A lawsuit against American worship leader Sean Feucht over allegations a $250,000 (£185,518) donation was misspent has been thrown out in court.
Feucht has called the decision “a day of vindication”, after a California judge dismissed without prejudice the case brought by Christian businessman and philanthropist Steve Bray.
Reacting to the decision on Monday, Feucht posted on X: “Praise the Lord! Since God first put this mandate to worship on our hearts, we’ve seen intense opposition to the Let Us Worship movement.
“Antifa has hurled rocks at us, satanists have doused us in pig’s blood, and multiple left-wing politicians have threatened us with arrest. And most recently a well funded few waged a lawfare war against us. The lawsuits were picked up by all sorts of news outlets, with a story framed around smearing us.
“And the irony? A [Bill] Clinton-appointed federal judge was the one who issued the ruling. They chose this court believing it would benefit their case. Instead, the court dismissed all four claims.”
Bray had accused Sean Feucht Ministries of diverting the donations made in 2023 for ministry work for his personal benefit, with financial records and witnesses to corroborate. The businessman claimed he believed the money given would pay for at least 10 stops on the leader’s Let Us Go Worship tour.
Dismissing the lawsuit, district judge David O Carter said there was insufficient evidence and other shortcomings in the lawsuit.
The judge said :“The Court agrees with [the] defendant. Plaintiff fails to identify the specific sources upon which their claims are based — it is unclear which internal financial records plaintiff relies on, which individuals have direct knowledge, and the particulars of said knowledge. Without this information, it is ‘difficult to imagine how [defendants] could respond to the complaint other than by generally denying’ the claims.”
Bray's legal team have 20 days to file an ammended complaint.
Feucht, a former worship pastor at Bethel Church, rose to prominence for hosting in-person worship events when social distancing restrictions were in place during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2025, former ministry associates accused Feucht of financial impropriety and spiritual, emotional and psychological abuse. He told Premier Christian News the accusations were a “complete sham” put forward by “embittered former volunteers” who “have been attacking the ministry for over a decade”.