Fans and followers of the Christian music duo Shane & Shane are expressing concern about the musical group's association with Bethel Music.
In a Facebook post on July 5, Shane & Shane announced they are performing at the October 23 Worship Now event at Red Rocks Amphitheater outside of Denver, Colorado. Other Christian artists performing at the event are Phil Wickham, Brandon Lake, Brian Johnson, Jenn Johnson and Jon Reddick.
According to ChurchLeaders.com, Shane & Shane faced backlash following the announcement, with fans warning the group against associating with the “dangerous teachings of Bethel.”
Bethel Music, the musical outlet of Bethel Church in Redding, California, is co-founded by Brian and Jenn Johnson.
Over the years, Christians have warned against the teachings of the California-based megachurch led by Brian Johnson’s parents, Pastors Bill and Beni Johnson, including “grave sucking” or “grave soaking” and claims of supernatural signs and healing.
“I no longer feel safe recommending your music to others even with a [disclosure] that you have poor associations,” one person commented on the announcement post. “I do pray that you all would consider the many responses on this post, and of course what the Bible has to say about partaking with false teachers, and repent.”
“I have to put all your songs on hold. This is EXTREMELY disappointing. Do better. You lead everyone who still follows you into the fire,” a worship leader wrote.
One person, however, noted that Shane & Shane are “not ‘partnering with Bethel’’ because the event is a concert, not a conference.
“It’s a concert being put [on] by a radio network. It’s not a conference,” the person said.
Evangelist and Bible teacher Justin Peters, known for his work exposing the teachings of the prosperity gospel, wrote a lengthy reply to Shane & Shane’s Facebook post.
Shane and Shane have partnered with Bethel music. I rarely post on FB (a friend of mine maintains the ministry page for me) but I did today. Here's a screenshot of their post and my reply.
— Justin Peters (@JustinPetersMin) July 7, 2023
Bethel is a well known commodity. Ignorance of who they are and what they teach is not an… pic.twitter.com/VpeX2Bljej
“You are compromising truth and compromising the Gospel by joining up with the Bethel cult,” Peters said, adding that he’s “really, really disappointed to see this.”
“God is not honored, and He will not bless this. You may get approval of the world, but it will come at the expense of losing His,” he concluded.
Shane & Shane, comprised of Shane Barnard and Shane Everett, have been making worship music together for over 20 years. Some of the music in their discography include covers of hymns and songs based on Psalms.
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Nikolay Tsuguliev
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.