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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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Kathryn Krick, the founder and lead pastor of Five-Fold (5F) Church in Los Angeles, has amassed a large social media following, with videos of her prayer services regularly going viral. But her growing popularity has also brought increased scrutiny.
According to its website, Krick's church is where "miracles happen, many are healed, delivered & equipped to be revival carriers." Many of her viral clips feature a similar scene: Krick, a self-described "apostle," places a hand on a person, who then falls to the floor, shakes, cries or appears overwhelmed with emotion as onlookers cheer and praise God.
Krick's critics—including Christian influencers, pastors and online commentators—have questioned her teachings and practices, with some even describing her ministry as cultlike.
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The 5F Church founder has defended her ministry, rejecting accusations that her services are staged and saying the manifestations seen in her videos are consistent with biblical accounts of healing and deliverance. Newsweek has contacted Krick for comment via a message on social media.
Here, Newsweek takes a look at some of the questions that have been raised about Krick and her ministry.
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Why Has Kathryn Krick Gone Viral?
Krick's popularity has been fueled by short-form videos posted on social media that show people collapsing, crying, shaking or claiming physical and emotional healing during church services.
A 2024 profile of Krick in Alta dubbed her the "TikTok apostle of Los Angeles." In it, the author described Krick's initial struggles to build a following, with attendance at her services remaining low.
That changed with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, when she rebranded her ministry as 5F Church and began holding services in local parks and sharing videos of them on social media. Her breakthrough came in late 2020, when a TikTok video of her "most powerful manifestations of the year" amassed more than a million views, prompting her social media following to skyrocket.
"It was like God just decided to open up the floodgates all of a sudden," she told Alta.
Krick continues to post such videos, amassing more than 1 million subscribers on YouTube. She has almost 1.5 million followers across Facebook, TikTok and Instagram, where clips regularly garner hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of views.
What Have Critics Said About Krick's Videos?
Several prominent Christian leaders have accused Krick of promoting unbiblical practices or encouraging excessive devotion toward spiritual leaders.
Mike Winger, a YouTuber and Bible teacher, has called Krick a "cult leader" and "danger to people."
Chris Rosebrough, a Lutheran pastor, said in 2024, "Kathryn Krick is a false apostle who is accepting worship from her followers that only goes to God." He made the comment in response to a video from Krick's birthday that showed supporters bowing to her.
"If this is not a demonstration and proof that this woman is evil and legitimately, rightly, called 'cult leader Barbie,' then I don't know what does," he said.
Earlier this month, Christian conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey called out Krick in response to viral videos from a Texas book signing that showed attendees crying and shaking in Krick's presence.
"No matter your belief about spiritual gifts, there is NO Biblical precedence for this," Stuckey wrote on X. "This is not godly. This is not edifying. This is, at best, a show for attention, and, at worst, demonic activity."
Critics have also questioned whether the scenes in Krick’s videos are genuine, with skeptics suggesting participants may be influenced by emotion, crowd dynamics or expectations created during revival services. Others have raised concerns that Krick is exploiting people for financial gain.
How Has Krick Responded?
Krick has consistently rejected allegations that her videos are staged.
"Absolutely not," she said in an interview on The Way With Brian Davila YouTube channel posted on July 25 when asked whether she had ever had a paid actor at her church.
"To see this today should be normal. To see demons screaming out of people, to see people trembling, falling back, shaking—this is the Bible come alive," she continued. "This is what we see when the apostles ministered, when we see Jesus ministering."
On social media, Krick has suggested that some criticism stems from misunderstanding, skepticism or jealousy.
"Exposing and speaking badly about a minister is never the spirit of God leading and is usually coming from the spirit of jealousy and not being content with God's plan for their life," she wrote on Instagram in 2023.
What Do Krick's Worshippers Say?
Supporters have taken to social media to defend the pastor and share testimonies describing life-changing experiences.
Many followers say they have experienced healing, freedom from addiction, emotional breakthroughs or deliverance from spiritual oppression after attending Krick's services or watching online broadcasts. Videos posted by her ministry regularly feature individuals recounting what they describe as dramatic transformations.
In the comments section of the video of the Texas book signing, supporters shared praise for Krick and their experience.
"This was one of the best days of my life! I will never forget how powerfully I was touched by the anointing at this book signing. I couldn't stay in my feet as I stepped forward to have my book signed," one person wrote.
Another commented, "I go to this church and my three children have been transformed by the Anointing that destroys the yokes!!"
What Is Krick's Connection to 'Prophet' GeorDavie?
One of the most closely scrutinized aspects of Krick's ministry is her relationship with GeorDavie Moses Kasambale, a Tanzanian minister who describes himself as a "prophet." Newsweek has contacted GeorDavie for comment via email.
Krick has publicly described him as her "spiritual father." She also calls him "daddy" and "baba," according to Deseret News.
Krick's 2024 Alta profile said GeorDavie singled her out when she attended a conference in Los Angeles in 2016. "This prophet ended up prophesying to me that I was actually called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, and I was called to reach the nations, and God was going to do many miracles through me," she told the outlet.
She later traveled to Tanzania, where he poured oil on her head, "anointing" her for her ministry, Deseret News reported.
GeorDavie has his own church called GeorDavie Ministries International. It is a "cross-culture church commissioned to ignite the fire of Apostolic and Prophetic Global Revival across the nations," according to its website.
Critics such as Stuckey have pointed to GeorDavie's own controversies, including allegations of sexual misconduct, while criticizing Krick.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Tobias Meyjes and Shakeema Edwards.
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