Pastor Keion Henderson, founder of The Lighthouse Church, has responded to the controversy around his actions of silencing a woman’s outcries during a church service.
In a viral video, Henderson is seen snapping his fingers at the woman and telling her to “hush” amidst her audible wails disrupting the worship.
Appearing on the Tamron Hall show with his wife and Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-wife Shaunie Henderson, the pastor defended his intervention. He said the woman had a history of such disruptive outbursts over four years, despite prior efforts to address it privately.
“This is a four-year battle, right. This is ongoing,” he told Hall, adding, “So I’ve already talked to her personally; I’d already had ushers go up to her; I’ve already had prayer warriors; I’ve had everything, so she did it publicly after being asked not to.”
Henderson argued he has to maintain order, differentiating between “disturbance and worship.”
“As a pastor, I know the difference…every time you hear noises in the church it isn’t worship,” he explained, justifying his public silencing as bringing order so attendees could “hear God and not her.”
The incident sparked mixed reactions. Some supported the pastor’s authority to control the environment, with one commenter saying, “He ain’t wrong she need to STFU.” Others felt publicly admonishing the woman was unbecoming of a religious leader.
Ultimately, the situation raises complex questions around balancing orderly worship with compassionately addressing individual behaviors, the public-private boundaries for such matters, and how leaders can guide their congregations productively through conflicts.
While Henderson stands by his actions, the controversy underlies the nuances of responsibly shepherding diverse communities while upholding core principles of human dignity and ethical leadership. Continued reflection on these dynamics could provide a path forward.
“As a pastor, I know the difference between disturbance and worship and what people have to understand, what people have to understand is that every time you hear noises in the church it isn’t worship,” Henderson said.
There was a mix of reactions, but just like those observed regarding the viral clip, Henderson was met with a lot of support.
“Anyone who has been to a black church regularly, knows it’s ALWAYS that ONE!” wrote an Instagram user.
But not all have been as understanding and supportive of how Henderson has handled the situation.
“Ok… now atp i would leave the church … bc why are u on tv talking about me? lol why not bring the lady on ? Nobody wants to hear her side? … now this is too much! I’m sorry,” read the criticism.