NewStats: 3,264,126 , 8,182,716 topics. Date: Monday, 09 June 2025 at 07:36 PM 2y26k

Contemporary Christian Music group Newsboys responded to recent allegations of sexual assault and drug use against former lead singer Michael Tait, who abruptly stepped away from the group in January.
On Wednesday, The Roys Report published what it referred to as a two-and-a-half-year investigation into allegations against Tait. The outlet claims it spoke with more than 50 sources, including three people who claim that Tait groomed and sexually assaulted them while touring or at Tait’s home. The accs allege that the incidents took place between 2004 and 2014. Multiple people in the report also claimed that Tait was involved in drug use.

In an Instagram post on Thursday, the group’s four current — Jeff Frankenstein, Jody Davis, Duncan Phillips and Adam Agee — responded to the allegations, writing, “Last night our hearts were shattered when we read the news alleging drug abuse and inappropriate sexual actions by our former lead singer, Michael Tait. While Michael has not addressed these allegations, we are devastated by even the implications.

“First and foremost, our hearts are with the victims who have bravely shared their stories,” the band’s message continued. “If you are a victim, we urge you to come forward. We absolutely do not condone any form of sexual assault. The four of us are husbands and fathers. Between the four of us, we have fourteen children. Our wives and children have made many sacrifices while we have dedicated our lives to playing music together that glorifies God. We are horrified, heartbroken and angry at this report and in many ways, we feel as if we and our families have been deceived for the past fifteen years.”

Tait has not released a public response to the allegations contained in the report, and Billboard has not yet successfully reached him or a representative. A Newsboys rep did not respond to comment beyond the band’s statement.

Tait stepped down from his role in Newsboys in January just days before the group launched the second leg of their Worldwide Revival Nights Tour. At the time, Tait issued a statement, saying, “I have made for me what is a monumental and heartfelt decision that it is time to step down from Newsboys. This decision does not come lightly and has been a shock to even myself, but amidst prayer and fasting, I have clarity that this is the right decision.” He ed Newsboys as their lead singer in 2009 following the exit of Peter Furler.

Tait is also known for his founding role in the groundbreaking CCM group DC Talk from 1988-2001. That group, which also included TobyMac and Kevin Max, had such hits as “Jesus Freak,” “What If I Stumble?” and the Billboard Hot 100 hit “Between You and Me.” Their 1995 album Jesus Freak, with its pop and hip-hop fusions, reached No. 16 on the all-genre Billboard 200 and won a Grammy for best rock gospel album. In 2000, the band went on hiatus, and Tait launched a decadelong solo career before ing Newsboys.

https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/michael-tait-sexual-assault-claims-newsboys-response-1235991500/

https://www.instagram.com/p/DKh8DiZScIO/

This is so unfortunate. This guy is the brother of Lynda Randle and very popular in gospel music. We keep saying it that the lifestyles of these "leaders" lead many away from christianity. When we say they should be careful and exhibit some external christlikeness, they will immediately and harshly accuse us of judging. You will see all types of threats and curses coming from christians when people express dissent or differing opinion about what they do. It is well.
i pray that the body of Christ heals, this is one serious blow to many.

So because he is a Gospel Artiste make he no fvck again??

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https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/michael-tait-sexual-assault-claims-newsboys-response-1235991500/

https://www.instagram.com/p/DKh8DiZScIO/

I was waiting for this shoe to drop. Look, we are all human beings and will make mistakes but claiming you have some magic sky daddy that gives you supernatural power to overcome "sin" is nonsense.

BTW I loved DC Talk back in the day, I even still listen to some tracks. But I have lost the illusion that there is any supernatural power working any magic anywhere.

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This is so unfortunate. This guy is the brother of Lynda Randle and very popular in gospel music. We keep saying it that the lifestyles of these "leaders" lead many away from christianity. When we say they should be careful and exhibit some external christlikeness, they will immediately and harshly accuse us of judging. You will see all types of threats and curses coming from christians when people express dissent or differing opinion about what they do. It is well.
i pray that the body of Christ heals, this is one serious blow to many.

Even the ones that exhibit the so called Christ likeness get involved in nonsense. We are humans, no sky daddy magic will change that.

BTW didn't you claim that anyone who sins is not a Christian one time like that?

LordReed:


I was waiting for this shoe to drop. Look, we are all human beings and will make mistakes but claiming you have some magic sky daddy that gives you supernatural power to overcome "sin" is nonsense.

