Investigation of Dr. Michael Brown Substantiates Reports of Misconduct

Firefly report recommends policy changes at Line of Fire.

An independent investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against Dr. Michael Brown of The Line of Fire “concluded that Brown’s actions toward the two females were inappropriate and unacceptable for his leadership position within the ministry.”

Dr Michael Brown / Video screenshot @The Line of Fire

Brown was accused of sexual misconduct by crossing physical boundaries with a 21-year-old woman, Sarah Monk, who was working as a secretary at Brown’s FIRE School of Ministry, based in Concord, North Carolina.

While admitting to a close relationship with his accuser, Brown claimed the relationship was “totally non-sexual in every way.”

The investigation conducted by James Holler Jr. of Firefly Independent Sexual Abuse Investigations looked into the allegations by Monk and allegations that Brown engaged in another inappropriate relationship with a married woman in the congregation, who is now deceased.

The alleged conduct took place between 2001 and 2002.

According to the report dated April 12, Brown’s conduct “violated the ethical standards expected of someone in his role and undermined the trust and integrity essential to leadership within the church community.”

The investigation sought to determine whether the two alleged relationships were part of an ongoing pattern of systemic behavior by Brown or were “singular deviations.” It also looked into factors that enabled the behavior so recommendations could be made about needed changes.

Monk’s allegations about Brown’s inappropriate conduct came to light in late 2024.

According to Monk, she had a close relationship with Brown, even calling him “Dad,” and exchanging endearing notes with him.

She said Brown would hold hands with her, ask for her to kiss him on the lips, and would slap her on the rear end. This physical touch made Monk uncomfortable, but she said she didn’t feel like she could stop it. Other witnesses corroborated the physical contact between the two.

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Brown was reportedly approached about his contact with Monk by several witnesses; his response was to downplay the contact.

“I would sometimes give her a peck on the head after she gave me a hug, and it’s possible it was on the side of her head—but not on the cheek. To reiterate, without a doubt, never on the lips. Just to be clear, I never had inappropriate thoughts or intentions with Sarah in any way,” Brown said.

Once when house sitting for the Browns, Monk discovered a letter in which Brown confessed to an inappropriate relationship with a married woman.

“The letter basically stated that they were having a talking relationship and how they would dream about having sexual relations with each other and what they wanted to do with each other,” Monk said.

After Monk’s allegations came to light last year, Ron Cantor, who had been an instructor and faculty member at the Brownsville School of Revival with Brown in the early 2000s, initiated a series of emails with Brown about the accusations.

Brown claimed he “did not have an affair” with the married woman, but “developed a very unhealthy and sinful soul tie” with her.

Cantor probed further about Monk’s discovery of Brown’s notes about the relationship.

“I have never had a physical relationship of any kind with any woman other than my wife from the day I got saved until today – and there’s nothing more to say about it. The fact we had a wrong soul tie, that I repented, that all parties met, there was forgiveness, I made major lifestyle changes and got intensive counseling, and nothing even remotely repeated like that in my life – so, one misstep, not adultery, in 53 years – is nothing the rest of the world needs to know, unless repentance and forgiveness and righteous dealing with sin has no more meaning in God’s kingdom,” Brown wrote.

Firefly investigator Holler says Brown has been “deliberately deflect[ing] questions about allegations of sexual misconduct” over the past 25 years.

“This pattern of deflection appears to be a calculated effort to evade accountability, suppress the allegations, and protect his ministry’s reputation. By maintaining silence and avoiding direct answers, Brown has seemingly sought to shield himself from scrutiny, potentially enabling these stories to remain hidden and preserving his position within the ministry,” the report states.

While the report concludes that there is sufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations of inappropriate relationships with both women, investigators found no evidence of further sexual impropriety by Brown since 2002.

The report recommends that Line of Fire establish a “clear, comprehensive, proactive policy to address sexual harassment” that prioritizes prevention.

Recommended policies include a two-adult rule, open door meetings, boundaries and policies training, and established reporting mechanisms.

The Line of Fire did not reply to a request for a statement about the report before the time of publication. The most recent statement on its website reads: “Receipt of the FireFly Investigation Summary Report was temporarily delayed until just recently. The Board and Elder team will now review it and release the summary as soon as possible.”

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