Hope Fellowship Church founding pastor John McKinzie resigns over "sexual sin and moral failure"

The founding pastor of Hope Fellowship Church , which draws thousands of worshippers each week, has resigned after confessing to what church leaders described as "sexual sin and moral failure," according to an email sent to the church community.

In the email sent on Tuesday morning, leaders announced the departure of John McKinzie. According to the letter, McKinzie confessed during a meeting with church leadership on Sunday and offered his resignation on Monday, which the board accepted.

The letter did not provide details on his admission. An attached FAQ stated, "John admitted to sexual sin and to a pattern of consensual behavior that made him unfit to continue in his role as pastor."

The FAQ also stated that the "Directional Leadership Team, Board, Elders and Pastoral Lead Team" will oversee the church until a new lead pastor is named.

As of Thursday morning, Hope Fellowship's website no longer mentioned McKinzie and instead listed Angela Linz and Aaron Alexander as co-interim lead pastors. An archived version of the site indicated that McKinzie and his wife have four children.

John McKinzie and the stabbing of Austin Metcalf

CBS News Texas spoke with McKinzie in April following the death of Austin Metcalf, a Frisco high school student who was fatally stabbed at a district track meet. Karmelo Anthony, another Frisco ISD student, is charged with Metcalf's murder. A trial is currently scheduled for next summer .

McKinzie offered a trauma workshop for members of the Hope Fellowship congregation, which includes the Metcalf family. A number of other congregants were at the scene, including other students, teachers, and first responders.

"I can't speak for the whole community, but I certainly speak to our church. And I just felt like it was important to help us focus in the right direction," he said.

McKinzie also spoke about the harms of social media, at a time when misinformation and vitriol were spreading about the case online.

He urged the church to pray for the Metcalf family, as well as Anthony and his family.

"Everyone matters to God. And if they matter to God, they matter to me. They matter to us. And I'm praying for him daily, praying for his family, praying for my friends, the Metcalf family, praying for our students, praying for our community," McKinzie said.

Hope Fellowship student pastor removed earlier this year

McKinzie's resignation is the second instance of a Hope Fellowship pastor being dismissed for sexual misconduct this year.

In January, the church announced it had fired student pastor Jerry Nickerson after he admitted to having "inappropriate contact with a minor" a decade earlier.

Nickerson told church leadership that it happened while volunteering in a youth leader role at another church. In an email sent to the congregation at the time, McKinzie wrote that Nickerson came forward with the information on Monday after being confronted about "past incidents" over the weekend.

"We believe that this behavior is disqualifying for those in pastoral and leadership positions, and Hope Fellowship is committed to supporting and advocating for victims of abuse," McKinzie wrote in the email.

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Commentary: Fox News is going to extremes not to cover Epstein and that alleged Trump doodle

Fox News doesn't want to talk about the crude doodle of a naked woman, with its creepy message printed across her breasts and torso, and a signature — "Donald" — in her pubic area.

And it certainly doesn't want to draw attention to a newly released photo of the convicted child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein holding a oversized check signed "DJTRUMP," with a caption that reads, "Jeffrey showing early talents with money + women! Sells 'fully depreciated [female's name redacted]' to Donald Trump for $22,500."

While just about everyone has had something to say about the most damning documents yet to come out of the so-called Epstein files , America's No. 1 cable news network has chosen to sit this one out.

Questions about President Trump's shared history with the nation's most notorious sex offender rose to the top of news feeds Tuesday after the Republican-led House Oversight Committee released documents to the public that it had subpoenaed from the Epstein estate. The material included notes, drawings and photos from friends and associates to Epstein on his 50th birthday in 2003.

The "body art" letter that appears to be written by Trump features this bizarre, imaginary conversation:

Voice Over: There must be more to life than having everything.

Donald: Yes, there is, but I won't tell you what it is.

Jeffrey: Nor will I, since I already know what it is.

Donald: We have certain things in common, Jeffrey.

Jeffrey: Yes, we do, come to think of it.

Donald: Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?

Jeffrey: As a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you.

Donald: A friend is a wonderful thing. Happy birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.

Fox News on Tuesday suppressed the sleazy birthday note like a dark family secret and instead focused on safer, more comfortable subject matter, like Bill Clinton. But there wasn't much to say since the birthday greeting that appeared to have been signed by the former president lacked drawings of naked females or implications about buying girls and/or women for sex. The short passage praised Epstein's "childlike curiosity." Fortunately, Fox had other breaking stories to chase.

Host Sean Hannity focused on a deadly North Carolina train stabbing and how it implicated Democrats' "woke" criminal policies. Earlier in the day, Fox News was busy plumbing the depths of the Biden "autopen" scandal after a bombshell report.

Fox News' website was equally as busy avoiding the nation's top story. It led with "Charlotte mayor scores primary re-election victory amid national backlash over gruesome train murder" and another breaking story: "Hellfire missile bounces off mysterious orb in stunning UAP footage shown to Congress."

