The president of Bethel Music, Jenn Johnson, has described recent scandals affecting Bethel Church as “tough stuff”, as the church continues to face scrutiny over allegations of sexual misconduct and leadership failures.
Speaking in a conversation with Alex Enfiedjian of Worship Ministry Training, Johnson responded to questions about what the church has learned in the wake of multiple controversies.
Over recent months, Bethel Church has faced criticism following allegations involving affiliated ministers, claims of prophetic deception, and concerns about a culture that failed to protect members of its congregation.
In January, the church apologised for its handling of allegations against Shawn Bolz, a prominent pastor previously platformed by Bethel. As previously reported, the accusations include nonconsensual sexual acts and claims he fabricated “prophetic messages” using information gathered from social media.
A month later, senior leader Ben Armstrong was placed on administrative leave following further allegations of sexual abuse dating back to 2009, including claims of grooming and nonconsensual touching.
Senior leaders Bill Johnson, Kris Vallotton and Dann Farrelly also issued a five-page letter in January 2026 acknowledging “mistakes and failures” in how allegations of an inappropriate and sexually harassing culture were handled.
“While we are committed to doing better in the future, we understand that some are in the midst of working through pain, confusion, and consequences to which we contributed,” they wrote. “If you were directly impacted by a prophetic word from Shawn within our environment, or as a result of his sexual misconduct, we invite you to reach out to us so we can offer support, pastoral care, or counseling resources.”
During the discussion, Enfiedjian asked Johnson what God had taught Bethel’s leadership through the scandals and whether worship leaders should be concerned about using Bethel’s songs.
Johnson said she continues to love and care about those accused, adding that one of the most difficult aspects is that people often hear only one side of a story online.
“I don’t know about you, but if I was accused of something, I would really hope that there would be two sides of the story heard by the world and not just one.”
“Oftentimes in the social media era … whoever is the loudest and the broadest, that’s what gets the attention, and oftentimes the other sides of the story are not heard.”
“I’m not in any way belittling the situation or saying that there is no one innocent in these situations; however, I do think that it’s a pretty impossible situation we live in to camp our entire emotion that’s humans around something that we’re hearing on the internet.”
Johnson added that allegations should be handled through the legal system, where claims can be properly examined and tested, and said Christians should exercise caution in what they believe from both the accused and accusers.