Already Defeated — Maverick City
In October 2025, Grammy winning worship artist Chandler Moore filed a federal lawsuit against Norman Gyamfi — the CEO of Maverick City Music — alleging forgery, royalty theft, and the systematic use of shell companies to divert Moore’s earnings.
The suit claims Gyamfi forged Moore’s signature on Sony publishing contracts, redirected all of Moore’s songwriting royalties to Maverick City Music without his knowledge, and withheld over $800,000 in payments even after Moore fulfilled his obligations.
Maverick City’s co-founder Jonathan Jay called the claims categorically false. Gyamfi has said nothing publicly. The case is in federal court. Whatever the outcome, the story raises questions that don’t go away with a verdict.
What happens when a ministry grows large enough to generate real money — and nobody is watching where it goes?
Scripture has always understood this temptation. Three passages cut to the center of what’s alleged:
“Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.” — James 5:4 (NIV)
“No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve both God and money.” — Matthew 6:24 (NIV)
“For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” — 1 Timothy 6:10 (NIV)
These aren’t warnings written for obviously corrupt people. They were written for people who started with good intentions and got lost somewhere along the way.
The Other Side of the Problem
Here’s what tends to get skipped in coverage of this story: Scripture doesn’t only speak to what Gyamfi is alleged to have done. It also speaks directly to how Moore chose to respond.
“If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? … The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?” — 1 Corinthians 6:1, 7 (NIV)
Paul’s instruction is not subtle. When believers have a grievance against one another, federal court is not the first call. The community of faith is. The question worth asking is straightforward: were those channels genuinely tried before the lawsuit was filed?
To be fair, there’s a valid alternative perspective to consider. When the person doing the alleged harm is the leader, internal resolution can become impossible — you can’t appeal to the shepherd who’s allegedly eating the sheep. Paul’s challenge however doesn’t disappear just because the situation is hard.
“Why not rather be wronged?” was never meant to be comfortable.
This isn’t meant to discredit Moore or dismiss what he’s alleged. It’s meant to hold the whole picture honestly. When two Christian leaders wind up in federal court, both carry some portion of that failure — regardless of who’s right on the facts.
“You have been completely defeated already” is about the lawsuit, not the verdict.
$800,000 isn’t just a legal figure. It’s a ministry figure.
Here’s the part of this story that deserves more attention. Think about what that $800,000 represents at standard ministry benchmarks:
• 3 to 8 church plants ($100K–$250K average)
• 13 to 27 missionaries funded for a full year ($30K–$60K average)
• 800+ families fed for a year through domestic food programs
• 30 to 80 clean water wells drilled in sub-Saharan Africa ($10K–$25K each)
Maverick City built its brand on worship that connects people to God. That music generated real revenue from real people singing those songs as an act of Worship. Yet somewhere in between what the music was supposed to be and what it became, something went wrong. That something is money.
The Structural Problem Behind the Story
This case isn't really about two people. It's about what happens when a ministry grows large enough to generate significant money — but not serious enough to build accountability structures around it. Maverick City is not unique in this, but they are a publicly visible example of it.
The altar of self doesn't announce itself. It gets built slowly, through small and seemingly insignificant decisions. Left unchecked, those decisions are what ultimately cost church communities everything they worked so hard to build. This case represents $800,000 generated in the name of worship. The lawsuit itself could cost more than that before it's over.
That's the part worth sitting with. Not just who was wronged and who did the wrong — but what the money was supposed to do, and whether the structures we build around worship actually protect that purpose or quietly undermine it.
As Paul wrote, "The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already."
At FaithOverProfit.org, all resources are free — always. If this article was useful to you, consider sharing it with your church leadership, small group, or finance committee. Accountability in ministry starts with honest conversations.Sources
Billboard — Moore fraud lawsuit
Billboard — Jonathan Jay responds
The Roys Report — Moore sues, leaves band
Religion Unplugged — Moore sues Gyamfi
Scripture: James 5:4 | Matthew 6:24 | 1 Timothy 6:10 | 1 Corinthians 6:1, 7 (NIV)
