(Screenshot: Jesse Duplantis explaining to his audience why he left Daystar.)
When a televangelist says that God spoke to him, be skeptical.
In a recent video, televangelist Jesse Duplantis acknowledged that he didn’t renew a TV broadcast contract with Daystar Television Network. Duplantis explained to his viewers that about five or six months ago God told him to leave the network.
“He said, ‘I want you to go off Daystar.’ He said, ‘Remember when I told you I want you to go off TBN?’ He said, ‘I will do the same thing on Daystar as I did on TBN. Your partners will follow you. They will find you.'”
Duplantis has a long history of attributing questionable statements to God. In 2018, Duplantis claimed that God told him, “I want you to believe in me for a Falcon 7X” jet.
Trinity Foundation investigators reject Duplantis’ explanation, instead suspecting his decision was influenced by business considerations rather than divine communication with God, and that Duplantis will provide programming to a new religious network being launched soon.
The Duplantis Sunday morning TV program has been replaced by Joni Table Talk. The Duplantis Monday evening program has been replaced by Kenneth Hagin.
Several close associates of Duplantis have also left the network.
Daystar has replaced the TV program of Lance Wallnau, the Christian political activist known for popularizing the Seven Mountain Mandate, with programs from the late Charles Stanley and the program of Lord of Hosts Church pastors Hank and Brenda Kunneman has been replaced by James Robison’s TV program.
Duplantis, Wallnau and the Kunnemans continue to appear on televangelist Kenneth Copeland’s Victory Channel.
Meanwhile, Prestonwood Church pastor Jack Graham’s TV program has also left Daystar, being replaced with Hagee Ministries. (Previous airtimes were obtained from the Internet Archive.)
While Wallnau, the Kunnemans and Graham have not revealed why they are no longer broadcasting on Daystar, two ministries (Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson and Love Israel) have publicly stated they could not stay because of allegations of sexual abuse cover-up at the network.
Competition in Religious Broadcasting
The world of religious broadcasting is rapidly changing.
The Word Network, one of the largest religious TV networks which primarily broadcasts to a black audience, is up for sale.
It is possible that Duplantis or one of his televangelist colleagues has made an offer to purchase The Word Network.
According to the Detroit News, “[The Word Network president Kevin Adell] said he signed nondisclosure agreements with prospective companies and couldn’t reveal which ones.”
Meanwhile, a couple of new networks are also preparing to launch.
In December, Paul Crouch Jr, the son of Trinity Broadcasting Network founders Paul Sr. and Jan Crouch, revealed during a podcast interview that two new religious networks have offered him a position as CEO.
It is possible the sale of The Word Network or the launch of a new network could be announced next month during the annual National Religious Broadcasters Convention being held in Grapevine, Texas.