You’ve probably heard whispers. Maybe you saw the headlines or caught something on social media about one of America’s largest churches facing serious questions. Church of the Highlands exposed isn’t just a trending phrase. It represents a watershed moment for megachurch accountability and transparency in modern American Christianity.
This Birmingham megachurch went from hosting 60,000 weekly attendees to becoming the center of controversy involving leadership changes, legal battles, and allegations that shook its foundation.
Let’s break down what actually happened, who’s involved, and what it means for religious institutions moving forward.
Chris Hodges Steps Down Suddenly
In January 2025, Chris Hodges made a shocking announcement. The founding pastor of Church of the Highlands would step down from his leadership role after building the ministry for over two decades. He claimed this wasn’t retirement. Instead, he’d transition to chancellor of Highlands College, focusing on training future leaders and living out what he called his “ultimate calling.”
The timing raised eyebrows across the religious community immediately. Major pastoral transitions typically unfold over two to three years with careful planning and public communication. Hodges announced his decision to family over Christmas, told staff on Thursday, and informed the congregation by Sunday. Mark Pettus, a 20-year veteran of the church staff, would take over as lead pastor.
Former colleagues noticed something odd right away. Hodges’ photo disappeared from the church website almost instantly. His name no longer appeared among overseers or trustees. Instead, he was listed alongside associate pastors and ministry directors. For someone who built a 26-campus empire with weekly attendance rivaling small cities, this demotion seemed deliberately abrupt and strategically timed.
The Legal Storm Behind the Scenes
Stovall Weems thinks he knows why Hodges moved so fast. Weems, a former ARC co-founder who worked with Hodges for decades, is currently suing him for defamation, conspiracy, and racketeering. The lawsuits involve allegations that Hodges and other Association of Related Churches leaders conspired to steal Celebration Church in Jacksonville, Florida.
On December 24, 2024, Weems’s attorney sent a demand letter to Kevin Cormier. Cormier is a Celebration Church trustee allegedly involved in the conspiracy. The letter claimed Cormier and unnamed third parties stole $1.3 million from Honey Lake Farms, a nonprofit Weems founded. It demanded repayment or threatened legal action seeking $3.8 million in damages.
Then, on January 7, 2025, a judge lifted the stay on discovery. This meant Weems could finally depose witnesses after three years of legal roadblocks. Church of the Highlands’ exposure became more than allegations. It became a legal process with subpoena power and sworn testimony. Weems delivered deposition notices to ten witnesses the following Friday, setting the stage for revelations that could reshape megachurch governance forever.
The Robert Morris Connection
Gateway Church founder Robert Morris served as an overseer at Church of the Highlands until June 2024. That’s when allegations surfaced that he sexually molested a young girl four decades ago. Morris resigned immediately. Church trustees claimed they knew nothing about his past abuse. Questions lingered about what leaders close to Morris actually knew and when they knew it.
Hodges never publicly addressed his knowledge of Morris’ history despite repeated requests. The silence became deafening as more survivors came forward. Critics argued that oversight boards exist specifically to prevent predators from gaining positions of authority. When those systems fail, leaders must answer for the breakdown, especially when patterns emerge across multiple cases and institutions.
The Morris scandal highlighted a disturbing pattern within the Church of the Highlands, exposing controversies. Leaders accused of serious misconduct often received second chances without transparent accountability processes. Members and the broader community deserved answers about how such failures happened and what safeguards would prevent future occurrences.
Micahn Carter and the Restoration Controversy
In 2019, Micahn Carter stepped down from Together Church in Yakima, Washington, for undisclosed reasons. Leaders from his former church asked Hodges to oversee Carter’s ministerial restoration process. Church of the Highlands brought Carter onto staff and began working with him privately. Then new allegations surfaced. A former assistant accused Carter of sexual assault.
Hodges later admitted he made a mistake allowing Carter to preach at Church of the Highlands in July 2020. He said he should never have given Carter a platform. When the sexual assault allegations became known, Hodges asked for Carter’s resignation. Carter complied and has since filed a lawsuit denying all accusations.
The Carter situation raised fundamental questions about pastoral restoration programs. Who decides when someone is ready to return to ministry? What standards apply to allegations involving sexual misconduct versus other moral failures? Church of the Highlands exposed these gray areas where policies seemed inconsistent and accountability mechanisms proved inadequate for protecting vulnerable individuals.
