Former Ministry School Students Say Reforms Needed in the Charismatic World

By Wanda Alger Published on March 25, 2025

Several of the larger Charismatic ministries that have recently been in the news for pastoral misconduct have schools attached to them. So I met with a group of Millennials who attended some of these ministry schools between 2010 and 2020.

Though many past students are reporting negative experiences of compromised leadership and abuse, the ones I spoke with are all now established within a local church and thriving in their gifts. None of them were aware at the time of the problems that are now coming into the light. But I still wanted to know their thoughts. How are they processing these exposures? What did they learn at these schools, and how did their experiences, either positive or negative, shape their current faith? What changes would they suggest for moving forward? (I will not be naming specific schools here, but focusing more on the overall culture.)

Deeply Impactful

Interestingly, most of the graduates felt that the teachings they received within these ministries were beneficial. In one school that was more focused on spiritual experiences, the input stirred deeper hunger and greater belief in a supernatural God. All the students testified to having significant input they still find meaningful today.

Overall, subjective experience was widely celebrated and encouraged, but often, they were given limited direction in discerning the veracity or application of those experiences. When it came to some of the questionable beliefs and practices associated with some of these ministries, they observed that often it was due to students who were not as grounded in Scripture, who would tend to misinterpret the teachings or misapply their relevance, rather than the teachings themselves.

One school had discipleship groups where students could process things together, but the drive for spiritual encounter and practicing the gifts seemed greater than the focus on biblical accuracy. Another school encouraged “freedom of expression,” but lacked any consistent pastoral direction or oversight concerning the manifestations and experiences that would result. On the other hand, another school was so religious about its own brand of doctrine that the students felt pressured to conform, with no invitation for open dialogue or process.

This brought up the reality that fellow students who entered these ministry schools as new believers were challenged the most. Without a proper spiritual foundation in the Word, the experiences and discrepancies of viewpoints became very confusing. Depending on their knowledge of Scripture, some of them had no framework to build upon. This was a common theme. And unfortunately, due to the lack of grounding in the core tenets of faith, many students eventually fell away from faith after leaving these schools.

Sexual Misconduct

In terms of sexual misconduct, none of them saw or heard anything out of place when they attended these schools, so the recent revelations are giving them pause.

But they all spoke to the power of prayer from home base. Some of them felt that the prayers from their parents and church family back home shielded them from spiritual attack or any compromise in their personal character. Even so, they have deep compassion for fellow students who were hurt. They all agreed that the biggest factor needed in moving through these exposures is for these testimonies of abuse and misconduct to be acknowledged and heard. There is a cry from their generation for authentic spiritual moms and dads to come alongside and champion their concerns with both biblical truth and heartfelt compassion.

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Our discussion also found another common theme – the challenge to transition back to everyday life outside “the ministry bubble.” One person shared that his classmates were shocked to find they were going home to their local church instead of starting a ministry of their own. Another said her newfound zeal was not welcomed on the home front, and her fire eventually went out. For some, the bubble burst and they are still trying to recover some of the zeal and spiritual hunger that stirred them to go to ministry school in the first place.

Thankfully, this small group didn’t personally experience the kinds of abuse others have cited in recent months. They all came from Christian homes and grew up in the church. Perhaps this is a primary factor that afforded them not only protection from compromise and sin, but also a level of discernment that helped them to keep the meat and spit out the bones.

Common Themes

But this discussion is far from over. There is still much to process. Given the number of students who continue to speak out about sexual and spiritual abuse within many of these megaministries, we must not only treat the symptoms, but fix the root system. Here are several of my own takeaways that I would like to offer for deeper consideration:

LACK OF COHESIVE SOUND DOCTRINE. We are now reaping the fruit of a Charismatic movement that has been so focused on subjective experience and encounter that it is void of some foundational and nonnegotiable doctrines of the faith. Have we idolized freedom from religion to the point of having no viable theological roots?
LACK OF DISCIPLESHIP FOR NEW BELIEVERS. Though someone may come to Christ through a supernatural encounter, we cannot expect them to establish core beliefs and values through their subjective experiences. They need mentoring in biblical truth and consistent grounding in the Word of God.
LACK OF COMPASSIONATE OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY. I’m speaking here of spiritual fathers and mothers (1 Corinthians 4:15). Big-name personalities and founders of megaministries are often more CEOs than spiritual overseers. Without personalized pastoral care and accountability in the process, the stage is set for irresponsible leadership, reckless behavior, and abuse of all kinds.
THE POWER OF COMMUNITY. The fellowship of the Spirit is a powerful thing. All who attended these schools forged deep friendships. Even so, nurturing a community that steers away from unhealthy peer pressure and conformity toward one that encourages open dialogue, mutual accountability, and the pursuit of biblical truth in oneness of the Spirit takes guidance.
THE POWER OF THE LOCAL FELLOWSHIP. If we are to break free from the idolatry of platforms and personalities, training for ministry must come when students return home. The local fellowship is where discipleship, mentoring, and accountability is best nurtured and established. Even for those who feel called to pursue further training, the home front is where faith should be established, accountability is best practiced, and long-term fruit can be examined.
THE NEED FOR TEACHING ON SPIRITUAL GIFTS IN THE LOCAL CHURCH. The primary reason students often cited for attending these schools is the same I’ve heard from those who attend conferences and revival meetings: They are hungry to learn more about the spiritual gifts and the work of Holy Spirit. We need to pray that more pastors see this as an opportunity for growth instead of a Pandora’s box to dread.

I believe the next generation’s best chance to thrive in the ways of God is for us to provide a home base that encourages their gifts, inspires their vision, and disciples them to maturity. We need more congregational leaders to get a vision for training and equipping the saints for the works of ministry. We need more specialized leaders in the fivefold gifts to be raised up in the local congregation to stir the flame and light a fire for evangelism in the saints. We need to get a vision for transforming our cities before we even think of changing the world.

The silver lining around all these clouds of exposure is that the Lord is calling us back to homemade revival. It’s not the kind that comes from a famous minister laying hands on us, but from family members among us who not only know us, but believe in us, encourage us, and stir up the gift that’s already there. Maybe that’s the missing piece and the part that’s actually going to be “super-natural.”

Watch this nine-minute clip about the spirits that might be operating behind compromised ministers. What kind of spirits are we actually getting from them?

Wanda Alger is an ordained and commissioned fivefold leader who has been in ministry for more than 35 years and is passionate about interpreting life from Heaven’s perspective. She is called to speak to the Body of Christ about the mountain of government, godly leadership, and Kingdom authority. Her blogs, videos, books, and other resources are available at wandaalger.me.