Chris Reed, CEO and president of MorningStar Ministries, resigned from his position on Tuesday, citing his support for victims involved in a lawsuit against the ministry. The lawsuit, which was filed on August 7, claimed that MorningStar handled allegations of child sex abuse involving Erickson Lee, a former volunteer leader, improperly. Reed emphasized his dedication to supporting victims when he said that his departure was motivated by his wish to avoid becoming "the face of" a company involved in a legal dispute.
But further information made public by The Roys Report (TRR) revealed more claims of Reed's alleged sexual misbehavior. On Wednesday, Reed said that he had texted a lady named Kathryn about "horrible" sexual things and that they had even kissed. Before Reed was appointed CEO, the wrongdoing happened in 2021 while he was a pastor at MorningStar Fellowship Church.
Reed's seven-year-old pupil Kathryn told him their relationship started when he gave a prophesy about her while she was a MorningStar student. Reed first played this down, saying they were only messaging, but they really met frequently and had physical contact. Later on, Reed confessed to sending crude messages and to kissing during the encounters, but he denied any physical touches.
Rick Joyner, the founder and chairman of MorningStar and the CEO after Reed's resignation, first brushed off the accusations. Joyner said he didn't think the connection "crossed any kind of a line" and that they had set limits and taken remedial measures. Joyner said that he had spoken with Kathryn and made sure she was okay.
The claims surfaced in relation to a larger court dispute that involved MorningStar. In the case, it is claimed that Erickson Lee, as the leader of MorningStar's "Young Special Forces" program, abused several youngsters. It is said that the mistreatment happened prior to Reed's appointment as CEO. According to the lawsuit, the abuse of Lee was permitted to continue because MorningStar's top personnel, including Joyner, did not take appropriate action in response to the charges made against Lee.
In his letter of resignation to the staff, Reed said he could no longer perform his job, but it did not specifically address the accusations of impropriety. He made it clear that he intended to resume his previous vocation of writing, teaching, preaching, pastoring, and prophecy.
Reed took full responsibility for his previous misbehavior and expressed sorrow in a message to TRR. Rather than the accusations of personal misbehavior, he stated that his decision to quit was motivated by the desire to disassociate himself from the legal issues facing the ministry.
An anonymous tip from TRR inspired Kathryn to make her public speaking debut. In early 2022, she and her mother Karen revealed the wrongdoing to MorningStar executives, presenting proof in the form of lewd texts. Karen hoped that by disclosing the details at this time, everyone concerned would be able to move on and find healing.
In addition to MorningStar, a number of other people and organizations are named in the case, which claims that the abuse was covered up. The charges against Lee, who was detained on many counts connected to the abuse last year, include the allegation that administrators neglected to notify faculty, staff, or students about the complaints.
Reed had become MorningStar’s CEO in March 2023, a year later than originally planned due to his misconduct. Despite stepping down from public preaching, he continued in other leadership roles until his resignation.