Deconstructing My Deconstruction
I began writing this article in February 2023. Scratch that. I began wrestling with the content of this post in January 2020, but I hadn't been able to articulate it until now. Even so, you can see that it's January 2024 and I'm just now posting it. There are reasons for that, too, which I will get into later. I haven't really shared my story. I've held a lot back and there are lot of reasons for that. But it's
We’re Selling Indulgences Again and We Don’t Even Notice
A little Church history never hurt anyone. In this case, I think it's critical that we take a look at our past because it has become obvious to me and a few others that the Church has slipped right back into the very practices that necessitated the Protestant Reformation without batting an eye. Namely, the sale of indulgences. If you're not familiar with the concept, in a nutshell, sometime in the 1500s, Martin Luther and others in the Church grew
What Is a Ministry, After All?
In light of recent scandals unfolding at places like Daystar Television, and even in the spirit of asking ourselves the tough questions like whether a vocational pastor needs a leer jet, I've begun to ask a bigger question: what is a ministry? And more importantly: what is NOT a ministry? I think we can all safely agree that a church, at its heart, is a ministry. In the 1828 Webster's Dictionary (the more accurate dictionary, let's be honest), we find
The Church’s Abuse Problem is a Theology Problem
When we find men and women of God who genuinely want to serve and be a part of something for the Kingdom of God, we often find a certain personality type. They're usually humble. They're usually meek. They're usually submissive. And unfortunately, these qualities make them ripe for manipulation, gaslighting, and abuse. I've seen it too many times to count. For a long time, I thought I had had one long, unlucky streak in my church and ministry experiences. It
The Lessons We Should Learn from Daystar
In recent days, news has begun to trickle in the Christian community about a budding scandal at Daystar Television Network. For the most part, this news has stayed fairly buried, only showing up on fringe X accounts and lesser-known journalists' websites. I have my suspicions about why that is, but I'll get into that in a bit. In a nutshell, the story that is emerging is a tale as old as time. Jonathan Lamb, son of the late Marcus Lamb,
We Have No Other Choice Now
It's time to fix what we've done to the Church. If we don't, God will, and I don't think anyone is prepared for that. Author's Note: To this point, in every article I've written, I have been careful NOT to mention names, dates, or locations of any of the churches I have been part of. My purpose has been to share systemic issues I've witnessed, not bring down any one entity or person. You will see a clear departure
With or Without You // U2 Cover
This is one of my favorite songs from one of the most-played albums in my Apple Music library. Once, in high school, I got to play this song for an end-of-year teacher talent show. My history teacher put together a band of students, complete with two drummers. I felt so freakin' cool that he asked me to play keys for that band and it 100% whet my appetite for playing music live. From that point forward, I have
Protecting Abusers in the Name of Protecting the Brand
What happens when church leadership not only protects abusers but sets up a system to enable them? We Forgot How to "People"A friend of mine once lamented to me that her main grievance with the Church today is that we just don't know how to "people." For an institution that was created firstly to worship God and secondly, to make disciples, we have certainly forgotten that people are the key factor to both of those things. People are the heart and
You’re Buying Into the Prosperity Gospel
I bet you believe some form of the Prosperity Gospel and don't even know it. It's a four-letter word in the Church today: Prosperity Gospel charlatans and their ilk have come to be known as the snake oil salesman of evangelicalism and the New Apostolic Reformation. They show up on Sundays in their $5,000 hoodies and $1,200 sneakers. They fly in on their private jets. They televise their services to millions each week. They tout their wealth and promise that
The Not Exhaustive But Ridiculously Too Long List of Grievances
It seems like the Church today is prone to spiritual abuse. Whether Catholic or Protestant, mega or mini-sized, the Church is rampant with bad leaders acting selfishly, manipulating and lying for purposes that defy logic. Why? What is the pattern that facilitates this behavior? And how can we get better? Be better? Do better? This is the conversation I think we must have. Now. I've been a part of all kinds of churches, of all kinds of denominations and theological
Is Marketing Jesus Killing the Church?
