For Dean and Janine Wallace, backlash is a blessing in disguise.
This is what the Dundee couple and founders of Relight Church discovered in the summer of 2024.
Back then, well known business owners Dean and Janine met with me for an in-depth interview about why they’d decided to start a church in their hometown.
In that conversation, we delved into their individual reasons for embracing Christianity, the influence of controversial Miami-based author John Lenhart and his self-help empire Flowcess, as well as Relight’s links with the US-based Music of Life Church.
They knew then that they’d face criticism – the word “cult” was already being thrown around in the comments sections of Relight’s earliest social media posts – but admit they were shocked by the volume of harsh commentary that came their way.
Criticism came from both sceptics, who voiced concerns Relight was a money-making scheme, and more traditional Christians, who were wary of its interpretations of scripture.
“I knew what I was in for, but I didn’t realise how bad it would feel,” admits Janine, 40, when we meet again in 2025 for a catch-up. “It was like my ego was dying. But after a few days, I heard from God.
“He told me that now I didn’t need to worry about judgement from others.”
“There was a lot of hate, a lot of attacks,” adds her husband Dean, who goes by Pastor Dean in his leading role at Relight. (Pastor is not an ordained or protected title.)
“But God moves in response to justice. So we were excited when we were being attacked, because if we weren’t getting that kind of attention, God wouldn’t move in our favour.”
How has Relight grown in Dundee over a year?
In the last year, Relight has welcomed 30 new members, and baptised more than 20 in the River Tay.
The group hosts weekly Bible studies via Zoom, and hold regular “fellowship nights” at Starbucks in Dryburgh, as well as their regular Sunday services at Browjam CEO Janine’s brow academy.
But after “going public” with their organisation, the couple realised they’d “opened the doors” without getting their house in order first.
“There’s been a lot of trial and error,” says Janine. “I kept having dreams that I was in a caravan, inviting all my family and friends to come over, but in the back of my mind, I knew I didn’t have the room for them.”
So they decided to pause their recruitment drive and concentrate on developing the “nucleus” of people already involved, so they could “create more leaders”.
Part of that has been securing funding to train group leaders, and looking for a bigger building to use as their base.
The organisation has also held four baptism events at Broughty Ferry beach, with the most recent one including Janine’s own mother, Elaine.
“She started off sceptical, even though she saw the change in us. She’s 67 so there’s a lot of years of things to unlearn,” says Dean.
“Over this past year, the transformation in her has been phenomenal.”
Relight members ‘have broken addictions’
Indeed, Dean tells me boldly that people have “broken addictions, and cured their depression and anxiety” as an effect of Relight’s “coaching” over the past year.
“Addiction, I think, is a spiritual affliction which then shows up in the physical,” Janine argues.
They confirm people have got sober through Relight, kicking vaping, smoking, marijuana and alcohol addictions.
Dean says this is because attending Relight helps people build up their self-esteem.
“The higher we grow in self-esteem, the more that these addictions we embroil ourselves in can be swapped for healthy addictions,” he reasons. “Like fellowship, community and worship.
“We’re not going head-on at addiction, anxiety and depression as a cause. What we’re going at as a cause is helping people get to know themselves more, and get to know God.
“As an effect, these things are happening.”
Are Relight’s bold claims true?
Over the course of a week, I met with Relight members Kai Meldrum, a 21-year-old Broughty Ferry roofer, and Donna Edwards, a Dundee software developer and mum-of-one.
Both have been baptised into Relight, and have undertaken the group’s Modelling God book club, based on author Lenhart’s own book.
Their membership and book club are free – except for purchase of the book.
They had also gone through Lenhart’s introductory Flowcess programme, priced at $349 (around £268), with a further $99 (£76) charged for each year afterwards to retain access to the course materials.
While Flowcess is not marketed as religion-based coaching, Modelling God is.
Here’s what they told me:
Kai’s story
Roofer Kai was smoking weed every day before he found Relight. He formed the habit in his early teens and found it almost impossible to stop.
“There was a long time when I was convincing myself I just liked it,” says Kai.
He joined Relight early on and didn’t immediately focus on quitting smoking.
