Bethel Church in Redding, California, has revealed that it confronted Christian minister Shawn Bolz over allegations of fabricating prophecies more than five years ago.
The church, led by Pastor Bill Johnson, stated it distanced itself from Bolz after he failed to provide a satisfactory response.
Around the same time, an employee accused Bolz of behaviors that "seemed to fit the descriptions of sexual harassment and a hostile work environment", according to a statement released on Monday.
Bolz, who was frequently invited to minister at Bethel, has long faced online accusations of using social media data mining to craft prophetic words.
He denied these claims, stating: "As a ministry, we would never condone nor engage in finding information online to prophesy over people."
Concerns about Bolz’s prophetic ministry were first raised in 2019 by Christian leaders who suspected he might have been using publicly available information rather than receiving supernatural words of knowledge.
According to The Christian Post, they presented over a dozen concerning examples, though Bethel’s leadership was divided on whether the evidence was conclusive.
Despite lacking definitive proof, Bethel sought clarity from Bolz, meeting with him twice.
Each time, he denied the allegations.
Bethel chose to quietly distance itself, no longer inviting Bolz to minister, removing his materials from their store, and issuing a firm warning.
In addition to the concerns about his prophecies, one of Bolz’s employees made allegations of inappropriate workplace behavior.
Bethel said they confronted him, and he reportedly acknowledged that the behaviors had stopped.
The church encouraged the accuser to seek legal recourse, stating it had done what it could with the limited knowledge available at the time.
Bolz has since shifted his focus toward media and entertainment rather than traveling ministry.
In a recent statement, he reaffirmed his commitment to supporting prophetic ministry and maintaining healthy relationships within the movement.
Bethel leaders concluded by acknowledging the complexity of the situation and emphasizing their ongoing concern for the global Church.