Tim Tebow Pauses Ties with Life Surge Amid Allegations — Life Surge CEO Responds
Football analyst Tim Tebow says he is pausing his appearances at Life Surge events while his team looks into allegations that the Christian organization uses high-pressure sales tactics to steer attendees into costly financial training programs—in some cases, leaving customers deeply in debt.
The controversy originated from a joint report by Mother Jones and Pablo Torre Finds Out alleging that Life Surge attracts attendees with relatively inexpensive tickets — often less than $50 for a one-day event —before offering costly financial training as they advance through the program, culminating in SurgeU packages that range, roughly, from $10,000 to $40,000.
The investigation further alleged that some attendees were urged to use credit cards or tap their home equity to pay for the programs.
“The allegations are extremely, extremely serious, and it's something that we take very serious,” Tebow said. “We're having our team do an investigation, but also pausing our relationship till we can learn more about the facts to be able to understand more.”
Tebow was at an anti-trafficking conference when he learned of the allegations and said he was “caught off guard” by them.
He speaks at Life Surge events, he said, because they provide him with an opportunity to share the gospel with those in attendance.
“My heart in getting to share there was to be able to share something that I love to share, which is the love of Christ and the good news of the gospel,” Tebow said. “So I think it's really important that we can really understand all the facts and details of it.”
Life Surge CEO Jeremy Nosek pushed back against the allegations and defended the organization’s practices and mission, saying the ministry “strongly disagrees with the characterization of our company presented in recent reporting.”
“We will not apologize for who we are, what we believe, or the work we do. The reporting presented serious allegations about Life Surge,” Nosek told Mother Jones. “What it did not present with equal force was the full story: the thousands of students whose experiences stand in stark contrast to that narrative, the extensive compliance infrastructure and safeguards we have built, and the facts and context we provided directly to the reporters before publication. We stand behind our people. We stand behind our mission. And we stand behind the work we have done alongside Tim Tebow for years. Tim has made the decision to pause his relationship with Life Surge while his team reviews the allegations and gathers additional facts. We respect that this is his decision to make. Our respect for Tim has not changed.”
Life Surge’s purpose, according to its website, is to equip Christians to use their “resources and influence for Kingdom Impact.”
It regularly holds events in major cities, advertising them with Christian celebrities like Tebow. Less prominent in the controversy is the fact that Tebow is one of dozens of well-known people of faith who have spoken at Life Surge events. Craig Groeschel, Willie Robertson, Nick Vujicic, Sage Steele and Candace Cameron Bure are among those who are scheduled to speak at events this year.
“Whatever questions are being raised about Life Surge, we do not believe Tim's character or lifetime of service should become collateral damage in that debate,” Nosek said. “We love Tim. We are grateful for the years we have spent working alongside him, for the thousands of people he has encouraged from our stages, and for the Kingdom work he continues to do around the world. As for Life Surge, we will continue to stand on the facts, stand behind our mission, and serve the people who have entrusted us with the opportunity to impact their lives.”
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Alberto E. Rodriguez/Stringer
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published September 28, 2026.
