By Leah MarieAnn Klett, Assistant Editor Thursday, October 09, 2025

Maverick City Music co-founder Jonathan Jay is pushing back against claims made by former member Chandler Moore, calling the singer’s recent lawsuit a “calculated attempt” to break free from legitimate business agreements with the Grammy-winning worship collective.

In a lengthy Instagram post shared Wednesday, Jay defended Maverick City Music and its leadership, marking the group’s first public response since Moore filed a federal lawsuit accusing CEO Norman Gyamfi and others of diverting millions of dollars in royalties.

“I cannot let a series of lies go unchecked,” Jay wrote. “The claims being made against me, against Norman and against our companies are categorically false. Our business dealings with Chandler were forthright, generous and above reproach. We acted in good faith, gave more than what was required and consistently extended grace.”

Moore’s lawsuit, filed Oct. 1 in U.S. District Court in Atlanta and obtained by Billboard, alleges that Gyamfi, once Moore’s manager before becoming Maverick City’s CEO, forged his signature on publishing contracts and withheld more than $800,000 in royalties. 

The complaint also accuses Gyamfi and affiliated entities, including Maverick City Music and its label, TRIBL Records, of misusing Moore’s trust and misappropriating his intellectual property.

Jay, who co-founded the worship collective in 2018, described the accusations as “false” and designed to “strong-arm a way out of agreements Chandler made freely and later breached.”

“It saddens me deeply to see Chandler publicly allege something so wildly untrue,” Jay continued. “There’s a pattern of avoided accountability, unresolved conflicts passed off to others, and a history of others being forced to carry the weight of consequences never owned. That pattern ends here.”

Moore announced his departure from Maverick City Music on Oct. 6, five days after filing the lawsuit, saying the decision was “bittersweet” and that he planned to focus on solo music “that makes people feel a little more human, a little more understood, and a little less alone.”

Jay’s post emphasized that Maverick City would continue its mission despite the controversy.

“I refuse to let a false narrative undo what so many people have labored, sacrificed and prayed for over the years,” he wrote. “The mission of Maverick City is bigger than any one person. We will keep building. We will keep creating. We will keep lifting the name of Jesus in every room He opens until the Lord Himself says our time is up. We stand on truth. We stand on integrity. And we will not be moved.”

Moore’s attorney, Sam Lipshie of Bradley Arant, previously said, “We are fully committed to helping Chandler recover what is rightfully his, resolve outstanding legal matters and assist him in moving forward freely to continue building the even-brighter impactful career that lies ahead for him.”

The legal dispute marks a sharp public fracture within one of Christian music’s most influential collectives, known for crossover hits such as “Jireh” and “Promises.” Maverick City Music has earned five Grammy Awards, five GMA Dove Awards and numerous other honors since its founding. 

Alongside Moore, fellow founding member Naomi Raine also announced her departure this week, though she is not involved in the lawsuit.

In a 2021 interview with The Christian Post, Jay said TRIBL Records and Maverick City wanted to be a voice of unity and an “amplifier to the world of what worship sounds like.”

“There are so many people that are gospel fans, but they're also people that maybe don't know as much about gospel, and they're huge CCM fans. So there is something there; I think there's something to be said about it. I think the heart really is just to stay true to what we feel we've been called to,” he said.

“I think we want to tear those boundaries down. We hate that there are divides; we hate that there are the markers on the different genres that make them feel so separate. And in ways, they are different, but in the most important way, they're not. That's through inspiration, that's through the heart, through the ministry of it. They're very, very similar. So I think we carry that when we lead our songs and record our music.”