In the wake of shocking allegations against former Newsboys frontman Michael Tait, contemporary Christian music (CCM) has found itself under fire—not just for the accusations, but for what some see as a culture of silence and compromise within the industry.
However, not everyone believes it’s fair to condemn the entire CCM community.
Christian singer-songwriter Rhett Walker, known for hits like “Believer” and “When Mercy Found Me,” took to Instagram to address the growing outrage. While he strongly condemned the alleged abuse by Tait—calling for him to be jailed—Walker urged believers not to throw out the entire industry because of one man’s sin.
“My calling is my job,” Walker wrote. “So I do have to pay bills, and this is what pays my bills. I hope your calling is also your job. If a plumber has the same allegations and they are true, once again … jail. But I don’t cancel the plumbing industry.”
Walker’s comments came in response to voices like Paramore’s Hayley Williams, who posted that she hopes the CCM industry “crumbles,” in part because it does not affirm LGBTQ beliefs. Many others have expressed deep skepticism over how a man accused of years of abuse could have remained in such a prominent ministry role without consequence.
But for Walker, the answer isn’t dismantling the entire Christian music world—it’s calling out sin, holding people accountable, and standing firm in the Gospel.
“The sin has consequences,” he wrote. “It feels weak to hate an industry because of bad people inside it. Stand up and call out the bad people!”
He emphasized that many within CCM—artists, promoters, and radio personnel—are still faithfully living out their calling to share Christ through music.
“There are people like me who care about sharing the Gospel through music,” he added. “I know a lot of artists, radio peeps, promoters and so forth that are about sharing the Gospel.”
Walker also made it clear that fame has never been his goal: “I’m a believer, a husband, and a father. I don’t care to be famous.”
Still, the controversy surrounding Tait continues to fuel broader concerns. Artist Cory Asbury stated in an Instagram Story that “everyone knew” about Tait’s behavior, responding to a fan who asked if he was aware of the accusations before they became public. When asked how many other artists live “a double life” like Tait, Asbury replied simply, “A lot.”
Christian apologist Mike Winger suggested on X that the silence might be due to fear of exposing a wider problem: “Maybe the reason Michael Tait got away with it for so long is because a whole lot of other people in his industry are also getting away with it.”
One Walker Instagram follower echoed those concerns, saying, “If the other members knew these allegations or problems and didn’t say a word, it’s disgusting. Asbury said everyone knew. Who knows. Everyone knows now.”
Walker responded by saying he “100%” believes those close to Tait should be questioned but cautioned against letting one man’s sin destroy an entire community.
“[L]et’s just call a spade a spade and move forward,” he said. “Saying the CCM industry is a problem is putting all artists on the same platform a[s] the ones who do terrible things.”
As of now, Capitol Christian Music Group has dropped the Newsboys, and K-LOVE has removed songs by both Newsboys and DC Talk from rotation.