When Tim Tebow announced Friday he was suspending his partnership with Christian wealth-building company Life Surge, the former football star said he was blindsided by accusations that the organization used predatory sales tactics to force Christians to enroll in expensive financial education programs.
But for some Life Surge customers, Tebow’s relationship with the company is part of the reason they trust the company in the first place.
“I am absolutely shocked that a Christian like Tim Tebow, who made me believe something, took so much money from me,” one customer wrote in a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission obtained by Mother Jones and reporter Pablo Torre.
That trust was at the center of a controversy that quickly spread into accusations of Life Surge’s business practices and the question of what happens when a celebrity known for his faith and fame lends his name to a company.
Tebow, a Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL quarterback, has been one of the most recognizable Christian athletes in the country for nearly two decades. His public persona is closely tied to his evangelical faith, from his famous Bible verses under his watch at the University of Florida to the Christian ministry and humanitarian work of the Tim Tebow Foundation.
Tebow isn’t the only celebrity to lend name recognition and credibility to Life Surge.
The organization’s vast list of speakers and performers includes well-known Christian leaders and musicians such as Priscilla Shirer and Chris Tomlin, Hollywood actors including Kelsey Grammer and Dennis Quaid, athletes including David Ortiz and Russell Wilson, business people and political figures including former White House Press Secretary Kelly McEnany and former Housing Secretary Dr. Ben Carson. Life Surge currently promotes the roster as “influential voices in faith and finance with leading worship artists.”
“I’m so shocked that a Christian like Tim Tebow led me to believe something, only to take so much of my money away.”
Investigators are also looking beyond Tebow. Journalist Pablo Torre said his team solicited opinions from 14 people in the sports industry who had been hired to speak or promote Life Surge.
But Tebow’s connections are unusually broad. According to reports, he plans to participate in more than 20 Life Surge events this year, earning between $50,000 and $100,000 per appearance. Life Surge’s own website shows that he appeared as recently as September 19 at an event in Portland, less than a week after the findings were published.
There is no evidence that Tebow knew about the former client’s alleged sales practices, and the presence of other celebrities at Life Surge events does not prove they knew about or approved of the company’s financial plans.
But the breadth of Life Surge’s celebrity roster raises a bigger question than whether a prominent Christian athlete adequately vets speaking engagements: What happens when an organization can borrow credibility from dozens of people its audience already trusts?
The company hosts Christian events that combine worship, motivational speaking and financial education, with the mission of “Kingdom Impact.” For a relatively small fee, attendees can watch celebrity speakers and then receive a three-day finance course for $97. From there, projects worth tens of thousands of dollars are delivered to clients, according to a Mother Jones survey.
Former clients told the outlet they were encouraged to take on huge debts to participate in the schemes, including through credit cards and home equity. Mother Jones and Torre also received 49 complaints filed with the FTC about Life Surge.
The complaints are accusations, not findings of misconduct at the agency.
Life Surge strongly disputes the predatory character of its business. The company said it discourages customers from taking on debt they can’t afford, provides disclosures explaining investment risks and has spent millions on compliance efforts.
It also rejects comparisons with prosperity theology, a Christian theological movement that links faith to material or financial rewards. Life Surge says its teachings focus on biblical stewardship and using financial success to make a greater impact through Christian ministry.
Life Surge said headline speakers like Tebow were not hired to promote its financial projects. Tebow said Friday that he attends the events to share his faith and encourage those in attendance.
But Mother Jones’ investigation found that Tebow’s role was not entirely unrelated to Life Surge’s plans. In news of the 2023 event, Tebow encouraged people who have signed up for additional classes to make good on their pledge.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has long warned about “affinity fraud,” in which scammers exploit trust within religious, racial or other close-knit communities. Regulators warn that respected community or religious figures can sometimes provide legitimacy to financial opportunities without realizing it themselves.
Life Surge has not been found to have committed fraud, and the company has denied wrongdoing. But the SEC’s warning illustrates why the identity of the person on stage matters so much.
“I’m not here to judge or condemn. I want to seek the truth.”
So Tebow’s decision to suspend his relationship with Life Surge does more than just remove another celebrity from the company’s speaker list. It removes one of the most recognizable symbols of Christian credibility from the stage.
Tebow said his representatives are investigating the allegations before he reaches his own conclusions about Life Surge.
“I’m not here to judge or condemn,” Tebow said Friday. “I want to seek the truth.”
For those who trust Life Surge, in part because they trust him, Tebow’s findings could be almost as important as the actions of regulators.
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