Leaders at Bethel Church in Redding said they didn’t do enough to address allegations of sexual misconduct against prominent minister Shawn Bolz, according to a Sunday statement from the church.
Bolz describes himself online as a TV host, news commentator and Christian minister. He preached at Bethel up until 2019.
That’s when reports of sexual harassment were made to church leadership by one of his staff. Around the same time, Bolz was also accused of misleading church members about his ability to communicate directly with God.
Bolz denied the allegations to church leaders.
The apology from Bethel leaders comes after a Christian Youtuber posted a nearly six-hour video about the allegations on Jan. 17.
In the statement, church leaders Bill Johnson, Kris Vallotton and Dann Farrelly acknowledge that they did not bring “discipline, closure, or clear and timely communication” regarding their concerns about Bolz. Vallotton said it was his decision to not let the public know about the allegations. He also admitted to cutting off one of Bolz’s victims after he came to him for help.
“It grieves me that someone would need to put out a video to prompt us to action,” Vallotton said in the statement. “It’s an indictment against my leadership.”
Bethel said it partnered with a third-party service called Safe Church in early 2025 to make it easier for members to report abuse moving forward.
“This was done to ensure that Bethel itself would be held accountable for the information reported and the investigation process,” the church statement read.
NSPR reached out to Bolz Ministries for comment but did not receive a response.
