Ep. 376: The SBC’s Reversal on Brent Leatherwood, First Baptist Dallas, Life Surge Conferences

On today’s program, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission—the public policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention—fired its president Brent Leatherwood this week…then less than 12 hours later reversed course and said he was NOT fired. We’ll have details.

Also, Life Surge wealth conferences draw big audiences with its celebrity speaker lineup and wealth-building tools…we’re taking a closer look to see if it’s delivering on its promises. And, New York Theological Seminary closed its doors earlier this month—famous alumni include religious broadcaster Pat Robertson and author of the Message, Eugene Peterson.

But first, the historic sanctuary of First Baptist Dallas, was engulfed in flames last week.

The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh.  We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Bob Smietana, John Stonestreet, Timothy Padgett, Kim Roberts, Aaron Earls, Brittany Smith, and Christina Darnell.

A special thanks to Breakpoint and Lifeway Research for contributing material for this week’s podcast.

Until next time, may God bless you.

COMPLETE MANUSCRIPT BELOW:

FIRST SEGMENT

 

Warren

Hello everybody. I’m Warren Smith, coming to you from Charlotte, North Carolina.

Natasha 

And I’m Natasha Cowden, coming to you from Denver, Colorado. And we’d like to welcome you to the MinistryWatch podcast.

Warren

On today’s program, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission—the public policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention—fired its president Brent Leatherwood this week…then less than 12 hours later reversed course and said he was NOT fired. We’ll have details.

Also, Life Surge wealth conferences draw big audiences with its celebrity speaker lineup and wealth-building tools…we’re taking a closer look to see if it’s delivering on its promises.

And, New York Theological Seminary closed its doors earlier this month—famous alumni include religious broadcaster Pat Robertson and author of the Message, Eugene Peterson.

Natasha

But first, the historic sanctuary of First Baptist Dallas, was engulfed in flames last week.

Warren:

A fire all but destroyed the historic church sanctuary at First Baptist Dallas, thankfully there were no deaths or injuries.

The fire in the Texas Historic Landmark, church built in 1890, was reported about 6:30 p.m. Friday, and contained about three hours later.

Natasha:

Do we know what started the fire?

Warren:

Interim Fire Chief Justin Ball said the fire started in the basement, but until they do an investigation we won’t know.

Senior Pastor Robert Jeffress said, “We are grateful that no one was injured…We just had 2,000 children and volunteers on campus for Vacation Bible School earlier in the day.”

“We thank the Dallas Fire Department and Dallas Police Department for their quick action, courage, and ongoing aid,” Jeffress added.

Natasha:

Next, the SBC reverses course.

Warren:

In a head-scratching turn of events, the executive board of the Southern Baptist Convention’s public policy arm now says its leader has not been fired.

On Monday evening (July 22), the SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission announced Brent Leatherwood, the group’s president, had been fired — a day after he praised President Joe Biden for ending his reelection bid.

Less than 12 hours later, the ERLC’s executive committee issued a new statement on Tuesday, saying Leatherwood would remain in leadership.

Natasha:

What happened?

Warren:

The committee said ERLC board chair Kevin Smith had acted on his own in announcing that Leatherwood was fired. Smith, a former seminary professor and denominational administrator who currently pastors a church in Florida, has resigned as ERLC chair, according to the statement.

“There was not an authorized meeting, vote, or action taken by the Executive Committee,” the executive committee’s statement said.

Smith, who has served on the ERLC board since 2018, was elected chair last fall.

Natasha:

Do we know any why this happened?

Warren:

Not specifically.

Leatherwood has been criticized for opposing legislation backed by Ascol and other members of the abortion abolition movement that would have jailed women who have abortions. More recently, Leatherwood criticized the GOP for dropping pro-life language from its 2024 platform.

Leatherwood also called for gun law reforms after a shooting in March 2023 at a Nashville Christian school where his children were students.

He did not respond to requests for comment.  Leatherwood did post his thanks on social media.

“I deeply appreciate everyone who has reached out, especially our trustees who were absolutely bewildered at what took place yesterday and jumped in to set the record straight,” Leatherwood wrote Tuesday morning on X.

Natasha

Let’s move on to our next story.

Warren:

A major American denomination could soon make “affirming” LGBTQ ideology mandatory for clergy.

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (PCUSA) voted nearly two to one to effectively require candidates for ministry to endorse homosexuality and related practices if they wish to be ordained. Though the motion still must be approved by the various presbyteries around the nation, given the strong showing at the national level and the denomination’s high marks from pro-LGBTQ groups, it will likely be made official.

Natasha:

This story has some really interesting background we can’t get into here, but can you briefly explain how we got here?

Warren:

To paraphrase Archbishop Charles Chaput, progressivism preaches tolerance until it is dominant, then it tries to silence orthodoxy. Lacking fixed standards by which to judge truth, other than an ill-defined sense of relevance and progress, the rootless ideologies of postmodernism inevitably lock in on suppressing dissent.

