Two more lawsuits filed against MorningStar by alleged victims of sexual abuse The lawsuits allege that leaders at MorningStar failed to take appropriate precautions to protect children.

Two additional lawsuits have been filed against MorningStar Fellowship Church in Fort Mill, South Carolina, and its leaders for failing to report allegations of sexual abuse to police.

Rick Joyner during service on September 15 at Morningstar Fellowship Church in Fort Mill, SC / Video screenshot

On August 7, an earlier lawsuit was filed against MorningStar and its leaders, alleging that Erickson Lee used his access to children through the church’s Young Special Forces program to manipulate and ultimately abuse children in the church.

Lee was arrested in May on charges of criminal sexual contact with a minor and on Sept. 5 was offered a plea deal to serve nine years in prison, said Randy Hood, an attorney for the plaintiffs.

Now two more alleged victims have come forward to demand accountability from Morningstar Fellowship Church and its leaders for their abuse.

All lawsuits were filed anonymously by John Doe #1, John Doe #2, and John Doe #3. They are now over 18, but were 13 when the alleged abuse began.

At a press conference on September 16, Hood said, “We have determined that there are people who are capable of preventing this, namely the executive leadership named in these lawsuits.”

Leaders named in the lawsuit include Rick Joyner, David Yarns and Erickson Lee’s father, Douglas Lee, the church’s former security chief.

“This is about accountability and responsibility,” Hood said. “Churches need to create policies and procedures to protect children. They need to have oversight of people who are above children.”

Because allegations of sexual abuse had been made at MorningStar since the early 2000s, the lawsuits allege that Joyner, Yarns and Lee knew of the risks and had a duty and opportunity to protect vulnerable children from exploitation and abuse while participating in MorningStar’s youth programs.

Instead, the lawsuit alleges, leadership “ignored signs of providing alcohol and pornography to minors and signs of sexual exploitation or abuse of minors by church staff, members or volunteers.”

The lawsuits note that the church can argue that its liability is limited under the South Carolina Charitable Immunity Act. However, the plaintiffs note that the limitations may not apply if a jury finds gross negligence or recklessness on the part of the defendants.

MorningStar can claim church privilege under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The lawsuit preemptively argues that “whether or not someone negligently supervised/controlled a church employee who abused a child while preaching a sermon involves neutral principles of law that fall within the jurisdiction of a civil court.” It is not a matter of church doctrine that falls under church privilege, the lawsuit says.

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The claims against MorningStar and its leadership allege negligence, gross negligence, recklessness, civil conspiracy, and intentional or reckless infliction of emotional distress.

“In churches, there seems to be a delayed response (to sexual abuse cases). The principle of forgiveness, which is a cornerstone of the Christian church, is being abused,” Hood said. “Allegations are being swept under the rug. This was a four-year journey of predatory behavior and nothing was done.”

After the first lawsuit was filed, Chris Reed, the president of MorningStar Ministries, resigned because he “did not want to be in charge of the ministry in a case involving four victims who were abused as children by a volunteer.”

After his resignation, allegations surfaced about Reed’s own inappropriate sexual behavior with a woman who was not his wife.

MorningStar announced that founder Rick Joyner would return as CEO and president. Joyner is a leading proponent of the New Apostolic Reformation.

Main photo: Rick Joyner during the September 15 service at Morningstar Fellowship Church in Fort Mill, SC / Video screenshot

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