Should Michael Tait’s Moral Failure Surprise Us?

Michael Tait, former singer of Newsboys and DC Talk, just admitted to some very serious allegations of misconduct and abuse. The details are horrific. And while the whole world is surprised, I think my take is that it shouldn’t be surprising at all. In this video, I’m going to tell you exactly why that is.

This is Provoke and Inspire: Instant Reaction, where I look at current events and culture and ask the question: What would Jesus think, and what would He do? I aim to be your guide for discerning this crazy world and staying faithful to Jesus in the midst of it.

Unfortunately, this is a really tragic topic that I think needs to be discussed.

If you’ve been in the Christian world at all, you probably know who Michael Tait is. If you’re younger, maybe you don’t. He was the lead singer of two of the most influential Christian rock bands of all time: Newsboys and DC Talk. They were huge—millions of CDs sold, sold-out concerts, massively influential for years.

Now Michael Tait has admitted that he’s guilty of some seriously bad stuff. The incidents occurred between 2004 and 2014 and involved unwanted advances, inappropriate touching, and the use of drugs and alcohol.

The remaining members of Newsboys responded on social media saying they were completely caught off guard, totally surprised, and heartbroken that he was living a double life. Now whether that’s true—how much they knew, and how responsible they were for bringing this to light earlier—that’s a different conversation. Other people will talk about that. I want to talk about why this keeps happening.

Because it does.

It feels like every few months, another Christian celebrity, pastor, musician, or artist is confessing to some horrific thing from their past. And I don’t think we should be surprised by this at all.

At the core, we’ve become married to and seduced by the same patterns of the world—fame, power, influence. This is the real reason we keep seeing high-profile moral failures.

I remember when Ravi Zacharias fell. That one hit me hard. He was a massive influence on me—the way he blended poetic language with deep intellectual defenses of the faith was incredibly inspiring. When he fell, I felt disillusioned. I wondered: Is anyone going to run the race well to the end? Can anyone withstand this kind of influence?

There are so many ways to justify fame and celebrity. We say the message is so important, that the Church needs its own influencers, its own artists and celebrities. Why should the devil have all the good music?

But as more and more high-profile people fall, we have to ask: Were human beings meant to be worshipped like this? Obviously not. But even phrased more conventionally—were human beings meant to carry this kind of influence?

From my perspective, it doesn’t seem like a question of if these people will fall, but when. Because celebrity, power, fame, and money act like growth serum to the tumors inside all of us.

We all have sin. We all have proclivities. The difference is, most of us don’t have the access and opportunities that these celebrities do. In a way, that’s a limiting, even protective factor.

That doesn’t mean we don’t struggle, of course. But they’re playing a different game, with different stakes. Money, fame, and influence amplify every weakness, every vulnerability. That’s why so many fall.

So we need to look at this systemically. Yes, we can look at each individual case. We should lament the damage done to the witness of Christ. We should defend victims. We should demand justice. We should be angry.

But we also need to ask: Should we pursue influence like this at all?

Is celebrity something we should avoid at all costs to save our souls?

Jesus said, “What good is it to gain the whole world but lose your soul?”

One of the prayers I pray all the time is: God, let my character exceed my opportunities.

I don’t want to be put in a position I can’t handle. So I pray: God, let my integrity, my purity, my selflessness grow. Kill my pride. Raise up humility. Let my character exceed my opportunities.

Because when our character falls behind our influence—that’s when we fall.

And sadly, we are seeing this over and over again.

Until we confront the world’s obsession with power, fame, and money, this is going to keep happening.

But I want to know what you think: Can we as followers of Jesus have celebrity, power, influence, and money—and survive? Is that even possible?

Comment below and let me know what you think. What’s the remedy? How do we avoid isolation, arrogance, and ultimately moral failure?

This is what Provoke and Inspire is all about—a community of people who want to follow Jesus faithfully, especially outside the Church. I hope this encourages you.

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Let’s pray that God protects those in positions of influence. Let’s pray He heals those hurt by people like Michael Tait. And let’s commit to doing better—challenging the lies of our culture and being honest about the things we struggle with.

Let’s avoid the things that amplify those struggles.

That’s it.

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