BTW I loved DC Talk back in the day, I even still listen to some tracks. But I have lost the illusion that there is any supernatural power working any magic anywhere.

We are all human beings but as many as received Him, to them He gave power to become the sons of God, saved from the power of sin. We don't all go doing drugs and assaulting people sexaully and whatever other sins. We actually overcome sin and temptation as an experience and decades of testifiable lifestyle.

GOFRONT:
So because he is a Gospel Artiste make he no fvck again??

A child of God does not commit adultery or do drugs. We roll differently.

LordReed:


Even the ones that exhibit the so called Christ likeness get involved in nonsense. We are humans, no sky daddy magic will change that.

BTW didn't you claim that anyone who sins is not a Christian one time like that?

As long as we are in the flesh, we can be tempted and the POSSIBILITY exists. Same way the possibility and reality of overcoming exists. It is very possible for you to fall off the stairs, but that doesn't mean that you MUST fall off. Many people have fallen off stairs this year, i want to believe that you know people who have not fallen off stairs this year.
i don't think i claimed that anyone who falls into sin is not a christian, maybe i told you that someone was never a christian to begin with (or maybe i referred to professing christians, i don't the particular conversation). But if i clearly, i have stated before that you used to be a genuine christian. We call it BACKSLIDING. Then, of course, there is a difference between a sinner (who sins as a lifestyle) and a christian.

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This is so unfortunate. This guy is the brother of Lynda Randle and very popular in gospel music. We keep saying it that the lifestyles of these "leaders" lead many away from christianity. When we say they should be careful and exhibit some external christlikeness, they will immediately and harshly accuse us of judging. You will see all types of threats and curses coming from christians when people express dissent or differing opinion about what they do. It is well.
i pray that the body of Christ heals, this is one serious blow to many.

This comment made my day .

LordReed:


I was waiting for this shoe to drop. Look, we are all human beings and will make mistakes but claiming you have some magic sky daddy that gives you supernatural power to overcome "sin" is nonsense.

BTW I loved DC Talk back in the day, I even still listen to some tracks. But I have lost the illusion that there is any supernatural power working any magic anywhere.

So are you saying sin is inherent in every human ?

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A child of God does not commit adultery or do drugs. We roll differently.

Entertainment is another bait Satan uses to keep many under spiritual bondage think of any singer in ancient times including biblical David and Solomon who never got into sexual scandals.

Well the only true Christian organization don't promote singers rather we all sing to our God just as it was established in the Old temple worship where Levites sings to praise our God together.

Of course God's children are Satan's target so we don't play with fire!

Speaklove:


So are you saying sin is inherent in every human ?

Nope. Sin is religious nonsense layered on top of what is natural and normal in other to make the religious concepts have more impetus. For instance, you need sin to make the Adam and Eve story seem compelling likewise the purported human sacrifice performed by Jesus for salvation. None of those work when you realise some things are just normal human behaviour.

LordReed:


Nope. Sin is religious nonsense layered on top of what is natural and normal in other to make the religious concepts have more impetus. For instance, you need sin to make the Adam and Eve story seem compelling likewise the purported human sacrifice performed by Jesus for salvation. None of those work when you realise some things are just normal human behaviour.

Does the bold include murder?

DeepSight:


Does the bold include murder?

I wrote NORMAL human behaviour and you ask about murder. What about murder screams normal to you?

LordReed:


I wrote NORMAL human behaviour and you ask about murder. What about murder screams normal to you?

Any look at history could easily convince one that it is normal human behavior.

My argument is not with you - its a philosophical question I struggle with.

That whereas we may have "civilized" ourselves with certain moral notions, at heart and in nature, survival of the fittest remains key and primal instincts rule - in a space where there is no room for quaint and pretty notions of morality - such that killing off an adversary to advance one's own interests just might be nothing bad in the eyes of the universe.

It happens all the time among animals for instance, and no one thinks any morality is thereby offended. Even if we consider man a higher animal, that might only mean he will find higher ways of doing the same thing. For example, kill with greater sophistication.

DeepSight:


Any look at history could easily convince one that it is normal human behavior.

My argument is not with you - its a philosophical question I struggle with.

That whereas we may have "civilized" ourselves with certain moral notions, at heart and in nature, survival of the fittest remains key and primal instincts rule - in a space where there is no room for quaint and pretty notions of morality - such that killing off an adversary to advance one's own interests just might be nothing bad in the eyes of the universe.

