False Teacher of the Day #56: Mike Todd, Transformation Church

It's been a while since I published an article in our ongoing False Teacher of the Day series. But here is one who has become increasingly popular in recent years, and though the spiritually discerning already know this, it is obligatory to point him out. All throughout Evangelical Christendom, few figures provoke as much controversy as Pastor Mike Todd of Transformation Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Todd, a man synonymous with a brand of Christianity that is as unorthodox as it is circus-like, has become emblematic of a worrying trend within the faith—a movement that elevates spectacle over scripture, entertainment over edification.

At the center of Todd's "ministry"—if we can even call it that—is an approach that can best be described as a circus of sensationalism where the eternal is eclipsed by the ephemeral. One of the most glaring examples of this sacrilege is Todd's promotion of the prosperity gospel, an ideology that promises material wealth and physical well-being to believers who possess sufficient faith. This false teaching stands in stark contrast to the New Testament’s emphasis on spiritual riches and the inherent dangers of avarice. Yet, Todd, along with associate Pastor Tim Ross, pushes this narrative, misleadingly equating financial success with divine favor.

Further exacerbating concerns is Todd’s penchant for theatricality and shock tactics, always at the expense of reverence for God's glory. A particularly egregious instance was his recent stunt where he covered a Bible and communion elements with syrup and whipped cream—a display that not only trivializes but outright mocks the solemnity of Christian symbols and ordinances. Such clownmanship betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of, or disregard for, the weighty significance of these elements in Christian worship and belief.

Here's a clip of that moment: