Transformation Church claims 500 people turned to Jesus during ‘blasphemous’ Easter show
Michael Todd’s Transformation Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, claims some 500 people “gave their lives to Christ” after his congregation hosted an edgy play called “Ransom” that appears to replace the traditional retelling of the Easter story that Christian critics blasted as “demonic” and “blasphemous.”
“It is entirely inappropriate. You have women basically twerking on stage but hey, it’s twerking for the kingdom. We’re twerking for the Lord out here,” Blaze TV’s, Allie Beth Stuckey said of the performance of the production that was performed in services on April 8-9 at the church. “Woohoo. Apparently, that is supposed to bring people to God. That is supposed to share the Gospel with people.”
Other critics, like Frederick Clement, a church planter, pastor and the founder of By The Book Ministries, said the production was “nothing short of blasphemous,” though Todd claims the production involves “everything short of sin.”
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“Pastor Mike Todd never ceases to amaze me! Mike Todd's Easter service was nothing short of blasphemous and it was a complete mockery of the resurrection of Jesus Christ! His remarks, the service, the performances were only meant to entertain the goats and mocked the sheep!” Clement declared on YouTube.
In an emoji-filled statement on their Facebook page late on April 9, Transformation Church, which recently hired former disgraced Hillsong NYC Pastor Carl Lentz as a strategist, said their message resonated with their audience and more than 500 people “gave their lives to Christ.”
“TODAY WAS [mind-blowing fire] Our Easter production: RANSOM showed how God’s love conquered sin, death and the grave,” the church noted.
“We believe that so many lives were TRANSFORMED today because He’s not DEAD. Thank YOU for spending this Easter with us. We LOVE you. And God loves you so much more that He sent His only Son to die for you to have a close relationship with Him. This weekend over 500 people gave their lives to Christ, and we want to let you know that TC and all of heaven is rejoicing because of your decision! We wish you a warm, welcome home.”
The complete play was not available online as of Thursday afternoon for review, but The Christian Post was able to view several clips from the show that featured concert smoke, lights, fire, dancing women, covers of secular songs, and a female representing Jesus Christ on the cross.
Transformation Church did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Christian Post on Thursday but in multiple clips posted online, Todd explained why he celebrates Easter the way he does.
“In 2015 I became the pastor, and I didn't know what a pastor did. And so, I was meeting with a group of people and they were like, 'What should we do for Easter?' I was like, I've never preached an Easter message. So I'm not gonna start this year. We need to come up with an Easter play. And it was like, Alright, let's do it. I said, 'But it can't be no whack, raggedy, just, He got up,'” Todd said during an introduction for the production.
“I was like, this gotta move people. And I really want it to be focused on people who don't know God or are far from Him. I want the person who feels lonely and isolated, like God doesn't care. I want them to see how amazing Jesus actually is and what God actually did for all of us. So I said, 'We goin' go to the edge on this. So they said, 'Pastor, how far on the edge are we gonna go?' I said, ‘We're gonna do everything short of sin.’”
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