Natasha

Warren, let’s take a quick break. When we return, Life Surge wealth conferences promise tools to build wealth for kingdom impact…but is it delivering on those promises?

I’m Natasha Cowden, along with my co-host Warren Smith, and we’ll have that story and much more, after this short break.

BREAK

SECOND SEGMENT

Natasha

Welcome back.  I’m Natasha Cowden, along with my co-host Warren Smith, and you’re listening to the MinistryWatch podcast.

Next, the story we promised before the break, thousands of Christians are attending Life Surge events across the country, drawn in by its featured Christian speakers and musical artists, such as Priscilla Shirer, Tim Tebow, and Chris Tomlin.

Warren:

Besides faith leaders, attendees may be drawn by a well-known lineup of TV personalities, including Robert Herjavec from Shark Tank and Marcus Lemonis from The Profit.

Life Surge is a Christian wealth conference headquartered in Palmetto, Fla. It is not a ministry, but a for-profit limited liability company.

It advertises itself as an event where attendees can “learn why and how to create and multiply financial resources for kingdom impact.”

Natasha:

Is it doing that successfully?

Warren:

About the conference he attended at Church on the Rock in St. Peters, Missouri, in August 2023, Adam S. said he did not “believe the intent of the conference was [to] teach financial principles” but instead to draw attendees in as a “sales funnel” for other classes and products related to stock options trading and real estate investing.

The classes were offered for an extra price of $97, according to Adam.

Natasha:

Why does Life Surge do what they do?

Warren:

Life Surge was founded by Joe Johnson, who calls himself a serial entrepreneur. He told Startup Magazine that “there’s the biblical commandment to be fruitful and multiply, fill the Earth, but we use that in a business setting that we want to be fruitful as individuals.

Life Surge did not respond to multiple emails requesting more information about the purpose of the conferences, its growth, and its benefits to those who attend. Nor did it reply to a phone message before time of publication.

Natasha:

Our next story involves a small Christian College in South Carolina.

Warren:

Erskine College is associated with the Associate Reformed Presbyterian denomination. It’s faced financial challenges in recent years, and has filed a lawsuit in a South Carolina state court against Icelaven Development Group for failing to repay a $1 million loan.

According to reporting by The Herald, Icelaven is the parent company of Reason and Republic, a for-profit charter school management company in South Carolina founded in 2017.

Icelaven defaulted on payments it should have made on the promissory note, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit did not state the purpose of the loan.

Natasha:

What’s the history behind this?

Warren:

In 2017, Erskine College founded the Charter Institute at Erskine to authorize charter schools.

According to the Charter Institute’s website, it has authorized 25 schools. Until recently, Reason and Republic operated three of those charter schools

Since 2022, Erskine has faced accreditation issues due to financial concerns. According to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), Erskine College is still accredited but was denied reaffirmation of its accreditation and placed on warning due to issues with financial resources and financial responsibility.

Natasha:

What did the school have to say about that?

Warren:

About the accreditation warning, Erskine told MinistryWatch it “has demonstrated improvement in fiscal oversight, financial management, and availability of financial resources.”

In an open letter, Erskine President Steven Adamson said the school projected finishing the 2023-24 school year with the “most robust combined financial results in over 25 years.”

He said the college expected to see an operational surplus for the first time in 10 years and an increase in revenue of 17% from the previous year, even with no tuition increase.

According to its most recent IRS Form 990 for fiscal year ending in June 2023, Erskine College showed $3 million more in expenses than in revenue.

Natasha:

What about the lawsuit?

Warren:

The college declined to comment about the lawsuit against Icelaven, but said it is not related to the accreditation issues.

In the MinistryWatch database, Erskine College earns a five-star financial efficiency rating, a “C” transparency grade, and a donor confidence score of 70.

Natasha:

Next, a church has closed in Illinois.

Warren:

In its 156 years of existence,  First Baptist Church survived a tornado, church schisms and a pair of worldwide pandemics in its more than a century and a half of ministry in this small Southern Illinois town, about an hour east of St. Louis.

Ryan Burge, pastor of First Baptist, told his congregation on Sunday (July 21) as they gathered for the church’s final worship service, reading from the book of Ecclesiastes. ““There is a time for everything, A time for birth and a time for death. A time to build up and a time to tear down.”

Natasha:

Why is the church closing?

Warren:

It was a decision that followed years of slow decline.

In the late 1990s, the church had about 170 members, down from more than 600 members in the 1960s. By the mid-aughts, when Burge arrived as a 20-something pastor, the church had about 50 members. At closing, there were fewer than 20.

Gail Farnham, who as moderator at First Baptist led the meeting’s vote, said small churches like First Baptist are stuck in a dilemma. They can’t attract people with the same kinds of programs that larger churches offer. As a congregation ages, most of the people they know, if they are interested in going to church, already have a place to worship.

