It has recently
come my attention, through a video posted on YouTube, that my ex-husband Chris Hogan is no longer a team member at Ramsey Solutions.
I note that while his statement generically expresses being sorry for harm, he does not take responsibility for the impact of his actions on his family, people who trusted him, or people whose jobs depended on his role and integrity. He does not acknowledge that his actions profoundly hurt people, including me, our children, my family, and other women he manipulated. He also does not acknowledge the role that Ramsey Solutions and Dave Ramsey himself played in harming and manipulating me, as well as covering up his actions.
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As I noted in my initial statement of January 15, 2021, Ramsey Solutions was well aware of my ex-husband’s misconduct as far back as December 2018, or perhaps earlier. To the extent they claim that new information has compelled their decision to terminate my ex-husband, it is clear that they had sufficient information over two years ago that his conduct was inconsistent with Ramsey’s core values and chose to do nothing until now. Instead, they chose to manipulate, cover-up, and intimidate.
I also note that shortly prior to this decision on his employment, there were filings made public in a lawsuit against Ramsey Solutions related to the firing of a female employee for having premarital sex. Those filings made clear that the way Ramsey Solutions handled my ex-husband’s immoral conduct would be a central issue. The very next day, his separation was announced to staff.
My hope remains that Ramsey Solutions will choose to be transparent about and take responsibility for their role in harming people, show repentance, and change in ways that align with the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a similar hope that my ex-husband can do the same, for the benefit of himself and others.
61 responses to “Update on My Statement re: Ramsey Solutions”
You are an absolutely beautiful soul. I have been following you for years thanks in part to your ex husband. I also have a rare disease and left some comments on your old Instagram. I admire you for being a warrior and an honest person amidst the drama that Chris caused. He ruined something beautiful.
This has truly tarnished my thoughts about the company. What you have been through (and I know we only know a tiny sliver of what’s transpired) is nothing any wife should have to go through. I’m proud that you have reclaimed your life and I wish you and your children all the love and peace in the world.
Thank you so much. God has been so good throughout all of this. I hope you have a support system in your rare disease fight; I know what a challenge that can be. Regarding RS, as a company, they are made up of people, products, leaders, and culture and while this process has caused me to have serious concerns about their leaders and culture, and even their products to some extent, I know there are some wonderful people there whose desire it is to help others and serve Jesus. I still care about them and they are also on my mind when I speak up.
Thank you Melissa. I will be praying for you and your entire family. Much love to you!
BERNADETTE
Melissa,
I’m truly heartbroken for all those involved. I love the information and the tools that Ramesy Solutions offers.. I’m praying for all of you. All of you are children of Jesus Christ.
The devil is liar and he hates the establishment of marriage between a man and a woman. I rebuke him in the name of Jesus.
As a married woman being married for 20+ years, I know how hard it is to maintain balance in a marriage. Hurting people hurt people, I pray that the Lord Jesus Christ heals your mind, body, soul and your spirit. As believers it’s hard to understand why bad things happened to good people.
I’m praying for Chris too. Lord you know his heat and mind and you are the only one who can bring restoration and peace to this situation. I pray that this family Lord will become stronger and you will get the the glory from it. Can dry bones live again? Yes they can.
My Lord and Savior Can do all things. What is impossible for man is possible for God.
Lord, your word says that we should proclaim that we are strong in our weakness. I proclaim! Lord. Help this family during this time of difficulty.
The blood of Jesus cover all involved. Lord this situation belongs in your hands.
The word should be heart and mind
You are so amazing. I am hopeful for Ramsey repentance also as learning of this hurt how I felt about Dave Ramsey. Dave has done well of sharing his past mistakes to the benefit of millions of other people and I hope this situation can be no exception to that. Appreciate how you have taken the high road and done what is best and sorry for the pain you have had over this.
Thank you for your kind words. My hope has always been for repentance as well.
Be well Melissa. Stay strong for your beautiful children.
Thank you Jovan. My strength comes from the Lord.
I keep you and your sweet sons in my prayers. My whole image of Dave Ramsey has changed learning all you went through. You are strong Melissa and I know you keep your head held high. God is watching over you!!!
Hi Kelley! I know your own walk is challenging in its own ways. Thank you so much for staying in touch. I would love to catch lunch when covid is over.
Wishing you peace and light, Melissa. Your strength has impressed me ever since you served as one of the Nashville Nine in 2000.
Thank you Tom. It is good to hear from you. I hope you are well.
Melissa,thank you for your testimony and clarity. Countless hearts are grieved in hearing this small glimpse of what you have been through, and many appreciate your sharing your story. We cannot understand the depth of your pain, but know you are in the thoughts and prayers of people who will never know you. Stay strong in heart and faith. You are a special person. God bless.
