Mike Winger lauds Bethel apology, says accountability should comply with

By Leah MarieAnn Klett, Assistant Editor Monday, February 02, 2026

Christian apologist Mike Winger mentioned a latest apology from Bethel Church represents a uncommon and vital second of accountability inside the Charismatic motion whereas cautioning that unresolved considerations surrounding prophetic tradition and management transparency stay.

In a three-and-a-half-hour livestream titled “Bethel and Patricia King responded to my video on Shawn Bolz and Cowl-up Tradition,” Winger responded to public statements from Bethel leaders, together with Invoice Johnson, and fellow charismatic figures following his earlier exposé on prophetic minister Shawn Bolz, whom Winger accused of long-term deception and sexual misconduct, in addition to a broader sample of institutional silence.

“This isn’t some type of victory lap,” Winger mentioned on the outset of the video. “These are very actual points, very critical points for the Physique of Christ and the well-being and well being of the Charismatic Church. And this impacts different church buildings as effectively. I am not the one who dictates what occurs subsequent, however I wish to contribute and speak about a few of the points which are occurring.

Winger first praised Bethel’s public repentance, delivered from the pulpit by senior leaders, as unprecedented. He applauded the church management for acknowledging they did not act decisively after changing into conscious of misconduct allegations towards Bolz and did not adequately warn the church and broader ministry community.

“Bethel truly apologized in a manner that’s — I’m gonna be easy — was wonderful, and that despatched a sign out that has affected different leaders everywhere,” he mentioned. “That by no means occurs.”

“That doesn’t imply that these victims really feel closure,” Winger added. “Nevertheless it does trigger them to really feel vindicated.”

Nonetheless, he harassed that repentance have to be adopted by concrete reform. Winger mentioned he sees the second as a broader reckoning, not just for Bethel however for Charismatic management as a complete.

“We can’t simply be like, ‘Oh good, drawback solved,’” he mentioned. “… I do not need to punish the constructive issues that Bethel did, as a result of I’ve remaining considerations that completely ought to be in place, and I need to encourage us to maintain these in place.”

“Proper now, Bethel is beneath the take a look at, and the Charismatic Church is beneath the take a look at,” he mentioned. “What are you going to do now to show that you just care about integrity, that you just care about accountability, that you just care about defending victims?”

He emphasised that the controversy escalated solely after public publicity, arguing that personal dealing with had repeatedly failed.

“Current occasions have confirmed that except it was accomplished in public, nothing would have occurred,” Winger mentioned. “The ball wouldn’t have moved in any respect.”

Winger reserved sharp criticism for what he described as a theological and organizational framework that daunts public accountability, significantly teachings popularized inside Bethel’s sphere.

“I do imagine Danny Silk, whether or not he meant to or not, is among the architects of this tradition,” Winger mentioned, referring to the Bethel-affiliated instructor. “That ends in cover-up tradition.”

The emphasis on defending leaders’ reputations, he reiterated, has repeatedly come on the expense of victims. 

“Cowl-up tradition is elitism,” Winger mentioned. “Why is it that a lot effort and vitality is spent defending the reputations of leaders however not defending the precise security of the individuals within the congregation?”

Responding to claims that public publicity damages the church’s witness, Winger cited biblical precedent for public rebuke of leaders who persist in sin. 

“There’s occasions in Scripture the place public rebuke comes, and it may be an excellent factor,” he mentioned. “Jesus went round publicly rebuking. There are occasions the place it’s, actually, acceptable. … The prophets’ ministries have been all public rebukes.”

He added, “When Christians name out their very own, even when the world sees it, they see us calling it out ourselves.”

Winger additionally addressed responses from different Charismatic leaders, together with Patricia King, whom he accused of minimizing ties to Bolz and reinforcing patterns of deflection relatively than accountability.

“Among the responses are simply cover-up tradition,” Winger mentioned, singling out statements that, in his view, downplayed institutional duty.

Regardless of his criticisms, Winger credited Bethel congregants, alumni and youthful leaders for forcing the problem. He described the apology as a turning level pushed from inside relatively than imposed from exterior.

“It wasn’t my video that made Bethel change,” he mentioned. “It was individuals at Bethel. It was alumni from Bethel. It was somebody within the pew. … It was alumni from Bethel reaching out … an individual within the pew who’s been giving and donating to that ministry for years, who’s been there for 10 years, who mentioned, ‘No, this isn’t OK, guys, we have now to do one thing now.’ They’re those that made Bethel change. It was somebody on workers, I am theorizing right here, who mentioned, ‘No, it isn’t OK.’”

