FORT WORTH (TX)
The Roys Report [Chicago IL]
May 9, 2025
By Julie Roys
Pastor Landon Schott and his Mercy Culture Church gave Michael Brown a hero’s welcome with confetti and applause, as he returned to ministry this week, following sex abuse allegations.
In an Instagram post, Schott said he refuses to participate in “cancel culture,” claiming Brown has “only made me want to be a better man, a better leader, and a better Christian.”
Schott added, “Though all the noise and accusations, Jesus said, ‘You will know them by their fruit’ . . . I’m a part of the fruit of Dr. Brown.”
Last December, a former secretary of Brown’s accused the acclaimed apologist of grooming her in the early 2000s and sexually abusing her, as first reported by The Roys Report (TRR). The woman, who later identified herself on social media as Sarah Erin Monk, claimed Brown had a pattern of holding her hand, kissing her on the lips, and slapping her on the butt.
Brown claimed all the interactions with Monk were “nonsexual” but lacked judgment.
Brown also was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a married woman in the early 2000s. Brown admitted having an “emotional, not a physical, tie” with the woman.
However, a third party investigation found Brown had engaged in “sexually abusive misconduct” with one woman and an “inappropriate relationship” with a second woman. It also found Brown had employed a “calculated effort to evade accountability.”
Yet, on April 28, an “Elder Accountability Team” rejected the investigation’s findings and cleared Brown to return to ministry.
On Wednesday, Brown released a video, stating, that his sabbatical of the past few months had been “the most difficult season (he and his wife) have ever lived through.”
He then discussed the third-party investigation but did not mention its findings—only that an “independent board of elders” had studied the findings and cleared him for ministry. (One of the members of that “independent” board, Jonathan Bernis, is a board member for Brown’s ministry, The Line of Fire.)
Brown acknowledged the strong differences of opinion within the Christian community regarding him. He then urged people not to engage in a “civil war” over him but instead to “unite around Jesus.”
Soon afterwards, Schott posted pictures of his congregation in Fort Worth, Texas, celebrating Brown.
“The apostle Paul taught that elders are to be given double honor and triple defense (1 Timothy 5:17–19), Schott wrote. “I refuse to participate in cancel culture—I will only lead a MERCY CULTURE.”
Schott’s praise of Brown sparks pushback
Though Landon Schott’s public praise of Brown on Instagram garnered more than 1,400 likes, it also sparked sharp pushback.
Ron Cantor, a Messianic believer and former friend of Brown’s, seemingly highlighted the irony that Schott’s church plans to build a facility to house survivors of human trafficking, yet supports an alleged abuser.
“@landonschott says he loves victims, but he seems to honor offenders. He cares little what such a scene does to those wounded by men in authority like Mike Brown. #tonedeaf #disgusting,” Cantor posted on X.
One person who said he appreciated Schott’s courage and mercy, commented on Schott’s Instagram post that he is “one of the many that struggle with this.”
“I pray that you create a culture where people are allowed to question decisions based upon scripture like Gods (sic) people have always done, and without ridicule,” he added. The man noted that Brown has turned from his sin “but we haven’t heard him confess the sexual sins he committed to that young lady.”
Three months ago, when Brown was still on sabbatical, Schott warned people at his Purpose Driven Conference that an “accuser of the brethren is going after men of God.” He then honored and celebrated Brown, who was sitting in the front row, which prompted a standing ovation from conference attendees.
Today, Schott posted on X that when the “mob” tries to lead spiritually, “it is almost always outside the will of God.”
In reply, New York Time best-selling author and Bible teacher Joel Richardson wrote, “The Body of Christ is a community that is mutually accountable one another. When confronted by his elders, close friends, staff members, and other leaders in the Body of Christ, Dr Brown rejected them all and proceeded to slander them. You also have utterly shirked very clearly defined biblical standards for leadership, while gaslighting and slandering those of us who have sought to uphold them. It’s beyond shameful, Landon.”
Richardson also pushed back on Brown’s call for unity, posting evidence Brown had blocked him on X, which many others have claimed Brown has done to them, as well.
“If you literally have to block more than half the Body of Christ, then you are the one dividing the Body of Christ. @DrMichaelBrown.”
Some, like abuse advocate Susan Danielle, poked fun at Mercy Culture’s celebration of Brown by posting that a new party favor had dropped—“Dr. Brown’s Pulpit Poppers—Now in “Selective Accountability” colors!”
Eric Metaxas is first to platform Brown
Schott was not the first Christian leader to platform Brown after his sabbatical. On May 2, radio and TV host Eric Metaxas featured Brown on his program.
The show had more than 10,500 views and more than 500 likes. However, most of the 361 comments were negative.
“Yikes. Read the room. And the Bible. And the firefly (sic) report. Badly done,” wrote one person.
Another said, “What is wrong with you people, evildoers who enable predators to continue in their sin and hurt people. God will not be mocked and you will be held accountable on the day of judgment!”
Yet another called platforming Brown “a colasal (sic) demonstration of showing no discernment.” And someone else wrote, “I’m stunned… have had such respect for you and your voice/platform… how do you justify this lack of discernment? I’m grieved.”
This is not the first time Metaxas has supported a Christian leader accused of sexual misconduct. On Nov. 31, 2023, about a month after allegations of clergy sexual abuse surfaced against Bickle, Metaxas posted that he believed the accusations against Bickle “are deeply vile lies” and expressed hope that the International House of Prayer would “fully exonerate Mike.”
An independent investigation of the allegations against Bickle found that he had sexually abused 17 women, including minors, and the abuse included rape.