I appreciate your kind words and even more so, your prayers.
Praying for you and your family including your Ex husband.
Stand tall, Melissa. From your initial statement and this update it is clear that you’re a solid Woman of God and He alone will get you through this. I wasn’t aware of you until today (Youtube, enough said) however I’m moved by how you’re standing in this trial. All the best to you from London, Marie.
God has been so faithful throughout this entire process and my life. It is me who still often fails him. I am humbled that he continues to carry me, day after day.
Hi Melissa this is a Melissa also. I know it was tough initially. A feeling back then of is this real or am I imagining it… too bad it was not imagined, of how some people who do not tell you what you need to hear at the time, can make you feel as if your so alone.
A lot of people saddly to say go through this when the strength should have came from those who were hiding the truth from you should have gave you the strength to help you through. Also comes the feeling of having those whom you should have been able to trust to come forward at the time instead of letting things linger thinking it would change somehow.
When alone and your mind is unoccupied glimpses of the past can creep up and then you get this uhuh thought and feel down like you had blinders on before and wanted to believe and trust in what was not real for the sake of love. I have been there. It took a lot of time to forgive my self for being a fool. It happened one day when I finally discovered that it was not me who was the fool. I trusted when I should have, I believed when I should have and loved when I should have and had nothing to forgive myself for. But then came the thoughts of how I could have believed trusted and loved, then I knew I was being hard on myself. Why do a lot of us self blame? I know why it is because our hearts still want to love, believe and trust.
I have a hard time with most of these things but one thing is for sure. I know my Lord is with me and I am not ever alone. I can love believe and trust in HIM today tomorrow and always.
Melissa,
Thank you for sharing your side of the story. I’ve been following Chris particularly for the last year, and was shocked to see all this.
I’m glad you’ve at least been able to share your side of the story, and expose how twisted the Ramsay cult is. While the financial advice is good, it seems the leadership absolutely isn’t.
I’m thankful that, while I’m no longer subscribed to anything connected to them, I’ve at least found you to replace them with.
You are so kind. I truly wish no ill will to the people at RS, and in fact, care deeply about many of them. But I also believe that sunlight is the best disinfectant (Justice Brandeis).
“sunlight is the best disinfectant”. Beautiful!!
Hi Melissa, I just learned of you today and the heavy hardships you have had to endure. I am happy for you that this is out in the open. My mom lived with abuse for many years and hid it, which only made her physically ill.
It appears your perseverance and focus on the love you have for your boys is winning. Keep taking good care of YOURSELF and your beautiful boys.
Wendy
Keep staying close to Christ. Those of us who have lived here for 15+ years know this local Christian drill. We have too many walking wounded Christians here that were wounded by other Christians inside and outside the church. It’s at best, arrogance, at worst, false and cloaked shepherds and teachings. God is with you and is near to the broken-hearted. This is just the tip of many icebergs there as well as much pride coming before a fall. When grace ceases to be given by those that need it most, you know God isn’t truly in their hearts like He should be. And that’s really the heart of this matter is hearts.
Thank you for your words. The reality of “wounded resisters” from A Church Called TOV (McKnight/Barringer) is so true, as it appears you know.
Praying for safety & comfort for you and your children (and that you all will still be able to have health coverage, especially your little one with extra needs).
Thank you so much. Prayers are definitely appreciated.
Bless you brave woman.
Thank you Patricia.
You are in my thoughts and prayers as are your handsome boys. I am so sorry for all you have gone through.
Thank you Joni. What man intends for evil, God uses for good – I’ve seen the truth of this more in the last few years than ever before.
You see Dave didn’t fire him because he was going to spin the narrative to sell books (on restoring marriages). So sad for you and your family. I would assume the statement was white washed so give Chris some grace on that. Hopefully the Lord will rip the pride right out of him and he will take ownership of his mistakes. God Bless you and your family.
I don’t purport to understand their thinking, but I know God’s calling is higher than man’s. My prayer continues for heartfelt repentance.
I have read that Ramsey Solutions gives you a second chance after you screw up to make things right and walk closer with the Lord but the second time gets you fired. They didnt fire Chris the first time and gave him a chance. Im wondering if he lost his way again. Praying for you both.
I can’t speak for the reasoning behind RS’s decisions; my call has just been to speak the truth, as God prompts. Thank you for your prayers. They are much appreciated.
I mean, they sure didn’t give the woman who got pregnant out of wedlock a second chance…
Unless you work for the company or know her personally, that is purely your opinion. Do you have personal knowledge of what transpired during her 4 year employment?
yes, we all do. It’s in public court filings…! The ramsey team isn’t disputing that she was fired purely because she had premarital sex.
