Megachurch slammed for hosting ‘demonic’ and ‘blasphemous’ Easter show

An Oklahoma pastor has been criticized by Christian critics for retelling the Easter story in a “demonic” manner after performers cheated on stage.

Transformation Church, which recently hired disgraced pastor Carl Lentz as strategist, performed a musical performance of the Resurrection of Jesus, which was criticized by other Christians.

Rev. Mike Todd’s church in Tulsa claims 500 people “gave their lives to Christ” after performing the edgy play “Ransom” on April 8 and 9.

They claim the performance showed how “God’s love conquered sin, death and the grave” as women danced in form-fitting outfits and a female version of Jesus on the cross.

But the lively performance, enhanced with fireworks, drew criticism from the more traditional churches, who labeled it blasphemous.

Footage from the show also features a rapper stomping across the stage in $1,050 Mschf Big Red Boot shoes.

Frederick Clement, a church planter, pastor, and the founder of By The Book Ministries, said the production was “flat blasphemous,” though Todd claims the production involves “anything but sin.”

Preaching on YouTube, he said, “Pastor Mike Todd never ceases to amaze me! Mike Todd’s Easter service was blasphemous and a complete mockery of the resurrection of Jesus Christ!

“His remarks, the service, the performances were only to entertain the goats and mock the sheep!”

Allie Beth Stuckey of Blaze TV added, “It’s completely inappropriate. You have women actually twerking on stage, but hey, it’s twerking for the kingdom. We’re here twerking for the Lord.

‘Wohoo. Apparently that is supposed to bring people to God. That is to share the gospel with people.”

But the church has defended their decision, saying they “transformed” lives during the Easter season with the performance.

Todd himself also defended the performance, saying he had “never preached an Easter message” and so decided to “make up a play.”

Footage from the show also features a rapper stomping across the stage in $350 Mschf Big Red Boot shoes

Pastor Mike Todd, left, defended the performance, saying he had “never preached an Easter message” and so decided to “make up a play”

Rev. Mike Todd’s church in Tulsa claims 500 people ‘gave their lives to Christ’ after hosting edgy play called ‘Ransom’ on April 8 and 9

But the lively performance, strewn with fireworks, drew criticism from the more traditional churches, who labeled it blasphemous.

He said, “I said, ‘But it can’t be a whack, ragged, just, he got up.’ I was like, this must move people. And I really want it to be aimed at people who don’t know God or are far from Him.

“I want the person who feels lonely and isolated, like God doesn’t care. I want them to see how great Jesus really is and what God has actually done for all of us.

“So I said, ‘We’re taking this to the extreme. So they said, “Pastor, how far do we go on the edge?” I said, “We’re going to do everything except sin.”

It comes after the church hired Carl Lentz, who was fired from global megachurch Hillsong after bringing it from Australia to the United States.

He once served Justin Bieber and a bevy of other celebrities and sports stars, before being exposed in 2020 for cheating on his wife.

His five-month affair with Brooklyn-based jewelry designer Ranin Karim came to the fore and resulted in his being fired from the church.

Lentz and his wife Laura were also the subject of abuse allegations from another Hillsong pastor.

Leona Kimes, co-pastor of Hillsong Boston with husband Josh, announced in a bombshell Medium post in May 2021 that she had been “subjected to manipulation, control, bullying, abuse of power and sexual abuse” by the Lentzes while working at their home as a nanny.

The church has defended their decision, saying that with the performance they have ‘transformed’ lives over the Easter period

Carl Lentz, the star pastor who brought the global megachurch Hillsong from Australia to the United States, was fired in 2020 after it was revealed he was cheating on his wife

Lentz with Justin Bieber, one of the church’s most famous parishioners. Lentz left the church after admitting to cheating on his wife

The Lentzes strongly denied Kimes’ allegations. The Christian Post published excerpts from an internal investigation into the Lentzes’ behavior, which revealed that Laura Leona had beaten Kimes when she found her lying on the couch with her husband Carl.

The investigation into the Lentzes also alleges that while Lentz was dating Ranin Karim, he also had another “improper relationship” with a woman he called Germany whom he met in Brooklyn.

Lentz was accused of causing mental health problems for employees by belittling and bullying them.

Other former church members have likened the church to a cult and detailed incidents of sexual assault.