The pastor of a Tulsa, Oklahoma megachurch has sparked outrage and revulsion following a stunt in which he smeared spit onto a man's face during a Sunday sermon.
Pastor Michael Todd of Transformation Church used the stunt as a metaphor for how "receiving vision from God might get nasty." But his congregation--as well as the internet large--found it far more revolting than illustrative.
As Todd performed the stunt, his congregants audibly gasped in horror. See the moment below, at approximately the 41:00 mark.
Clearly // The Vision For Invasion // Vision Sunday 2022 // Michael Toddyoutu.be
Todd both spit and coughed into his hand before smearing its contents on the face of the congregant, his brother, and a copious amount of saliva can be seen dripping off his face.
But to Todd, his congregation's and online audience's horror was the entire point. As he said in his sermon:
“Do you hear and see the responses of the people? What I’m telling you, is how you just reacted is how the people in your life will react when God is doing what it takes for the Miracle.”
Okay then.
Suffice to say, Todd's medium quickly overshadowed his message--especially given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which is currently surging in the state of Oklahoma. People were so appalled that Todd began to trend on Twitter on Monday.
And soon, Todd himself was acknowledging that his stunt was ill-conceived. In a video posted to Twitter, he apologized for what he called a "disgusting" and "too extreme" attempt at a metaphor.
It\u2019s never my intention to distract others from God\u2019s Word and the message of Jesus\u2026 even with illustrations! \n\nI apologize for my example being too extreme and disgusting! \n\nI Love Everybody \n\n#REPRESENTpic.twitter.com/YfzFmySCPe— Michael Todd (@Michael Todd) 1642450712
As Todd put it in his video:
“I watched it back, and it was disgusting. Like, that was gross. I want to validate everybody’s feelings. That was a distraction to what I was really trying to do. ... I own that.”
On Twitter, people heartily agreed with his characterization.
Now what in THE hell possessed Michael Todd to do that. Not just in the midst of a pandemic but in GENERAL\u2026pic.twitter.com/EMyOCcI5HG— \ud83e\udd38\ud83c\udffd\u200d\u2640\ufe0f \u0628\u0631\u064a\u062a\u0646\u064a (@\ud83e\udd38\ud83c\udffd\u200d\u2640\ufe0f \u0628\u0631\u064a\u062a\u0646\u064a) 1642372286
The Mike Todd situation is exactly why we need more faithful Bible teaching churches, not entertainers who seek to go viral every Sunday. \n\nI\u2019m all for the practicality of sermons being explained, but when is enough enough?— Drew A. Thomas (@Drew A. Thomas) 1642375623
So WHAT if that's his brother!! That is DISGUSTING and BEYOND disrespectful.. you need to stop letting "men of God" tell u the things they do and say are "of God" and start recognizing it for what it is— marquita gibson (@marquita gibson) 1642386251
Michael Todd is theologically dangerous, culturally irresponsible and batshit crazy.\n\nbut he ain\u2019t dumb because he\u2019d have never smeared spit on one of those White evangelicals who fund him.\n\nBut he\u2019ll be fine. As long as he got folks hype about relationship goals, he\u2019ll be fine.— Candice Marie Benbow (@Candice Marie Benbow) 1642381081
Michael Todd is unqualified. His sermons are fast food that leave people with spiritual heart disease. Takes Scripture out of context, goes for shock factor, & preaches like God's word is not enough to win people.\n\nJV version of Furtick who is all show, no go. Mark and avoid.pic.twitter.com/JdyoCDkWaP— Costi W. Hinn (@Costi W. Hinn) 1642478453
I will NEVER watch another Michael Todd sermon.\nI am disgusted— Cieeg (@Cieeg) 1642359915
Preachers like #MichaelTodd are why I know there are two (maybe three) classes of church folks: 1) the whatever the pastor says goes and 2) the \u201cI don\u2019t give a damn what their title is I will break my foot off in their \u2026\u201d \u2014 Govern yourselves accordingly.— Pamela R. Lightsey, PhD (@Pamela R. Lightsey, PhD) 1642381820
Michael Todd is a theologically irresponsible menace who continually demonstrates why he needs to be deplatformed. \n\nYou cannot justify his use of SALIVA in a demonstrative sermon in the middle of a #Pandammit.— D. Danyelle Thomas (@D. Danyelle Thomas) 1642373632
If Michael Todd would have tried that nonsense at my church.pic.twitter.com/uZw4EF2BmY— Franklin Saint-Laurent (@Franklin Saint-Laurent) 1642391550
I literally never want to see Michael Todd on my timeline again.— meh\u2728 (@meh\u2728) 1642370132
Todd took over Transformation Church in 2015, when it was composed of 300 people who worshipped in a small storefront. He has since turned it into a multi-million dollar empire that saw the church buying up some $66 million worth of Tulsa real estate in the past two years.