Are you sure they didnt give her a second chance. She may have been reprimanded once already and then got pregnant.
My request is made with all due respect as to the incredibly delicate nature of this case and all involved. As a Christian, I am only interested in the truth as I ask this question. This is an open and shut case against Ramsey Solutions and Chris if there is documented evidence of Chris’s admission to extra-marital affairs. Is such documentation available publicly? If so, where would I find it? Thanks so much for your openness and transparency, Melissa. You all are sincerely in our prayers. – Brad
I think the articles offer answers to your questions. Thank you for your prayers.
Praying for recovery or God’s will for your son and for all three as they have to deal with this too. Prayers for you Melissa; was disappointed in how you were treated and how it was made like YOU were the bad one. Praying for Chris to repent and let God heal his life. Chris is an inspiration to many, but even the best of the best have to watch because Satan is laying wait to bring them down. Sorry for the hurt and pain you had to deal with and still do. Marriage may have ended, but you will always share the boys. Would be great if Chris allowed God to restore his relationship with them and use it as a learning lesson for them and others. ONLY by God’s grace do any of us not get caught in Satan’s web; we all sin and fail, but normally our sin does not carry as much pain to others as this one has done. Stay strong and stay close to God; He can get us through anything as long as we lean on and depend on him. Never met you, but have met Chris and regardless of what happens, God is still God and His love for us is never wavering. Sometimes we all have to hit our pig pen before we wake up or come to our senses. Our marriage was almost to the end when I found Dave. It was through his teaching we were able to get on his plan when we renewed our vows and worked it hard. My 25th anniversary gifts to her were a trip to her favorite beach (which we now own a cash paid for house at and frequent regularly), trip to Hawaii and check to pay off our primary house less than 9 years into the 15 yr loan. Never borrowed or been back in debt since and it was because of finding Dave and following his teaching. I pray God does a work in Dave’s heart too. Far to easy to ride the high horse and let our pride turn us into something we really are not. I hope through this, Dave realizes we are all human, but if he is going to run on core values, Chris, his own daughter or himself should live and die by those.
Thank you for your prayers. I am glad the work of RS has helped you and positively impacted your marriage. I do think it’s important not to ignore (and I’m not suggesting that you are) that they have also greatly harmed many people. I think too much in Christian circles we offer the “but look at all the good they do” rationale, but that is what can allow deception and abuse to continue unchecked (such as in the case of Ravi Zacharias and Bill Hybels). Better that we realize that the world and people are complex and that sadly, sometimes people can be helpful to some at the same time they are incredibly harmful to others, which makes transparency and accountability all the more important. Your comment seems to realize that. Thank you for reaching out.
My heart goes out to Melissa, dear sweet girl. Part of our current Christian state of affairs is the “bro” culture where all the pastors buddy up and try to prevent the sin of a buddy to be revealed, and when revealed, to talk about counseling and restoration. The fact that you and your husband were both asked to go to counseling is really annoying, it’s as if they are saying you are both responsible for his sin. Praying for strength and hope for you and your kids.
While I do believe that personal therapy by a trained, licensed, and experienced therapist offers benefit to almost everyone (and certainly has for me), as it appears you recognize, there are definitely situations where marriage counseling is not an appropriate recommendation, much less by an employer, much less required by an employer, much less with violations of confidentiality required by an employer.
You are right. It should never be an employers business to get involved in an employees personal life. A company based on Christian values is caught between a rock and a hard place I would think. You dont want to employee someone that acts like that and still represents your company. Maybe a zero tolerance policy would work better for the company. I am not trying to defend anyone here. Chris Hogan wasnt my favorite guy on the show anyway, clearly he did some bad things and is no longer there.
I’ll be the first to say I don’t have all the answers here. The longer I live, the more I’ve found that following Jesus is walking in the gray zone, staying deeply connected to him, seeking wisdom and discernment for answers. I think the more we say things need to be completely black and white, we fall into the legalism and dependence on self and our rules and actions for all the answers. I acknowledge that is a difficult path for an employer and I don’t wish RS or my ex-husband ill will. I just do my best to speak when and how God calls me to speak.
I came across this news from another youtube feed this morning about your ex-husband. This is scripturally criminal…really. Why is it that while he was doing all this AND Dave Ramsey knew about it…He was still on the show etc????Your picture (blood on the hands) is so correct. I am so sorry that Dave Ramsey and team ( I have just unsubscribed from his youtube channel) felt a book tour (money) was more important than your marriage and healing from the hurt that has come from the affairs ( or just one affair) whichever its hurtful. As an African American, I’m glad that it’s not racism but as a woman, this is pure sexism at its best. And again I am so sorry that you have had to endure this pain for so long…I pray the Lord brings you a true Man of God ( in His timing) but still…this kinda stuff can “wear” on the brain and make you feel like you are at fault, and play games with your worth. I pray you have a great support group and an apology from Dave Ramsey personally…Not everybody can handle power…they forget who they are….Anyway you need to take “pen to paper” and write about your experience…as other women have …It will be sure to minister to others going through the same thing but who may have alot less support.