Natasha:

This trend will impact many other churches.

Warren:

That’s right. Tens of thousands of local congregations like First Baptist are likely to close over the next few decades if current trends continue. Their passing will go unnoticed, said Burge, a political science professor at Eastern Illinois University who studies the changing religious landscape.

In his last sermon, Burge recounted when a friend told him that First Baptist was lucky to have him as pastor. But his friend was wrong, said Burge, adding that he and his family had received more than they gave in the love and kindness of church members.

Natasha

Warren, we’re going to take another break.  When we return, our lightning round of ministry news of the week.

I’m Natasha Cowden, with my co-host Warren Smith. More in a moment.

BREAK

THIRD SEGMENT

Natasha

Welcome back.  I’m Natasha Cowden, with my co-host Warren Smith and you’re listening to the MinistryWatch Podcast.

Warren, we like to use this last segment as a sort of lightning round of shorter news briefs.

What’s up first?

Warren

New York Theological Seminary (NYTS) in Manhattan has closed its doors, effective July 1, 2024.

According to the New York State Education Department, the seminary’s board of trustees voted to close the institution on February 22, 2024. Instruction ended in June and transcript requests can be processed through the end of July.

NYTS began in 1900 in New Jersey as Bible Teacher’s College, but it moved to New York City two years later. In 1965, it took the name it bore until its closing.

Natasha

Well-known alumni include pastor and Message author Eugene Peterson and religious broadcaster Pat Robertson.

The school’s accreditation was withdrawn as of June 21, 2024, according to a letter written by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) Commission in Accrediting because they didn’t have sufficient and stable financial resources to achieve its mission with educational quality and financial sustainability.”

Natasha:

What’s next?

Warren:

According to the 2023 Annual Church Profile (ACP), Almost 3 in 5 congregations affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention (58%) use background checks. More than a third (36%) are trained in reporting sexual abuse, while 16% are trained in caring for survivors.

Since 2023, churches conducting background checks through Lifeway One Source have performed more than 36,000 screenings, 12% of which returned some type of crime. Most (53%) were misdemeanors, but 35% included felonies.

Natasha:

What about Abuse training?

Warren:

Around a third (36%) say their congregation has been trained on how to report sexual abuse. The largest congregations, those with 250 or more in worship services, are the most likely to say they’ve been trained (70%), while the smallest, those with 50 or fewer, are the least likely (24%).

Natasha

Who is in our Ministry Spotlight this week?

Warren

The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability’s (ECFA) Donor Confidence Score has fallen to 43 in the MinistryWatch database—a “Give with Caution” designation. The organization, which offers accreditation and resources to churches and ministries, no longer files its Form 990 with the IRS.

In 2019, the ECFA set a new example for its members. It joined a growing number of organizations and ministries that have petitioned the IRS to be reclassified as an “association of churches.”

Under a “church” classification, a ministry is not required to file or post its Form 990s. The forms provide important information for donors, including: top employee salaries, yearly revenue and the amount of money an organization spends on its core programming.

While the ECFA does voluntarily prepare the form and make its Form 990s available on its website, many of its member organizations with the same distinction do not, and are not required to. That means accountability groups like ProPublica and MinistryWatch are not notified of yearly financial changes within the organization.

According to its 2023 990, the ECFA had a total revenue of $7.7 million, and its total expenses were $5.5 million.

Natasha

And who did Christina highlight in her roundup of Ministries Making a Difference?

Warren

Hope Bargain Center Eau Claire, Hope Gospel Mission’s flagship thrift store in west central Wisconsin, has become a destination shopping spot with its cleverly designed displays that feature everything from an Esteban/Chevy guitar, Timberland shoes, and old west themes to Fourth of July and summer hats. Proceeds from its sales benefit the Mission, which provides food, shelter and clothes to homeless people and facilitates addiction recovery programs. Hope Gospel Mission has 4 stars and an “A” transparency grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a donor confidence score of 98.

The Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) has announced its 8th president, Dr. David A. Hoag. “Dr. Hoag brings 35+ years of experience serving & leading #ChristianHigherEd institutions. We are humbled & honored that the Lord has called him to be our next president,” CCCU said on X, formerly Twitter. CCCU has 1 star and an “A” transparency grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a donor confidence score of 70.

Natasha

Warren, any final thoughts before we go?

Warren

Ad Lib Year-End Giving RESULTS.

California, Colorado, New Mexico

Natasha

The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh.  We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Bob Smietana, John Stonestreet, Timothy Padgett, Kim Roberts, Aaron Earls, Brittany Smith, and Christina Darnell.

A special thanks to Breakpoint and Lifeway Research for contributing material for this week’s podcast.

I’m Natasha Cowden, in Denver, Colorado.

Warren

And I’m Warren Smith in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Natasha

You’ve been listening to the MinistryWatch podcast.  Until next time, may God bless you.