Its story on the scandalous documents? "Inside Epstein's infamous 'birthday book': Clinton's note, poolside candid photos and bizarre animal pictures." The piece was toward the bottom of the page, tucked away like dirty laundry. It never once mentioned Trump.

Ghislaine Maxwell compiled the birthday book, collecting sentiments from Epstein's friends and then gifting the album to her high-rolling financier bestie. Less than two decades later, the duo would be convicted of sex trafficking, among other charges. Epstein died in jail of a reported suicide In 2019, Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison term.

Trump said Tuesday when asked to respond to the birthday letter, "I don't comment on something that's a dead issue. I gave all comments to the staff. It's a dead issue." White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Tuesday during a briefing that "the president did not write this letter. He didn't sign this letter." She said the administration would be open to a handwriting expert reviewing the signature on the letter.

But several news organizations have beaten them to it and compared the signature on the Epstein letter against Trump's signature on other documents and found them to be similar .

The alleged Trump letter was first reported by the Wall Street Journal in July, when the president denied writing it and said it was "a fake thing." He filed a lawsuit against the paper's publisher, reporters and executives, including News Corp. owner Rupert Murdoch.

The album also contains messages that appear to be from other notable personalities, including the current U.K. ambassador to the U.S., Peter Mandelson; Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, who was part of a legal team representing Trump during his first impeachment trial; and billionaire retail magnate Les Wexner.

The caption under the novelty-check photo appears to be written by Joel Pashcow, a Mar-a-Lago club member and former chairman of a New York real estate company. The woman's name and photo are redacted in the caption and the image. Lawyers for Epstein's estate removed the names and photos of women and minors who appeared in the book so possible victims of Epstein could not be identified.

Other drawings in the book make Trump's alleged contribution look tame. They include a disturbing illustration of Epstein handing out balloons to young girls. Fox did mention the drawings of Epstein being massaged by several topless women around a pool, and the one of a zebra having sex with a lion. How much time until it's suggested that it could be the work of Biden's autopen? 5,4,3...

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times .

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"‘TikTok Cult’ Pastor's L.A. Home Searched After Sex Trafficking Warrant Served

( KTLA ) - Federal and local law enforcement served a search warrant for alleged sex trafficking on Friday morning at a Los Angeles home owned by a controversial pastor and subject of the Netflix docuseries "Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult."

El Monte Police Department officials confirmed to Nexstar's KTLA that authorities served the search warrant around 6 a.m. at a home located in the city's Tujunga neighborhood.

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In addition to allegations of sex trafficking, the warrant was also issued for alleged tax evasion, mail fraud, money laundering and COVID-19 pandemic-related accusations, which were not specified by law enforcement.

KTLA's Sky5 helicopter was overhead around 6:45 a.m., when FBI personnel were seen investigating the large residence and speaking with people at the scene, including possible victims or witnesses.

At least six people were seen detained with handcuffs, including an older woman who, unlike the other detainees on the ground, was sitting in a chair with her legs under a blanket. Another woman was seen sitting on an outdoor couch, wiping her eyes while holding a child wrapped in a blanket on her lap.

Police did not immediately say whether anyone was arrested during the execution of this warrant.

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A property records search for the home listed under six current owners, including Robert Shinn, the subject of Netflix's "Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult." A source involved in the series confirmed to KTLA that the property involved in this search warrant was the same property at the center of the series.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Shinn, founder and pastor of Shekinah Church, also founded a company called 7M Films in 2021 "to help social media stars and TikTok dancers find jobs in L.A."

The 2024 miniseries examines the story, lawsuits, and abusive cult allegations surrounding the Shekinah Church and 7M Films. The media focus was largely brought forth by two different sets of sisters who worked with Shinn: influencers Melanie Wilking and Miranda Derrick (formerly Wilking), and Melanie and Priscylla Lee.

A summary from 2024 Time article described the series as revealing "claims from multiple former 7M members about how Shinn abused and manipulated them and created a cult-like environment." No sexual assault charges were brought against him.

Although Shinn did not personally respond to the Netflix series, the L.A. Times noted that his company, 7M, responded through an Instagram post calling the docuseries a "slanderous work of fiction, born from a failed extortion attempt." The post concluded by saying, "We will continue to pursue all legal remedies available to stop the spread of salacious lies and expect to be fully vindicated in court."

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According to CNN , Shinn filed a defamation lawsuit against several former church members, claiming they made "false statements" referring to his organization as a cult, and that they launched a campaign to "cancel" him. The defendants then filed a cross-complaint with other former church members against Shinn, his wife and others, alleging "fraud, forced labor and human trafficking."

In addition, the L.A. Times reported that this countersuit against Shinn alleges "brainwashing, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, manipulation and exploitation."

The case was scheduled to go to trial on July 7 in Los Angeles, however, the defendants' attorney group has since confirmed to KTLA that the trial is now set to begin on October 27.

