Christian TV took a soap opera turn Tuesday when the married co-founders of Daystar, a network based in the Dallas area, used a live broadcast to share the husband’s infidelity and to allege extortion by outsiders.
Evangelists Marcus and Joni Lamb made a pre-emptive strike, going on their regular morning program, Celebration, to acknowledge his past marital misconduct and say that three people had demanded $7.5 million to keep the scandal out of the media.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we’re not going to take God’s money and pay to keep from being humiliated,” Marcus Lamb said during the broadcast from Daystar’s Bedford headquarters.
The Lambs, who still run Daystar, allowed a reporter into the studio but would not take questions afterward.
Daystar is a powerhouse evangelical network, broadcasting in more than 200 countries. It is the second-largest Christian network, after Trinity Broadcasting Network, which has a production center in Irving.
Daystar features such well-known preachers as Joel Osteen , John Hagee, Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland and James Robison.
Local pastors who appear on the network include Bishop T.D. Jakes of the Potter’s House church, Jack Graham of Prestonwood Baptist Church, Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Dallas and Ed Young Jr. of Fellowship Church.
A. Larry Ross, a public relations executive who represents Daystar, said authorities were alerted to the extortion attempt. He said the threat was made in recent weeks, but he wouldn’t say which law enforcement agency was contacted.
The Dallas office of the FBI would not say whether it was investigating. The Bedford police spokesman did not return calls.
The Lambs said Tuesday that their marriage is now sound but that “several years ago” Joni Lamb discovered that Marcus Lamb was having an improper relationship.
Though they shared few details, one of their marriage counselors, Fred Kendall, did provide some specifics.
Marcus Lamb said he takes full responsibility. “Joni has no blame,” he told viewers. “The other person doesn’t have any blame. … I don’t even blame the devil. It’s all on me.”
The Lambs also offered few details of their extortion allegation.
“There actually are three people who are not involved in what we’re talking about today or affected by our marital challenge that are now saying that unless Daystar pays them $7.5 million, that they’re going to take our story that we just shared with you to the media,” Joni Lamb said on the program. “This is not a secret story that we’ve been hiding – rather, a private matter, from which we have been healing.”
Sex scandal among prominent evangelical figures is hardly new, with the ranks including Jim Bakker , Jimmy Swaggart and Ted Haggard. Recently, sensational allegations have been made in lawsuits filed against Bishop Eddie Long of Atlanta.
But the Lambs’ joint appearance Tuesday suggests that many in their audience will accept and forgive, said Michael Lindsay, a sociologist of religion at Rice University who has written extensively about evangelicals.
“This apparently happened several years in the past, and that’s one thing they have going for them,” Lindsay said. “It appears their marriage has been able to weather the storm, and that helps.”
Jeffress added that the Tuesday revelations would not cause him to withdraw his program from Daystar.
“If the president of AT&T fell into some kind of moral transgression, we would be sorry to hear about it, we would pray for him,” Jeffress said, “but that wouldn’t keep us from using AT&T products for our communication needs.”
Daystar is a nonprofit that pays for its more than $70 million annual operating budget through paid programming, Ross said. Viewers’ donations go toward “ministry projects,” he said.
True Discernment 
GOD is good.
The Bible speaks about a “reprobate,” mind which features explanations about eyes full of adultery and how a person would not be able to cease from sin.
isn’t it ironic how these people are accusing someone else of “extortion”? Not only will Adulterers not inherit the Kingdom of GOD, but also extortionist. The Lambs act like the sin of extortion is greater than adultery. The Bible states that all sins are committed without the body, but when one commits a SEXUAL sin, he or she sins against his or her own body. The people who buy from their station have pleasures in this kinds of activity.
-Prophtess Glynis Bethel
“God is good.” However, I think this last posting should be labeled “Good God!”
Having been the victim of an affair I can sympathize with Marcus Lamb’s wife Joni. I also forgave my husband, and three years later our marriage is better than ever. God can heal and bring restoration in these cases and I believe that Marcus and Joni have moved on and there has been true repentance and forgiveness. However, I can’t understand why they didn’t step down from leadership after this happened. I know they said it was so they had time to heal, but it seems deceptive, especially when God’s word is so clear about those in positions of leadership.
I Timothy 3: 1-7 (The Message) If anyone wants to provide leadership in the church, good! But there are preconditions: A leader must be well-thought-of, committed to his wife, cool and collected, accessible, and hospitable. He must know what he’s talking about, not be overfond of wine, not pushy but gentle, not thin-skinned, not money-hungry. He must handle his own affairs well, attentive to his own children and having their respect. For if someone is unable to handle his own affairs, how can he take care of God’s church? He must not be a new believer, lest the position go to his head and the Devil trip him up. Outsiders must think well of him, or else the Devil will figure out a way to lure him into his trap.
We need to pray for Marcus, his wife and their family. Yes, we need to forgive and support them in this difficult time, but under no circumstances should they be allowed to pastor a church. It’s the price for this sort of behavior. It’s not a good example to those in the church or those outside of it. They could minister in some other capacity, but not as leaders of a church.
For example, the young lady my husband had an affair with was a Christian, but knew a couple who had left their spouses (they were Christians at the time) and married each other. A few years later they were working as her youth ministers. She felt that if they could be forgiven, so happy and continue to lead in the church that she could do the same with my husband eventually once all the dust settled. These people should have never been leaders in that capacity, but they still are and now have their own church. If we didn’t allow pastors to get away with these behaviors, and continue to keep their leadership positions, we would see less of it.
What kind of spiritual condition is it when you can hop into the bed with another woman get out of that bed of adultery take a shower and stand in front of a TV camera and preach to millions? Without missing a sermon? Certainly without missing a praise-a-thon! Is this Gods business or show business?…the show must go on or what?At what point should you say I need to get right with God Iam in no position to represent Christ at this time untill I get to the place where I need to be spiritually and allow God to change me and for my family to heal?
I work for Daystar and discern a lot of the negative stories that you have read are true. It is disappointing to hear Marcus state that there are extortionists who are trying to get millions of dollars when he actually tries to take advantage of the elderly and others during his fundraisers (Sharathons) who often do not make reasonable decisions when pledging because of emotionalism or hype resulting from statements made during the telecasts of the Sharathons that are often contrary to God’s word. Marcus and the management of Daystar need a lot of prayer so that they can honestly raise funds in their assignment to proclaim the gospel and that they are also accountable for their past mistakes. Sincerely one of many disheartened Daystar employees.