The Lodge and Its Disputed Purpose
Church of the Highlands opened The Lodge in April 2023. This $4.5 million retreat center on the Grants Mill Road campus features four bedrooms and conference space. Hodges initially described it as a pastoral restoration center where ministers could rest, worship, and grow. Critics immediately questioned whether the church planned to house clergy accused of sexual misconduct.
Hodges later clarified that The Lodge serves pastors suffering from burnout, not those facing misconduct allegations. He emphasized that no clergy accused of sexual misconduct would stay there. The facility would host couples for five-day retreats focused on refreshment and refocusing on ministry calling. Guest speakers already prefer staying there because it sits just 200 yards from the main stage.
Still, the timing seemed suspicious given that the Carter case unfolded the same year. Former staff members wondered if the church was building infrastructure to quietly manage scandal rather than address root accountability problems. Hodges acknowledged the unfortunate coincidence but insisted no connection existed between The Lodge concept and any specific restoration case involving allegations.
Financial Transparency Questions
Derek Neece, CFO of the Association of Related Churches, revealed that approximately $2.8 million in cash donations funds ARC salaries annually. That represents about 24 percent of total giving. When asked about executive compensation details, church officials did not respond. The IRS recognizes ARC as a church, meaning it doesn’t legally require disclosing board member identities or salary information.
Anonymous former members raised concerns about possible favoritism toward significant financial contributors. They questioned whether large donors received preferential treatment in church decisions and access to leadership. Financial irregularities allegedly extended beyond ARC to individual churches within the network, though specific documented cases remained difficult to verify without internal access to records.
Church of the Highlands exposed the broader megachurch problem of financial opacity. When institutions collect millions from congregants but operate with minimal disclosure requirements, trust depends entirely on leadership character. Once that trust erodes through scandal, the lack of transparent systems makes restoration nearly impossible without comprehensive reform and independent oversight.
The Social Media Incident
In 2020, Birmingham high school teacher Jasmine Faith Clisby noticed something troubling. Chris Hodges repeatedly liked social media posts from Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA. The posts contained content Clisby found culturally insensitive and potentially racist. She shared her observations on Facebook. The post went viral, forcing Hodges to address the controversy directly.
Hodges preached a sermon condemning white supremacy and any supremacy besides Christ. He acknowledged that some questioned his character based on social media activity. He owned his actions but insisted they didn’t represent his beliefs. Hodges asked critics to judge him on 37 years of ministry rather than a microscopic social media examination.
The incident revealed how quickly digital footprints can undermine institutional credibility. For a church serving diverse communities across Alabama and Georgia, leadership’s public endorsements matter deeply. Members expect leaders to demonstrate cultural sensitivity and awareness. When lapses occur, swift acknowledgment and corrective action become essential for maintaining congregational trust and community relationships.
ARC and the Decentralized Authority Problem
Hodges co-founded the Association of Related Churches to help launch new congregations nationwide. The network has planted hundreds of churches across America. However, ARC doesn’t function as a governing body over member churches. Each congregation operates independently, with local elder boards holding all authority. This decentralized structure creates accountability gaps when problems arise.
When ARC-affiliated pastors face allegations, no central authority can remove them or enforce standards. Local boards make all decisions about discipline and restoration. Critics argue this system enables misconduct by fragmenting oversight and preventing pattern recognition across multiple churches. Defenders claim it protects congregational autonomy and prevents denominational overreach into local church affairs.
Church of the Highlands exposed these structural weaknesses within modern church planting networks. Without binding accountability mechanisms, charismatic leaders accumulate power while facing minimal oversight. When multiple scandals emerge across affiliated churches, the network can disclaim responsibility while maintaining the benefits of association, resource-sharing, and brand recognition.
What Happens Next
Hodges’ transition to Highlands College chancellor positions him away from weekly scrutiny while maintaining influence over future ministry leaders. Mark Pettus faces the enormous challenge of leading a congregation through crisis without the founding pastor’s charisma and name recognition. Weems’ depositions could reveal damaging information about how church leaders handled allegations and protected accused individuals.
The broader megachurch movement watches closely as Church of the Highlands navigates these turbulent waters. Will transparency increase? Will independent oversight bodies gain power? Or will the decentralized model continue prioritizing growth and influence over accountability? These questions extend far beyond one Birmingham congregation to touch thousands of churches operating under similar structures.
Church of the Highlands Exposed isn’t just about one pastor or one institution. It represents a reckoning with how American megachurches handle power, money, and allegations of abuse. The answers that emerge will shape religious institutional accountability for decades. Members, former attendees, and the watching public deserve clear, honest responses backed by meaningful structural reform.
