Newsboys dropped from Big Church Festival lineup amid Michael Tait’s ongoing scandal

Newsboys, a Christian band from Australia, has been dropped from the lineup of the Big Church festival. The band was dropped due to the ongoing scandal surrounding their now former lead vocalist, Michael Tait. Tait has been accused of sexual assault by three men, as per an investigation conducted by The Guardian, which was released on June 13, 2025. The investigation has also turned up allegations of similar conduct by Tait by four other men.

The festival announced the dropping of Newsboys in a Facebook post, emphasizing that it was a joint decision between the festival and the band:

"Many of you may have heard the recent, deeply troubling news involving the former lead singer of the Newsboys. Our hearts go out to everyone who’s been hurt, whether recently or in the past, and we deeply respect the courage it takes to speak out in such a painful time."

The statement continues:

"After thoughtful conversations with the Newsboys team, we’ve decided they won’t be part of this year’s Big Church Festival. We know this may be disappointing, but we’re thankful to share that Pat Barrett will now be joining us on the Mainstage on the Saturday."

Newsboys made their own statement regarding the allegations surrounding Tait, stating in an Instagram post:

"Last night our hearts were shattered when we read the news alleging drug abuse and inappropriate sexual actions by our former lead singer, Michael Tait. While Michael has not addressed these allegations, we are devastated even by the implications."

The band went on to urge all victims to come forward and report such crimes and strongly emphasized that they do not condone any such crimes. They then went on to state the allegations surrounding Tait and that they feel deceived by him:

"We are horrified, heartbroken, and angry at this report and in many ways, we feel as if we and our families have been deceived for the last fifteen years. When he left the band in January, Michael confessed to us and our management that he 'had been living a double-life' but we never imagined that it could be this bad. - Jeff, Jody, Duncan, and Adam"

More on Michael Tait's career with Newsboys

Newsboys is a band that has existed with different lineups since 1985. The band is known for their Take Me To Your Leader and Adoration: The Worship Album. In 2009, Michael Tait joined the band as the lead vocalist, replacing Peter Furler. He left in early 2025.

During his time with them, Newsboys released seven studio albums, starting with Born Again. Their next album was God's Not Dead, which was released on November 15, 2011. The album remains the band's most successful in the 2010s, with a gold certification in the US.

Trending

After God's Not Dead, the band released Restart in 2013, Hallelujah for the Cross in 2014, Love Riot in 2016, United in 2019, and Stand in 2021. During that time, the band also released several compilation albums as well as the live album Live in Concert: God's Not Dead.

The band has replaced Michael Tait with Adam Agee, releasing World Wide Revival (Part 1) with him in June 2025. Aside from Tait, Agee, and Furler, Newboys has had vocalist John James in the roster. James was the first lead vocalist of the band.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback