Pastor Judah Smith of Justin Bieber Responds to Claims His Church Is a "Cult".
Judah Smith, Justin Bieber’s longtime pastor, recently responded to accusations that his church, Churchome, is a cult. The speculation arose due to his close friendship with Bieber and the unconventional structure of his church.
Smith addressed the claims in a sermon, recalling an encounter with paparazzi where he was asked directly if Churchome was a cult. He humorously dismissed the idea, saying, “If we’re a cult, we are the worst cult in the history of all cults,” noting that the church only meets once a month.
“I got out of my car and was immediately surrounded by paparazzi—that's a first for me,” he said in a video of him giving a recent sermon posted on his Instagram page May 2. “All of a sudden, this nice lady turns on her camera. She goes, ‘So is this a cult or not? And I was like, ‘Oh my word, I wasn't expecting that question.’”
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He continued. “We meet once a month, guys. I stopped doing this every Wednesday. We’ve got to get better at this.”
His bond with Bieber dates back over a decade, introduced by the singer’s mother, Pattie Mallette. Over the years, they have shared scriptures and spiritual discussions, with Bieber often seeking guidance from Smith.
“Justin and I share Scriptures on a regular basis and communicate,” the pastor shared in 2013. “And I think you find a lot of comfort and clarity in the Scriptures.”
More recently, the “Holy” singer shared that he seeks spiritual guidance to deal with online speculation about his personal life, including his marriage to wife Hailey Bieber.
“They treat me like ass out here, but I remember that I am flawed, and God forgave me,” he wrote in a post on his Instagram Stories April 24. “It helps me to stop feeling better than those who are mean and hurtful because when I'm really honest, I can be mean and hurtful too.”
Bieber himself has spoken about the challenges of fame and online speculation, emphasizing his reliance on faith to navigate negativity. He recently shared a message on social media about forgiveness and self-reflection, acknowledging his own flaws while dealing with public scrutiny.
Indeed, the Grammy winner who shares son Jack Blues Bieber, 8 months, with Hailey said he tries to remember his own flaws before judging the actions of others.
“My instinct is to be like, ‘Damn I wouldn't gossip and spread lies about someone on the internet,’” he went on, “but there's other s--t I do I'm not proud of.”
