06/06/2026
Long, but good read!
When people look back on the Jesus Movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s, they often see it through one of two lenses. Some remember the baptisms, the salvations, the packed beaches, the worship, and the explosive growth of churches. Others focus on the failures, scandals, compromises, and personal collapses that emerged in the years that followed.
The truth is more complicated.
Chuck Smith opened the doors of his church to a generation many Christians had written off. Barefoot hippies, addicts, runaways, and wanderers came searching for meaning and found Christ. Alongside him was Lonnie Frisbee, a charismatic and gifted evangelist whose ministry became instrumental in reaching thousands. Yet both men were imperfect, and Frisbee’s life in particular became a cautionary tale of giftedness without sustained obedience.
Scripture never hides this tension.
The Bible is filled with deeply flawed people whom God used mightily. King David committed adultery and arranged a murder. Samson squandered extraordinary gifts through repeated compromise. Peter denied Christ publicly. Yet none of these stories are recorded to excuse sin. They are recorded to magnify God’s mercy and remind us that His purposes are not dependent on human perfection.
God’s use of a person is never proof of His approval of everything in that person’s life.
That is one of the most important lessons church history teaches. Ministry success and spiritual maturity are not the same thing. Crowds, influence, talent, and anointing can exist alongside hidden struggles. Jesus Himself warned that some who prophesied, preached, and performed mighty works would still hear sobering words from Him one day.
Yet there is another error we must avoid.
When leaders fall, Christians can become so fascinated with exposing darkness that they forget the gospel itself. The gospel does not minimize sin, but neither does it delight in destruction. Scripture calls believers to grieve over sin, pursue truth, seek justice where necessary, and pray for restoration wherever repentance is genuine.
Years later, Christian music would face similar heartbreaks. Artists such as Michael English publicly experienced moral failures that shook fans and ministries. More recently, controversies surrounding Michael Tait have raised difficult questions for many believers. In each case, the central issue is not whether the songs blessed people. God has always used imperfect vessels. The issue is whether there is genuine repentance before God.
The Bible teaches that repentance is not public relations. It is not damage control. It is a broken and contrite heart turning back to God.
And if there is breath in a person’s lungs, there is still hope.
Not guaranteed restoration to a platform. Not guaranteed restoration to public ministry. Scripture distinguishes forgiveness from consequences. David was forgiven, yet he still experienced painful consequences from his choices. God’s grace is free, consequences are often not.
But no believer should ever stop praying for repentance.
The church should be the first place where sin is taken seriously and the first place where redemption is believed possible.
What often gets lost in these conversations is that thousands, sometimes millions were genuinely pointed toward Christ through ministries led by imperfect people. The power was never in the messenger. It was always in the message.
A cracked vessel can still carry living water.
A broken preacher can still preach a true gospel.
A fallen singer can still have sung lyrics that pointed someone to Jesus.
That does not justify hypocrisy. It magnifies God’s ability to draw straight lines with crooked sticks.
The deeper lesson of every revival is not the greatness of its leaders. The deeper lesson is the faithfulness of Christ despite His leaders.
The Jesus Movement was never ultimately about Chuck Smith. It was never ultimately about Lonnie Frisbee. The future of the church is not about celebrity pastors, famous worship leaders, bestselling authors, or influential personalities.
The church has survived every scandal, every fallen leader, every fractured movement for two thousand years because its foundation is not a man.
Its foundation is Christ.
And perhaps that is where we find ourselves again.
Many believers see signs of increasing apostasy, confusion, and compromise. Scripture warns that such seasons will come. But throughout biblical history, darkness and revival often arrive on the same horizon. Before great awakenings, there are often great shakings.
The answer is not to place our hope in the next famous leader.
The answer is not to defend every fallen minister.
The answer is not to destroy everyone who fails.
The answer is to fix our eyes on Jesus.
When leaders succeed, thank God.
When leaders fail, pray.
When movements rise, rejoice.
When movements fall, stay faithful.
Because Christ remains on the throne, and He is still calling sinners to Himself.
Revival has never depended on flawless people.
It has always depended on a flawless Savior.
