Jen Hatmaker

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Brandon’s transformation was sort of jarring. The Barefoot Church pastor becoming a biker guy overnight. Didn’t he step down from ANC before the divorce? I guess to do the non profit thing? Are any Hatmakers still a part of ANC? It appears that ANC is still around but it looks like they are down to one service and it appears like it’s a pretty tiny church now too. It looks like most of who’s actually going are the musicians and pastors. It would be interesting to know what the story is there.

Brandon did step away but I don’t know when. I think we’d pretty much stopped going when he did. He was “teaching” (they called preaching “teaching”, which was always sort of weird to me) about every other week. There were originally two other pastors, Tray and Matthew. Matthew led more than Tray. Tray is still involved and I think runs a lot of the financial and behind the scenes stuff. Matthew left a long time ago then another church joined ANC and John was a pastor, then about the time we quit going, Jason joined. By this time, Brandon was much less visible as was Jen. Jen would “teach” every so often as well. The same worship leader, Lamar, is still there, I believe. All were really good and likable folks as far as I knew. But, the bigger the Hatmakers got, the more they stepped back it seemed. I don’t blame them, just stating what I recall. This transition was over several years. It didn’t happen in 6 weeks or anything. They were at Jackie’s, a private school and dance studio in far south Austin. It was a quaint set up. At some point, they moved and got access to some performing arts center. Don’t know the details, as we’d stopped going before then. But I recall, they were expecting big things. I don’t know the status now but it is much different and I think a lot of players have changed from the original ANC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:last time i looked the lake house was still owned by hatmaker.

She posted about selling it in October of 2020. We discussed it in this thread.

Correct. The sale appears to have closed November of 2020. The property was listed for $999,999 and according to realtor.com, worth an estimated $1.37 Million, now. Looks like she bought the property for somewhere Around $795K. At least that was the price listed at one point. Perhaps she got it lower than that but it’s likely pretty close to that number. Interestingly, she was listed as the owner and not them jointly. However, TX is a community property state and unless I’m mistaken, which is highly likely, they would jointly own the house, unless there was some other legal arrangement. Either way, they should have been able to make a bit of coin on the house. Not a bad investment unless they dumped a ton of cash into it to fix it up. BTW- all of this in public info. I have no inside knowledge. A quick internet search of tax records tells this part of the story, or at least some of it.

[Anonymous]

Brandon did step away but I don’t know when. I think we’d pretty much stopped going when he did. He was “teaching” (they called preaching “teaching”, which was always sort of weird to me) about every other week. There were originally two other pastors, Tray and Matthew. Matthew led more than Tray

.., you must have left shortly before we did. I wonder if we know each other.

[Anonymous]

I would love for a forensic accountant to do a deep dive on Legacy Collective and Pure Charity. “Brandon” said a few pages back that he and Jen “never made a cent” off of LC but “business expenses” aren’t income. What monies from the till have been spent upholding their lifestyles? This wouldn’t be part of reported income, of course.

[Anonymous]

I was fairly good friends with JH for several years.
Can’t promise I’ll answer, but feel free to AMA.

[Anonymous]

When Brandon quit pastoring ANC, they brought in a new guy named Jason Morris. He was a much better preacher and had actually been to seminary, unlike Brandon or Tray. He’s also the one of the smarmiest guys you’d ever imagine. Just look on the ANC YouTube to see the this-is-my-trademark-hat with the priest collar and big turquoise jewelry.

But one very important point that I’ve never seen brought up here or on Reddit is what church he came directly from to ANC.

He came from Lakewood in Houston. As in, Joel Mothereffing Osteen.

So we naturally assumed he had left Six Flags Over Osteen because he got disenchanted and came to ANC for a complete 180. So I asked. “No! We love Lakewood! We love Joel & Victoria! Such amazing people and close friends!”

So BH & JH recruited/hired a protege of possibly the worst prosperity gospel demon in history to take over/rebrand their “we don’t even fill the potholes” church.

No one questioned this GLARING DISSONANCE.
No one said a word.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Brandon did step away but I don’t know when. I think we’d pretty much stopped going when he did. He was “teaching” (they called preaching “teaching”, which was always sort of weird to me) about every other week. There were originally two other pastors, Tray and Matthew. Matthew led more than Tray

.., you must have left shortly before we did. I wonder if we know each other.

Quite possibly, but we didn’t know too many folks. We did go to weekly groups for quite a while. For a while at Jackie’s, it was a good feeling to go there. They seemed “real”. The message was uplifting and welcoming for the most part. Lots of seemingly good people and families. We enjoyed it. The fifth Sunday’s and Easter’s down town were good. So, I’m not knocking the goid that was done at alll. But, looking back, there seemed to be an evolution as JH became more and more popular. Specifically I recall her Facebook fan base, growing like crazy. She and they were very likable, but there was something that always struck me that it was a bit superficial. I never got the feeling that I was quite the person that they’d “let in” to their inner circle. I suppose that’s ok. Tray, on the other hand, and the Hansen’s, were much more inviting, genuine, and welcoming. I didn’t need to be best friends with any of them, and didn’t want to be. But, I also didn’t appreciate the tinge of superiority feeling I got from the Hatmakers. She was sorta like “bless your heart, you poor soul. There there, run along.” It was off putting. Maybe I’m alone in feeling like that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was fairly good friends with JH for several years.
Can’t promise I’ll answer, but feel free to AMA.

Tell us what you know about the divorce and the events leading up to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was fairly good friends with JH for several years.
Can’t promise I’ll answer, but feel free to AMA.

Tell us what you know about the divorce and the events leading up to it.

This!

[Anonymous]

I got the since that Brandon was never really comfortable with his wife's massive success. Sure, he liked the money and the opportunities it afforded and was undoubtedly proud of her, but he was never comfortable in the public eye and being "Jen Hatmaker's Husband". To make matters worse, I don't think he was very comfortable leading a church too. It's a lot of work. He did an admirable job for awhile for sure, and the church did grow in size and impact under his watch, but around 2014-2015 it was clear that both Hatmakers wanted to do other things. This led to the hiring of new pastors who took on more of a visible center role pretty quickly. I think this was all on purpose. Brandon did preach periodically for a couple of more years then less so to eventually he announced that he was stepping down from the board and no longer teaching as a result of some sort of spiritual "funk". It was clear he was struggling and in a lot of pain and pretty uncomfortable to witness. This was a bit before the divorce.

[Anonymous]

From people still attending ANC it appears that it's really struggled over COVID. One services now with a handful of folks with a bit larger online presence. A lot of the old school members have left, some to other churches, some to no churches at all. I don't even think any Hatmakers go there anymore. They haven't been seen in a couple of years. They moved into an old UMC church in South Austin right before COVID and I believe they are now aligned with this denomination but I am not 100% sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was fairly good friends with JH for several years.
Can’t promise I’ll answer, but feel free to AMA.

Why aren't you friends anymore?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was fairly good friends with JH for several years.
Can’t promise I’ll answer, but feel free to AMA.

At what point were you friends?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was fairly good friends with JH for several years.
Can’t promise I’ll answer, but feel free to AMA.

Why aren't you friends anymore?

Not real sure. I think maybe I wasn’t cool enough?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was fairly good friends with JH for several years.
Can’t promise I’ll answer, but feel free to AMA.

At what point were you friends?

Don’t want to be specific but pre-fame. I mean we’re still “friends”. If I ran into her at H‑E‑B Id give her a hug. No falling out or anything. Just don’t see her anymore since we don’t go to church together anymore.