A recent family feud has sent shockwaves through the evangelical community, with allegations of prophetic deception taking center stage. Prominent pro-Trump pastor and self-described prophet Jeremiah Johnson of North Carolina is facing serious claims from his older brother Josiah Johnson, a fellow pastor, that he is fabricating divine messages and plagiarizing prophecies from other Christian leaders, as reported by The Washington Post.
Josiah, 37, who leads a small ministry in Alabama, accused the 36-year-old Jeremiah of “completely and totally fabricating” his prophetic visions, raising eyebrows as scrutiny increases on evangelical leaders’ roles in supporting Trump’s unfounded claims about the 2020 election and the January 6 Capitol insurrection.
In a Facebook post to his 5,000 followers, Josiah questioned whether people would still follow their favorite prophets if they knew those leaders were fabricating their messages. He alleges that Jeremiah has a pattern of recycling others’ work as his own, citing an instance where Jeremiah used a poem Josiah wrote, “the boom in the upper room,” during a conference as a prophecy.
Jeremiah, who boasts a congregation of hundreds and a sizable online following, has rejected his brother’s accusations. He took to Facebook, stating he has been “publicly slandered” by Josiah.
This rift illustrates the deeper divisions within the Johnson family and the broader evangelical movement. Their father, retired pastor Joseph Johnson, reportedly supports Jeremiah, suggesting that criticizing him equates to criticizing God.
This family drama unfolds amid a larger crisis in the evangelical prophetic movement, particularly after many self-proclaimed prophets, including Jeremiah, confidently predicted Trump’s re-election in 2020. When those prophecies failed, it led to a significant loss of credibility for some within the community.
Jeremiah previously attracted attention for admitting error in his predictions and temporarily shutting down his ministry after the election. He later returned with a rebranded ministry and continued making political prophecies on his YouTube channel.
Josiah’s claims go beyond sibling rivalry; he believes his brother’s actions mislead vulnerable believers. In the wake of the dispute, Josiah reports being blocked by numerous mutual friends and family members, and a document titled “Warning the Body of Christ About Josiah Johnson” has circulated, labeling him as “full of envy and malice.”
Despite facing backlash, Josiah remains committed to his cause of exposing what he regards as false prophecies, even trying to reach out to Jeremiah out of love, only to find himself potentially blocked by his brother.