Call it divine intervention or a necessary course of action, but Shaunie O’Neal’s husband, Pastor Keion Henderson, has social media divided after shutting down a congregant at church.
A video of The Lighthouse Church leader has begun to circulate of him having to tell a woman to “hush” as she loudly cried out during worship.
The clip from the May 5 service showed Henderson with his hands raised in praise as he sang “I lift my hands” and spoke in tongues. Throughout the otherwise quiet moment, a female member of the choir, who was standing at the back of the stage, is heard repeatedly screaming.
At one point, the pastor made his way over to her and said, “Shh, hey, stop it. Hush, hush,” and snapped his finger at her.
As Henderson made his way back to the center of the stage, he then stated, “Silence in the name of Jesus. The only voice I want heard is his.” Though she appeared to still be overcome with emotion, the woman did not utter another disrupitve sound.
Some people online who claimed to be members of the church shared that the individual routinely puts on that same act every week. One person alleged that she has become audibly louder with every service, leading many to believe it is not the Lord’s spirit moving her to lose herself in the moment.
pastor keion henderson shh someone for praises God too loud pic.twitter.com/OvAxcC4Uow
— Black AF News (@blackafnews) May 5, 2024
“If she was able to cut it off that quick, it wasn’t necessary in the first place,” wrote one person criticizing her. A second comment read, “Some people play in church with all the theatrics.. he’s like enough is enough.”
But not everyone was onboard with Henderson’s manner of quieting her down.
One person’s judgment of him read, “He operates in the spirit of self smh.” Another said that instead of snapping his finger, he should have prayed for her. “Wait now! That’s why folks stay at home.”
Another harsh take on the incident stated, “How you gone silence her in Jesus name when Holy Spirit may have been inside of her? This man was putting on a performance… a show…. Like most of them do!”
Shaunie’s former best friend, Tami Roman, also chimed in writing, “The Holy Spirit can’t be silenced. He felt something off & shut down.”
Henderson is a longtime churchgoer, having shared that he first received the calling of ministry when he was 5 years old. He founded his first church, Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist, in 2003, when he was just 21 and a full-time college student. In 2009, he founded The Lighthouse Church in Houston, Texas, though it has since grown to five campuses across the state.
The Gary, Indiana, native, however, may be best known as the husband of Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-wife. The retired NBA player and Shaunie, the mother of his four children, were married for nine years before the marriage ended in 2011 due to the O’Neal’s infidelity.
Update: Video Footage & Audio
— Media On Blast 🟢 (@mediaonblast) April 19, 2022
Shaquill O’Neal shares that he was at fault for his divorce from Shaunie O’Neal. Shaq said “I wasn’t protecting her and wasn’t protecting the vows”#shaquilloneal #shaunieoneal pic.twitter.com/DJD1K4FUhn
Henderson and his now-first lady began dating in 2019. They were engaged ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday in November 2021.
“This was one of the most magical and special days of my life, being someone that had never officially been proposed to,” she told People magazine.
She also gushed that he is an extraordinary man. The couple tied the knot in May 2022. Their blended family also includes his daughter, Katelyn, from a previous relationship.
Shaquille has spoken favorably about his ex moving on, though he has also said she will always be “his wife.”
