ministries_in_Fort_Mill,_South_Carolina_in_2013..jpg