It happens all the time among animals for instance, and no one thinks any morality is thereby offended. Even if we consider man a higher animal, that might only mean he will find higher ways of doing the same thing. For example, kill with greater sophistication.

Animals don't murder, they kill. Murder is a legal term indicating illegal killing. This is not something that applies to animals. Most murders are not done for food or survival, that is not normal. It is normal for a carnivore to kill it's prey to feast on. It is normal for an animal to kill in self defence. It is not normal for an animal to just kill for no reason.

LordReed:


Animals don't murder, they kill. Murder is a legal term indicating illegal killing. This is not something that applies to animals. Most murders are not done for food or survival, that is not normal. It is normal for a carnivore to kill it's prey to feast on. It is normal for an animal to kill in self defence. It is not normal for an animal to just kill for no reason.

Clearly you haven't seen cats killing mice or lizards which they do not eat but use as toys. Clearly you have not seen lions kill other lions for the sake of winning a lioness. And other animals do the same. I can go on and on but there are myriad scenarios where animals kill outside for food or defence.

Now you should know that I know murder is a legal term. But what has law got to do with philosophy at an existential level. I am speaking about primal instinct and you are telling me that murder is a legal term. I am speaking about the way the universe might view a matter and you are telling me that murder is a legal term.

As you well know, throughout history greedy tyrants have killed on a grand scale and indeed mass murder has been the prime way in which conquest was done and conquest pretty much established the demarcations and borders of the nations of today. The mere fact that we pick up an pen and scribble down some rules describing what manner of killing is legal or illegal will not change the fact that our world and its borders today have been set up largely by mass murder.

Who even gets to define murder. Was what Bush and Blair did in Iraq mass murder or not. Is what Putin is doing in Ukraine mass murder or not.

I said even as higher animals we will only find higher ways to fulfill primal instincts. So look at the problem of corruption in the world - the abuse of power for private interest. Is this theft of a kind or not, and is it normal for human beings? The law might say it is not, but history and the world around us decidedly say it is normal.

You really have to ask yourself this question: is it normal, in the sight of the universe, for one higher animal to kill another for land, to seize its wife, or to enslave its children, or indeed for any other gain? The law (of today) might say no, but history decidedly says yes.

Lastly - be careful not to conflate the word "normal" with "good" or "right."

DeepSight:


Clearly you haven't seen cats killing mice or lizards which they do not eat but use as toys. Clearly you have not seen lions kill other lions for the sake of winning a lioness. And other animals do the same. I can go on and on but there are myriad scenarios where animals kill outside for food or defence.

Now you should know that I know murder is a legal term. But what has law got to do with philosophy at an existential level. I am speaking about primal instinct and you are telling me that murder is a legal term. I am speaking about the way the universe might view a matter and you are telling me that murder is a legal term.

As you well know, throughout history greedy tyrants have killed on a grand scale and indeed mass murder has been the prime way in which conquest was done and conquest pretty much established the demarcations and borders of the nations of today. The mere fact that we pick up an pen and scribble down some rules describing what manner of killing is legal or illegal will not change the fact that our world and its borders today have been set up largely by mass murder.

Who even gets to define murder. Was what Bush and Blair did in Iraq mass murder or not. Is what Putin is doing in Ukraine mass murder or not.

I said even as higher animals we will only find higher ways to fulfill primal instincts. So look at the problem of corruption in the world - the abuse of power for private interest. Is this theft of a kind or not, and is it normal for human beings? The law might say it is not, but history and the world around us decidedly say it is normal.

You really have to ask yourself this question: is it normal, in the sight of the universe, for one higher animal to kill another for land, to seize its wife, or to enslave its children, or indeed for any other gain? The law (of today) might say no, but history decidedly says yes.

Lastly - be careful not to conflate the word "normal" with "good" or "right."

Cats hunting mice and other small animals is part of their predatory nature. Domestication did not erase that instinct so that even though their don't always eat their kill, it is still part of them. Humans have no such instinct. We are not obligate predators or carnivores that need to kill. Especially mass killing, it has to be done with extreme thought and calculation. That removes it from being normal. We can see it because it occurs in every era it is still despicable to most people.