I agree with your statements 💯. Prayers for Melissa and her sons. Something about Chris Hogan & Dave’s dialogue always disturbed me. Too much “bro” culture.
I’ve been a fan of Chris for years. It’s super sobering to learn of the wrongdoings of those you look up to. Chris is a good teacher but also a broken man. Praying for repentance and restoration. Thanks for your courage and God bless you.
Wow! I am so surprised at how RS handled this situation. It’s actually a disappointment, and I unsubscribed from all of his podcasts, YouTube, IG, FB, etc. As an HR professional, there are certain things you cannot dictate in an organization, especially one that size. While I don’t condone your ex-husband’s actions, the firings that have occurred there are shocking and I’m surprised I haven’t heard about more lawsuits. There’s probably some shut-up money being passed around. Blessings to you and your boys. I never realized you had a blog, but I am looking forward to reading it now.
Thank you so much for being so brave. I have been following Dave Ramsey for about a year now. I learned about your marital problems a while back, but just put blinders on thinking “I need his advice to get out of debt – lots of famous people are nice when performing and are a jerk backstage” and “I get my inspiration from his callers anyway.” Hearing your side of the story, his ranting about your personal life to his 800 employees and that horrendous email doxing the RNS reporter, has completely put me off him and his cult. I unsubscribed from his podcast and just added a whole bunch of others.
I wish you and your family all the best.
The handling of this very personal situation in your marriage, is the exact reason that so many injured spouses are afraid to speak up and seek help. I am so sorry that you were manipulated and belittled in your attempt to seek guidance and wisdom from those who were supposed to protect you and your family. I have always like the way that Chris spoke on the show and on his own show, but not knowing him personally, never saw what goes on “behind the scenes” so to speak. I hope that you, Chris, and your children get the healing that you all need (and it sounds like you are well on your way!). I also hope that the “team” at Ramsey Solutions can prayerfully repent of the harm that they have done to others. I would like to see company policy begin to be more supportive of their own hurting employees, especially since Dave is always so quick to jump to the defense of his single mother callers.
Dave Ramsey’s simping and white knighting for single moms is virtue signaling, obviously. He knows a huge part of his listening and subscribing demographic is singe moms who have made an absolute mess of their lives. If he was hard on them in public, the single moms and their simps would distance themselves from him, causing his empire to suffer financially and in the court of public opinion. I always figured Dave was a jerk, but not to this extent. From here forth, I trust ( through working the steps ) that the 7 step plan works well. It’s founders, however are obviously of poor moral fiber. I feel so bad for his ex and their kids. Hopefully everyone can heal and learn from all of this.
Thank you, Melissa for sharing your heart with us regarding Ramsey Solutions. As Christians, we need to hold our “leaders” accountable for their actions. I pray that Dave Ramsey and those working under his leadership and authority will do more than take note, but truly repent AND turn. The truth always wins, whether you’re a participant in it or not. Thanks for telling the truth.
oh friend.
I have been praying for you since I first heard of all of this a couple years ago. I too have walked this horrible road (now twice with the same ex-spouse) I am just so sorry that your private matters have wrongfully been aired all in such a public way, and have been handled so despicably by Ramsey. I hope that your church has handled it better than mine. Praying for you and your sweet boys always.
From one Christian sister to another, I am praying for you. Thank you for reflecting Christ.
I am so very sorry to hear what you and your family are going through. You are a class act and I wish you peace as you walk this very difficult journey. Thank you for all you do to help children and others through this life. And I am proud of you for speaking up!
Melissa, I can’t imagine how difficult this must be. I am so sorry that this happened to you. Thank you for being so brave and speaking truth.
Melissa, prayers to you for strength. Unfortunately, I have been on your side of infidelity. It hurts so much and it hurts even more when the other party acts like they don’t see the pain they have caused. I am thankful my situation was not in the public eye. My thoughts are with you and your family. May God give you strength and wisdom during this difficult time. Know that someday this will be behind you and you can begin to trust people again.
Hi Melissa, I worked at DR for four years and interacted with Chris a few times, I once heard him preach the gospel during Entre and told him great job, I also remember his story about Big Pop and the rocking chair and it makes me very sad for your family, God’s grace is the only answer, praying for your family to trust and rest in the cross.
How is the medical insurance situation for you and your son? Do you need to set up a GiveSendGo account for others to help?