This article’s goals are to analyze the current emphasis on the reasons for the Church of the Highlands’ disclosure, pinpoint the responsible parties, and investigate the consequences that followed.
The Church of the Highlands originated in 2001 with a modest congregation gathering in a leased auditorium at Mountain Brook High School. Church of The Highlands Exposed: Pastor Chris Hodges Scandal
It has expanded tremendously over the years, becoming the leading church in Alabama with a network that includes over 22 locations.
Over time, it has grown significantly, evolving into the foremost church in Alabama, with a network spanning more than 22 locations across the state.
The services of the Church of the Highlands, which are distinguished by a variety of praise bands and a rock concert atmosphere, have generated controversy and claims that they are luring people away from traditional churches.
Hodges’ sermons, which prioritize lifestyle themes and are infused with Louisiana charisma and folksy humor, have prompted theologians to question their adherence to orthodox beliefs. Church of The Highlands Exposed: Pastor Chris Hodges Scandal
The Church of the Highlands overcame challenges and expanded its reach by constructing a $16 million campus in Irondale, renting auditoriums for services, establishing new branches, and broadcasting sermons statewide via live streaming.
As of the start of 2020, each location regularly welcomed over 50,000 attendees to its services.
The Church’s swift expansion was unparalleled at the time, drawing pastors from other regions who sought to glean insights from Highlands’ success. Furthermore, Highlands College is nurturing a new cohort of millennial ministers through its training programs. Church of The Highlands Exposed: Pastor Chris Hodges Scandal
The Church of the Highlands has prospered in spite of the coronavirus outbreak that forced Sunday services to be canceled on March 10.
Providing excellent live-streaming video services has always been our company’s primary priority, which made the switch to only providing them online easy.
Tithing was already being contributed by church members online, ensuring stable revenue despite the shift to exclusively online services.
The organization embodies a modern and astute approach, attracting members predominantly under 50 residing in suburban areas and emphasizing a millennial focus. While conservative in both theology and politics, the Church maintains a contemporary outlook on its operations and engagement.
The killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police on Memorial Day escalated racial tensions, providing an opportunity for Hodges’ critics to intensify their attacks. Church of The Highlands Exposed: Pastor Chris Hodges Scandal
He has been associating himself with Charlie Kirk, the divisive pro-Trump activist who leads Turning Point USA. One of the organization’s missions includes promoting the notion that “White Privilege is a myth.”
The English teacher in Birmingham City Schools stirred controversy by highlighting Hodges’ culturally insensitive social media “likes,” sparking a flurry of reactions.
In response to the reactions, the “Dream Team” of volunteers from the Church of the Highlands has ceased mentoring youngsters and carrying out social outreach in Birmingham’s public housing estates.
On June 8, the Birmingham Housing Authority terminated its partnership with Christ Health Center, which had been providing healthcare services to residents of public housing. Church of The Highlands Exposed: Pastor Chris Hodges Scandal
In March, Christ Health Center provided free drive-through mass Coronavirus testing on the Highlands campus.
While that particular service is no longer offered, residents of Woodlawn can still access free COVID-19 testing at the clinic.
On June 9, the Birmingham Board of Education decided to cut ties with the Church, which had been renting space at Parker and Woodlawn High Schools from Birmingham City Schools since 2014.
“I stand with the Church of the Highlands—the government of Birmingham MUST immediately reverse its anti-religious and discriminatory actions taken this week against @HighlandsAL and Pastor Chris Hodges! Church of The Highlands Exposed: Pastor Chris Hodges Scandal
Hodges has tearfully expressed regret multiple times for liking Kirk’s social media messages and has emphasized that Kirk’s opinions do not align with his own.
The criticism, however, has only grown louder. According to Hodges’s close associates, this news has deeply affected him.
“Pastor Chris doesn’t have a racist bone in his body,” stated Associate Pastor Layne Schranz, who moved to Birmingham to assist in founding the Church. His twenty-year track record attests to that fact.
Hodges has consistently prioritized welcoming individuals from all backgrounds and serving the broader community of the city.
He spent more than ten years helping the impoverished when he bought an abandoned fire station and converted it into the Dream Center. Church of The Highlands Exposed: Pastor Chris Hodges Scandal
The Church’s community volunteer efforts have been concentrated at this location. Hundreds of “Dream Team” volunteers frequently assist with tasks such as garbage pickup and home repairs for those in need.
Some prominent black pastors responded negatively to Hodges’s 2018 announcement of his intention to establish a church in West Birmingham.
A pastor at a white church downtown labeled Hodges as a “slavemaster” and displayed a sign stating, “Black Folks Need to Stay Out of White Churches.”
Church of the Highlands enlisted Mayo Sowell, a former Auburn University football player and black campus pastor. The congregation opted to pay $3,000 per month to rent the Parker High School auditorium from Birmingham City Schools for their Sunday morning services.
Before the Coronavirus shutdown, Church of the Highlands members, predominantly African American, packed the Parker and Woodlawn high school auditoriums on Sundays.
Concerns have been raised about Hodges’s social media activity, which suggests his support for Trump and Kirk.
The Rev. Gwen Webb, who participated in the Birmingham civil rights demonstrations in 1963 and currently serves as an associate pastor at Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church in West Birmingham, remarked, “Some people believe it’s deeply ingrained in his heart.”
Permitting their gatherings near Parker and Woodlawn could potentially provoke significant animosity. It’s prudent to steer clear of any further negative feedback in the city at this juncture. Consequences arise from our actions. Church of The Highlands Exposed: Pastor Chris Hodges Scandal
Recently, some white and black Highlands students have openly expressed doubts about their allegiances.
Christine Clark, a member of the Church’s branch in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, penned an open letter to Hodges. In it, she expressed concern, stating, “Mr. Trump’s rhetoric in support of white supremacy, power, and the dog whistle calls for dominance is undermining the fabric of inclusivity and equality that you preach, teach, and strive to foster here in Alabama.”
President Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., tweeted his support for Hodges, while former Attorney General and current Senate candidate Jeff Sessions also defended Hodges.
Sessions stated that the actions taken by the Birmingham Housing Authority and the Birmingham Board of Education against the Church of the Highlands violated the Church’s rights to freely exercise religion and free expression. Church of The Highlands Exposed: Pastor Chris Hodges Scandal
Flynt claims that nobody should have been surprised to learn that Hodges holds the same political beliefs as Trump and Turning Point USA.
Flynt remarked, “I’m not surprised that he supports Trump.” A predominantly white evangelical megachurch pastor in the United States is 90% likely to support Donald Trump. I fail to see what the fuss is about.
Flynt speculated that the downturn in the economy during the lockdown and the transformation of protests against police abuse into rioting in numerous cities may have diminished support among white evangelicals for Trump.
It is possible that some people’s opinions of Hodges may change as a result of the steps taken by the Birmingham Board of Education and the Birmingham Housing Authority. Church of The Highlands Exposed: Pastor Chris Hodges Scandal
Flynt believes that this will probably have little to no effect on the Church’s growth in Alabama, nevertheless.
While Flynt acknowledges that aligning with Trump may have negative repercussions outside of the Church, he contends that within the congregation, such alignment is advantageous. He believes it will not have any noticeable impact on the Church of the Highlands.