LordReed:


Nope. Sin is religious nonsense layered on top of what is natural and normal in other to make the religious concepts have more impetus. For instance, you need sin to make the Adam and Eve story seem compelling likewise the purported human sacrifice performed by Jesus for salvation. None of those work when you realise some things are just normal human behaviour.

is sexual assault and drug misues normal human behavior?

Maybe you're downplaying God because you want to continue to live in sin. That's the majority reason people claim to not believe in God. So they can go on deceiving themselves that they won't ever be able. But their conscience bears or once bore witness and judgment is coming

LordReed:


Animals don't murder, they kill. Murder is a legal term indicating illegal killing. This is not something that applies to animals. Most murders are not done for food or survival, that is not normal. It is normal for a carnivore to kill it's prey to feast on. It is normal for an animal to kill in self defence. It is not normal for an animal to just kill for no reason.

is murder objectively wrong?

Is deliberately and selfishly taking innocent life objectively wrong irrespective of human opinion or bias or majority?

Your answer will let us know how to make you collapse on your position

Joshthefirst:
is murder objectively wrong?

Is deliberately and selfishly taking innocent life objectively wrong irrespective of human opinion or bias or majority?

Your answer will let us know how to make you collapse on your position

My saying murder is a legal term should have already keyed you to my position. First off, there is no objective right or wrong. It is thinking beings who determine what is valuable and therefore what is wrong or right. Humans have evolved to have empathy so they view the taking of a human life as subtracting from something valuable. The universe at large has no concept of value for human life which is why a natural disasters can wipe out whole cities and it doesn't seem like anything special happened, the world continues turning as usual. There is no pause in the tides to mourn the ing of any human or humans.

Murder as a legal concept is our way of imposing order to what would have been otherwise arbitrary killing.

LordReed:


Cats hunting mice and other small animals is part of their predatory nature. Domestication did not erase that instinct so that even though their don't always eat their kill, it is still part of them. Humans have no such instinct. We are not obligate predators or carnivores that need to kill. Especially mass killing, it has to be done with extreme thought and calculation. That removes it from being normal. We can see it because it occurs in every era it is still despicable to most people.

This your response is weak.

DeepSight:


This your response is weak.

Ok.

Joshthefirst:
is sexual assault and drug misues normal human behavior?

Maybe you're downplaying God because you want to continue to live in sin. That's the majority reason people claim to not believe in God. So they can go on deceiving themselves that they won't ever be able. But their conscience bears or once bore witness and judgment is coming

No they are not, which is why I called them mistakes.

LoLz. Here they come with the usual nonsense. Please if you have nothing better to say find someone else to converse with. This tired canard is not worth my time.

Stop ing rubbish. He is an example and should live by it.
Must you Bleep? If you must then get a wife.

GOFRONT:
So because he is a Gospel Artiste make he no fvck again??

LordReed:


My saying murder is a legal term should have already keyed you to my position. . . .

Murder as a legal concept is our way of imposing order to what would have been otherwise arbitrary killing.

It doesn't help much because we could easily dispense with the word murder and ask if killing one another is normal human behavior.

DeepSight:


It doesn't help much because we could easily dispense with the word murder and ask if killing one another is normal human behavior.

Yes that is a better question. But I would still say no. Our human societies were built by cooperation not by killing. Yes killing occurred or occurs from time to time however I still don't see those as normal.

LordReed:


Yes that is a better question. But I would still say no. Our human societies were built by cooperation not by killing. Yes killing occurred or occurs from time to time however I still don't see those as normal.

Ok, how about saying that humans have a natural tendency to violence and exploitation of one another.

DeepSight:


Ok, how about saying that humans have a natural tendency to violence and exploitation of one another.

Yes I will accept that this is a natural tendency of humans with some caveats. The main caveat is our empathy modifies that behavior in varying degrees which is also another natural tendency.

LordReed:


Yes I will accept that this is a natural tendency of humans with some caveats. The main caveat is our empathy modifies that behavior in varying degrees which is also another natural tendency.

Alright then. Fair enough.

LordReed:


Nope. Sin is religious nonsense layered on top of what is natural and normal in other to make the religious concepts have more impetus. For instance, you need sin to make the Adam and Eve story seem compelling likewise the purported human sacrifice performed by Jesus for salvation. None of those work when you realise some things are just normal human behaviour.

But you agree that there is such a thing called "sin "?

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A child of God does not commit adultery or do drugs. We roll differently.

Does not, does not mean cannot/will never not.

Being a Christian means living a life perpetually refusing/resisting to do things that you can do.