"Regarding the search warrant, we are gratified that the federal government is investigating Robert Shinn and look forward to our clients and his victims receiving the justice they deserve," stated a partner with Brown Neri Smith & Khan, LLP.

Authorities did not state any connections between Friday's search warrant operation and the docuseries controversy.

Nidia Becerra , Alexis Lewis, Alberto Mendez and Jennifer Thang contributed to this report.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Ivy League colleges face a reckoning after Columbia's Trump deal

WASHINGTON – It's a tough time to be the president of an Ivy League university.

Although President Donald Trump graduated from one, he's made it clear he won't tolerate the liberal slant he sees at America's most prestigious colleges – and that he intends to reshape them accordingly .

His administration's unprecedented deal with Columbia University in New York City has put many of its Ivy League peers in a difficult position. To shake the target off its back and unpause research funding , Columbia agreed on July 23 to pay fines of more than $220 million (and signed on to a sprawling list of other concessions related to admissions, academics and hiring practices).

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The agreement has unsettled leaders at college campuses across the country.

"This has opened up a Pandora's box," said Scott Schneider, an attorney and expert in higher education law.

Read more: The details of Columbia's extraordinary $220 million deal with Trump, explained

Trump, who has halted billions in research grants to a number of schools , has said he envisions the Columbia deal as the first of many such agreements. His education secretary, Linda McMahon, called it a blueprint for other institutions to follow.

Read more: After $220 million Columbia deal, Trump promises more to come

"Columbia's reforms are a roadmap for elite universities that wish to regain the confidence of the American public," she said in a statement.

While it's unclear whether the agreement has set a new precedent, the Trump administration is pushing for other colleges to pay similar types of fines, a White House official confirmed to USA TODAY.

Some onlookers, including Larry Summers, a former president of Harvard, have praised the deal . He called it an excellent template " for resolutions with the administration.

But critics such as Brendan Cantwell, a higher education professor at Michigan State University, believe the short-term benefits of yielding to broad demands from the Trump administration are not worth the long-term implications of redefining the relationship between the federal government and higher education.

Still, he understands the arguments of people like Summers. When colleges choose to fight, he acknowledged, "individual people are going to be hurt."

"And maybe that's an unacceptable cost," he said.

Trump's other deal: the University of Pennsylvania

Columbia is not the only Ivy League school to strike a deal with the Trump administration this summer.

On July 1, the University of Pennsylvania, the president's alma mater in Philadelphia, entered into an agreement ending a civil rights investigation brought by the U.S. Department of Education. In February, the agency accused Penn of violating Title IX , the primary sex discrimination law governing schools, when it allowed Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer, to compete in 2022.

By March, professors were told their research projects had lost funding. The school's president said $175 million in grants and programs had been jeopardized.

As part of the deal, the White House said it would restore Penn's research funding. In return, the university apologized to cisgender athletes who swam against Thomas. The university also agreed to ban transgender women from sports. (Trans women athletes have been banned from competing on women's teams at National Collegiate Athletic Association schools since February, when new rules were imposed, although the NCAA's policy permits trans men to compete in men's sports.)

Read more: Lia Thomas, Title IX and $175M — why Penn struck a deal with Trump

Weeks after the deal was announced, many Penn faculty members remain in limbo, unsure about which grants have been revived.

"Nobody really knows what was cut and what was restored," said Jonathan Zimmerman, a professor who studies the history of education at the university. "It feels like the theater of the absurd."

Harvard keeps fighting

Harvard, unlike other Ivy League campuses involved in similar conflicts, has continued to fight the Trump administration in court.

At a key hearing in Boston on July 21, the university's lawyers urged a federal judge To force the White House to restore billions in funding for the school. Harvard has asked the judge to make a decision by September 3.

But the White House's attacks on Harvard have extended far beyond money for research: The Trump administration has threatened to revoke its tax-exempt status , tried to ban it ability to enroll international students, warned its accreditor , and considered placing a lien on the university's assets.

All the while, Trump has hinted he believes Harvard may still be open to coming to a deal.

Other colleges in limbo

Of the eight schools that make up the Ivy League, only two – Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and Yale University in Connecticut – have avoided targeted federal funding freezes.

At Cornell, the government paused more than $1 billion . At Brown, it froze $510 million , and at Princeton it stopped more than $210 million .

Asked whether their university leaders were negotiating with the Trump administration to restore their funding, spokespeople for Brown, Cornell, and Princeton declined to comment or did not respond to requests for comment.

Additional agreements with those schools (and others ) could happen before the start of the year, according to Robert Kelchen, a higher education professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Trump, plagued by increased attention to the president's reported ties to a convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein "May be looking for ways to change the narrative," Kelchen said. And some schools might feel incentivized to resolve funding problems before students - and protests - return to campus for the fall.

"The whole Epstein thing really has the potential to swamp the administration," he said. "They want victories they can point to."

Zachary Schermele is an education reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@newsrealtime. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ivy League colleges face a reckoning after Columbia's Trump deal

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