HOUSTON, TEXAS - JANUARY 29: Pastor Keion Henderson speaks on stage during the CryOut Conference 2023 day 3 at George R. Brown Convention Center on January 29, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Marcus Ingram/Getty Images)
Pastor Keion Henderson has plenty of eyes looking his way after a recent sermon that went viral.
The spiritual leader had silenced a congregant’s loud praises, and the moment played out on his service’s livestream. He stopped himself in the middle of prayer, walked across the stage to the woman, and quieted her. She immediately fell silent as he announced that he only wanted to hear God’s voice.
As of Monday afternoon, Pastor Keion hasn’t publicly addressed the mixed reactions to his tone and approach in the situation. The woman involved hasn’t revealed her identity, so it’s unclear if she’s already spoken publicly about how she feels.
Their silence hasn’t stopped people from flooding the pastor’s social media platforms. In his latest Instagram post — which he seemingly filmed after Sunday’s controversial moment — Henderson spoke on God, saying, “…He said what he said, so you can say what He said.”
Meanwhile, among its 1,400+ comments, several users alleged that the woman in the video frequently disrupts praise and worship.
@ms.celina_charles wrote, “Service was good! I was disappointed at first until I realized it’s the same spirit that holler every Sunday!”
@sheritaprentiss added, “It is the same lady that holler every Sunday!! God told her it is time to be quiet.”
@iamweliciac wrote, “…He did what needed to be done that woman screams every service…She don’t be in the spirit period.”
@a_dot94 said, “That’s what people don’t know she was doing the same thing last week when I was watching and the week before.”
@kira_jai wrote, “…She does this almost every Sunday… go watch the past services, as soon as God is present in the room, she starts up.. the same cadence and everything….. he had to feel something different.”
@all_the_way_zay added to the allegations of repeated behavior, “EVERY SUNDAY, I watch virtually EVERY SUNDAY and it’s very ANNOYING, it’s like she’s having trouble getting across to God in MY OPINION, how much hollering does it TAKE? In my HONEST opinion, I felt MANY members of the Church probably feel this same way and I’m actually GLAD it was addressed. someone sent a video of it to my sister and she sent it to me and I explained to her how this has been a distraction for MONTHS now.”
See similar narratives in Pastor Keion Henderson’s comment section below.
For context, Keion Henderson is the founder and senior pastor of The Lighthouse Church in Houston, Texas.
His website says he was first called to preach the word of God at age five. At age 21, he founded his first church, Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church, in 2003 with five members. He ran it while being a full-time college student and, within five years, grew his congregation to 600.
He founded Lighthouse in 2009, and it now has five campuses. Pastor Keion and Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-wife, Shaunie, tied the knot in 2021 in Anguilla.