“That’s why it needs to be public,” Winger mentioned. “The Charismatics can repair the Charismatic Church.”

Whereas Winger described Bethel’s public repentance as “wonderful,” he mentioned unresolved questions on management consciousness, institutional duty and the dealing with of earlier warnings forestall the second from being thought of closure.

Among the many reforms Bethel leaders outlined have been the launch of a “Protected Church” reporting course of administered by a third-party group, expanded prophetic coaching, and a dedication to broader senior management oversight.

“I don’t assume that is all harm management,” Winger mentioned. “I believe it’s a primary step that could possibly be the open door to one thing actually great.”

Nonetheless, he questioned whether or not the third-party reporting construction has the authority to compel transparency if allegations contain senior leaders.

“If an amazing variety of experiences got here in about any individual in a serious place of management, is there any likelihood Bethel simply handles that internally?” Winger requested. “Or does this third occasion have the ability to power accountability?”

Winger additionally challenged Bethel leaders’ statements that they first grew to become conscious of allegations towards Bolz in 2019, citing testimony from whistleblower Jason Smedley and different sources who say considerations have been raised years earlier.

In accordance with Winger, Smedley reported proof of misconduct to a number of Charismatic leaders as early as 2017, together with people linked to Bethel management. He mentioned paperwork have been additionally shared internationally in 2018, but Bolz continued to be publicly endorsed.

“These timelines matter,” Winger mentioned. “This complete factor may have been wrapped up again then.”

Winger emphasised that he doesn’t declare all leaders acquired or understood the knowledge the identical manner, however mentioned the sample of silence displays what he deemed a broader “cover-up tradition.”

A central difficulty raised within the latter portion of Winger’s video involved Bolz’s commissioning by senior Charismatic leaders, together with figures affiliated with Bethel and apostolic networks.

Winger introduced photos and video clips displaying Bolz being publicly commissioned as a “prophet” at a number of occasions between 2014 and 2015, alongside outstanding leaders resembling Johnson, King and Pastor Che Ahn, who’s operating for governor of California.

“They didn’t simply platform him,” Winger mentioned. “They commissioned him as a prophet to the world with apostolic authority. … When the time got here to name him to account, everybody goes, ‘He wasn’t my duty.’ That doesn’t maintain.”

Winger sharply criticized a public assertion by Silk, arguing that it minimized institutional failure by framing occasions primarily as hesitation relatively than deception. He rejected Silk’s declare that reluctance to confront was distinct from deception, saying public endorsement with out warning constituted ethical failure.

“When Scripture tells you to warn and also you don’t, you’re masking up,” Winger mentioned. “Invoice endorsed him publicly after having info. … That is extra of the identical. You’re appropriately figuring out the components that led to the cover-up, however you have been a part of it.”

Winger additionally disputed latest feedback from King, who described her relationship with Bolz as that of a “ministry acquaintance.” He cited archived footage by which King publicly referred to Bolz as a “pricey good friend” and “good good friend of our home,” and credited her prophetic encouragement with shaping his profession.

“If you happen to endorsed him publicly, and later discover out he wasn’t who you mentioned he was, it is advisable publicly say one thing,” Winger mentioned.

He accused a number of leaders of quietly eradicating endorsements with out public rationalization, describing that sample as emblematic of institutional self-protection.

Past the Bolz controversy, Winger mentioned Bethel should confront further points if reform is to be credible, together with its dealing with of so-called prophecies, therapeutic claims and theological supplies it has endorsed. Among the many considerations he raised have been the promotion of The Physics of Heaven, the continued endorsement of The Ardour Translation, and the governance construction emphasizing apostles and prophets over native elders.

“They should cope with this,” Winger mentioned. “Not privately. Overtly.”

Winger, who mentioned he’s spoken to “tons and tons of victims behind the scenes,” concluded by urging Bethel leaders and congregants to pursue reform with out defensiveness. He emphasised he believes “God has positioned” him able to “attempt to make a distinction at this precise second in time.”

“You are able to do a lot good proper now for the Physique of Christ in the best way that you just deal with this and transfer ahead,” he mentioned. “So long as there’s no ounce of cover-up tradition concerned within the course of, it can convey nice blessing, as a result of there’s numerous harm that is been occurring for a very long time.”