Why was Justin Bieber's pastor under fire? Details explained as he denies allegations of running a cult

Singer Justin Bieber’s pastor, Judah Smith, has been accused of driving a cult through his church. This wasn’t the only allegation against him. Smith has also been accused of influencing the singer.

The accusation came to light after TMZ reported on April 22, 2025, that one of Bieber’s friends, Ryan Good, was not in touch with Bieber due to his connections with Judah Smith.

Although both Good and Justin Bieber were associated with Smith’s church, Churchome, the former severed ties with the place. Meanwhile, Judah Smith shared an Instagram video where he was seen speaking to a crowd about the accusations. He said:

“Loo, I am not gonna lie to you. This was a first for me. I got out of my car and was immediately surrounded by paparazzi. That’s a first for me. And I was like, ‘No, guys. My friend’s not here.’ All of a sudden, this nice lady with her camera turned, turned on her camera, she goes, ‘So, is this a cult or not?’”

Judah Smith went on:

“And I was like, ‘Oh, my word. I wasn’t expecting that question.’ So, guys, if you could bring the snakes out. We got some blood. Alright Judah, you can’t start saying these things. People are recording you right now. I am looking at Jason. He is like, ‘This is not good PR.’”

Judah Smith made a light-hearted comment saying that if what they had was considered a cult, it would have been one of the worst ever because they only met once a month. He joked that they needed to improve their consistency.

Justin Bieber allegedly severed ties with Drew House

Ryan Good was Drew House's creative director. As per TMZ, Bieber inducted Smith into Drew House’s board despite the shortcomings between the pastor and Good. Earlier in April 2025, reports surfaced that Justin Bieber was no longer associated with Drew House. He reportedly shared a post clarifying the claim, as he wrote:

“I Justin Bieber am no longer involved in this brand. Drew House doesn’t represent me or my family or life. If your rocking with me the human Justin Bieber don’t waste ur money on Drew House.”

According to The Independent, last month, Justin Bieber posted a long message on Instagram where he addressed rumors and false stories about him. He shared that he found relief from guilt not through religious rituals but by accepting forgiveness from God.

He also said that although people treated him badly, he reminded himself that he wasn’t perfect either and had been forgiven. This helped him stay humble.

In a 2013 interview with Youthwork, Judah Smith explained that his relationship with Justin Bieber had been one of the most honest pastoral connections he ever experienced, mainly because everything about Justin was already public.

This made it easier to understand what he was dealing with, even though it came with its challenges. Smith said he learned just as much from spending time with Justin as he may have taught him.

Like with many students he had guided over the years, he supported Justin by being available, offering encouragement, studying scripture together, and helping him work through the difficulties he faced.

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