Bishop Henry Fernandez, founder of the more than 10,000-member The Faith Center Ministries in Sunrise, Florida, has defended the recent firing of the church’s senior pastor, Joel Tudman, for undisclosed reasons, which has sparked significant debate online.
In a statement to his congregation during the 11 a.m. service on Sunday, Fernandez, who led the church for more than 30 years before handing over the reins to Tudman just five months ago, asked them to trust him.
The statement came a day after he sent a letter to members informing them that Tudman was no longer the senior pastor of the church.
“In the letter I sent, it was to advise you that Pastor Joel Tudman is no longer the senior pastor of this church. I’m gonna ask you to please pray for him and his family. That’s what we Christians are supposed to do,” Fernandez said while explaining that he would not share specifics about the reasons for Tudman’s firing. “I’m sorry if you need more detail and explanation. And as your pastor, I am going to make sure that this ministry focuses not on any man but on the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
Although he did not share many details on why Tudman was fired, Fernandez suggested the firing might be connected to leadership issues when he made it clear that the church is not led by one person, and the pastor is accountable to a board of elders.
“This church is not run by one man. I want that to be absolutely clear. There is an executive board that I am accountable to. Even though I am the founder of the church, I have submitted my life under their authority. And I’m going to ask all of you … to trust my leadership,” Fernandez said as he warned parishioners not to speculate about the decision to remove Tudman.
“While you’re not given reasons, I’m asking you [to] be careful of your assumptions. Just be careful of your assumptions. I would encourage all of us, those of us who are members of the Kingdom, … We are Kingdom citizens. We are expected to conduct ourselves accordingly. While you may have your feelings and your opinions, please don’t ever forget that,” he added.
Asked if the church had any plans to replace Tudman with a different successor soon, a representative at The Faith Center Ministries told The Christian Post that the church would not be making any additional comment on Tudman’s dismissal.
Tudman’s firing from the church comes after what appeared to be a long vetting process. In the summer of 2024, Fernandez announced that Tudman would join the Faith Center as assistant senior pastor. He stated that he was sure, “without a doubt” in his mind, that he had made the right decision, and it was a transition he was hoping to make 10 years earlier.
In March, Tudman was officially installed as the new senior pastor of The Faith Center Ministries with his wife, LaTasha, in a service attended by several Christian celebrities, including the founder of The Potter’s House, Bishop T.D. Jakes.
Tudman had worked as an assistant pastor at The Potter’s House prior to joining The Faith Center Ministries. He also completed the Doctor of Ministry program at Jakes’ Divinity School in 2023.
His abrupt firing has stirred a heated debate among Christians and church leaders on social media.
“I’m quite sure that there are many of us who went through what Pastor Joel Tudman recently experienced. It happened to me back in the ’90s in Cincinnati. I was asked to take a church, a nice-sized church. After months of labor, the offerings significantly increased along with the membership,” Stephen L. White, founder of Higher Dimension Ministries in San Diego, California, wrote in a statement on Facebook. “The pastor was still there at the church and saw the growth, energy and excitement that was in the church … and nearly a year later, while Bishop Wilson & I was [sic] at AZUSA … the pastor emeritus called and said that I would not be needed anymore,” he added.
“When I came back to Cincinnati … nearly all of the members that had started coming to the church because of me left the ministry as well. THEY went and found a hotel conference room, paid for it and asked me to come and start a new church. That’s how High Praise Evangelistic Center was birthed. … It is my prayer that Pastor Tudman gather the people that love and follow him and go start his own work!”
In another post, Elder Brenda Bradley, who said she saw Tudman preach for the first time during a conference earlier this year, called the decision to fire Tudman “disturbing.”
“I don’t know what’s going on with the Bishop Hernandez [sic] firing of Dr. Joel Tudman. It’s just always sad and disturbing when one Pastor uproots his family from one place and move [sic] them to a place they’ve been invited to serve. Only to be fired six months later when apparently the church was growing, the energy was high, and this seemingly came out of nowhere,” she wrote.
Harvard Divinity School graduate student, Kenneth H. Moales, also questioned the decision to fire Tudman in a statement on Facebook. He argued that Tubman’s firing could make it harder for churches to find leaders.
“This situation has broader implications for church transitions, especially in large black congregations. It will influence how boards recruit pastors, how pastors negotiate the terms of leadership, and how congregations endure seasons of transition,” he said. “If this is the model of ‘progressive transition,’ then it sets a concerning precedent that could make it harder for churches to find leaders willing to step into these roles.”
As the debate continues to rage on social media, Tudman, in a statement posted to his Instagram account on Tuesday morning, called for a “truce,” while insisting he will not be leaving South Florida until he hears from God.
“I’m aware of the conversations, the speculation, the debates, that’s going across all the social platforms and the blogging community. I’m humbled by the love and concern that you’ve shown me and I’m equally grieved that the discussions have stirred division in the Body of Christ,” he said.
“The world is watching, and when our church is divided, the witness of Christ is weakened. I want to make a simple but urgent appeal. Stop taking sides. Let’s quiet the noise. Resist the urge to battle one another in the comments and return back to the heart of Christ with love, unity, and prayer,” he said.
“My wife and I, we’re managing. My family, we’re managing. Now, we’re here in South Florida. And we’re not going anywhere. Not unless the Lord says leave. As for now, I’m on my knees and I’m on my knees praying to God daily, and it’s His strength that is sustaining us.”
Tudman stated that he intends to remain faithful to his assignment from God, and will be teaching online starting Sept. 9 at Joel Tudman Official.
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