But after half-heartedly trying to kick the habit a few times, Kai “asked God for a sign if I should stop”.
He was sitting at his girlfriend’s house when he began experiencing palpitations a few hours later.
“On the way to the hospital, I looked out the car window and I saw the big cross at St Mary’s Church all lit up,” he says. “It was beautiful.
“I knew that was my sign, and I quit cold turkey.”
Now he hasn’t smoked in over 10 months, and Kai is also training to be a Restoration Coach at Relight, which would entail taking others through a newly-conceived coaching module.
Donna’s story
“I’d always struggled with anxiety, but I was in a traumatic relationship which really highlighted the issues I was having,” Donna says.
“I went to the same fitness class for 10 years, but would always sit outside until the minute it started so I didn’t have to speak to anyone. I wouldn’t really build relationships, I was too anxious.”
Donna reached out to Dean for personal coaching prior to Relight being founded and is now a dedicated member of the church.
“It was only after I reached out to Dean that I got access to this information which changed my life. By getting closer to God and understanding my uniqueness, I’ve totally grown my self-esteem.
“I’m a different person now. I wouldn’t have even come to speak to you before.”
Donna is now working as a Restoration Coach.
What happens if Relight members relapse?
After just over a year, the jury is still out on whether or not attending Relight has made a permanent difference to those struggling with addiction or mental ill health.
When I ask Dean, Janine, Donna and Kai if someone relapsing or experiencing mental difficulty again would shake their faith, I am met with a resounding “no” on all fronts.
If they are following and implementing the teachings of Relight, they say, then that won’t happen.
If it happens, they have fallen into a state of what the group calls “contradiction”, and the church can support them to correct their path.
Expert expresses ‘concern’ over Relight
Dundee addiction service With You declined to comment when approached for an expert opinion, on the basis that they were “unaware of the group and therefore cannot comment on its impact”.
Two further mental health experts declined to comment on the basis of the group’s religious nature.
One Tayside psychotherapist, who did not wish to be named, outlined several concerns with Relight’s approach.
They said: “Those dealing with mental health disorders and addictions are, like all of us, each dealing with their own unique challenges and situations.
“However, it is generally accepted that many are vulnerable and in many cases desperate for help and support, which as we know can be difficult to find particularly in some communities in Dundee.
“It sounds like new members [of Relight] are enthusiastically welcomed, receive individual attention from the head of this community and receive a general message that joining this group provides an opportunity for transformation and ‘completely changing one’s life’.
“My concerns here include an issue with power and authority, and how a vulnerable individual may be blind to the growing influence others are wielding over them.
“In addition, the self-help industry is an extremely lucrative one, with the implication being that if one person with a particular issue is able to help themselves in a particular way, anyone with that issue can.
“It is a one size fits all. Clearly this is not the case.
“Evidence-based processes, recognised qualifications and professional bodies go in some way to protecting these vulnerable people from exploitation.
“Finally, it is deeply concerning to hear the language used and directed at those who have voiced questions or concerns.
“It may negatively affect those these criticisms are directed at, as well as shut down any future questions and concerns from those within this group.”
Will Relight aim to go beyond Dundee?
Relight Church is now a registered charity and UK employer, and in December they “became a migrant worker sponsor” Dean explains.
They have employed ministry consultant and pastor trainer, Jonathan Fries, who has been a minister with the US-based Music of Life Church for several years, and his wife Morgan Fries – a church “overseer” – on a T2 Minister of Religion Visa.
This type of visa allows working migrants to stay in the UK for 3 years and one month.
“This will allow structure and support to be set up for everyone in the church,” Dean explains. “So that everyone can learn to thrive in their new roles in an energising fashion.”
The Scottish contingent have also taken part in a stateside “mission trip” to a women’s conference called Illuminate in Wisconsin.
A version of the conference is set to come to Dundee in May; the speakers include Janine, Laura Lenhart (co-founder of Flowcess), Molly Hildebrandt (Flowcess principal consultant) and Morgan Fries, as well as others linked to John Lenhart.
Do Dean and Janine see Relight itself going international?
“Yes, absolutely that is the goal!” says Dean. “We plan to grow Relight Church into many locations worldwide.”
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