My last article, which several thousand of you read (thank you so much), apparently struck a chord. It's becoming undeniably clear that something is fundamentally broken about the modern Church movement in the West. Too many are leaving disenchanted, confused, hurt, broken, and even questioning their faith. If it were only me, I would have shrugged it off as some sort of personal deficiency or misunderstanding. But I have heard from hundreds of you over the last few days, reaching
O Holy Night // Official Lyric Video
This original version of the classic Christmas carol is arranged, performed, and produced exclusively by Morgan G Farris. When I decided I wanted to release a Christmas EP, I knew I had to include this song. The first time I paid attention to it I was a kid and, oddly enough, it was while watching Home Alone. That boy's choir singing it in the background as Kevin buys groceries alone in his town affected me in ways that
Short Reads
God Told Me: An Immediate Red Flag
I have come to hear “God told me” as an immediate red flag.
There is an innate arrogance in assuming that you are hearing the voice of God and not your own. It’s exceptionally important to filter even your own “gut feelings” through scripture and wise counsel every time, no matter what. Because what you’re convinced is God Himself might very well be nothing more than your own ambition, selfish heart, or even a demonic influence.
Self-Evaluation is Key
Let me just say: if you go to a church where questions are either prohibited, ignored, or stonewalled, find another church. A healthy person — leader or otherwise — is always willing to self-examine. Questions asked for the right reasons are not threats, they are an opportunity to evaluate. If a leader can’t or won’t do that, it should tell you everything you need to know.
The Fall of the Evangelical Industrial Complex is Looming…
Unlike 15 years ago with the Hawkins lawsuit…
…Daystar cannot control the narrative and get out ahead of stories with a spin of “extortion” and “blackmail” anymore. In the age of social media, podcasters, YouTube, and even armchair observers, there is no more tight control of the narrative.
The same is true for legacy media, and we are watching their demise in real time.
We’re watching the fall of the Evangelical Industrial Complex, too.
It is good that tightly-knit organizations that protect each other at the expense of truth, justice, and morality should fall publicly and painfully.
In the same way that they’re retaliating against Elon Musk by keying Tesla owners’ cars, the Christian media is organizing “anonymous” accounts for smear campaigns, doxxing, and intimidation. It’s the same tactic — and it’s a tactic that only proves one thing: they’re losing.
Unlike 15 years ago with the Hawkins lawsuit, Daystar cannot control the narrative and get out ahead of stories with a spin of “extortion” and “blackmail” anymore. In the age of social media, podcasters, YouTube, and even armchair observers, there is no more tight control of the…
— Morgan G Farris, Loquacious Curmudgeon (@MorganGFarris) April 1, 2025
A Tale of Two Responses
I know there are many who are still very angry with Gateway after the fall of Robert Morris…
…but when I look at that situation versus what’s happening at Daystar, I cannot help but notice some important differences.
Once Cindy made her story public, people within the Gateway organization instigated an independent, thirty-party investigation into her claims and found that not only was Robert guilty, but he had people help him hide the truth. All of those people were forced to leave Gateway, including Robert Morris.
In contrast, when Jonathan and Suzy Lamb made their story public, Daystar refused to allow an independent, third-party investigation and continued to double down by ignoring the outcry of a child and insisting on the innocence of a man who has not been properly investigated or exonerated. To top it off, they have now gone on an internet witch hunt, blackmailing people and harassing anyone who speaks out.
Color me naive, but I’ll take Gateway’s response all day long over what Daystar is doing.
It’s Not a Worship Song
This is going to ruffle feathers, but the majority of songs touted as worship songs today are not, in fact, worship songs. Most of them are focused on us, what we get out of God, and how God makes us feel.
That isn’t worship. That’s hedonism. I’m looking at you, Brandon Lake.
The Erosion of Worship Lyrics
We went from singing lyrics like:
Then sings my soul my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
To:
You didn’t want heaven without us
So Jesus, you brought heaven down
Or:
I’ll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt
Been through hell hallelujah
Or:
I want to sit at your feet, drink from the cup in your hands
Lay back against you and breathe, feel your heartbeat
We’ve taken our sacred spaces where we praise the Creator of the universe for His glory and goodness and turned them into places where we tell God what we want from Him next. Church, we must return to true praise in Spirit and in Truth and abandon the hedonism that has infiltrated the holy place.
You’re Not Following Christ
If you’re following Christ because a TV preacher told you you’d be blessed, you’re not following Christ, you’re following your desires.
Biblical Prosperity
Perhaps the prosperity that the Prosperity Gospel Peddlers tout is rooted in a capitalist view of what is good for us. Perhaps the prosperity God promises throughout the Bible is one for our souls, not simply our means. Perhaps when God says he will provide all that we need, it might be manna, not a steak dinner.
