MinistryWatch Podcast

You’ve probably heard that you should achieve balance in your life. Perhaps you’ve heard the old saying that “No one ever said on their death-bed that they wish they had spent more time at the office.” Maybe you’ve read the popular Christian book “Half-Time” by Bob Buford, in which he said you should reach a place in your career in which you pivot from “success to significance.” My guest today, David Bahnsen, doesn’t think much of this conventional wisdom. He says it’s not biblical, it won’t lead to joy in life, and it inadvertently perpetuates many of the problems of modern and post-modern life. He’s written a new book about these ideas called “Full-Time: Work and the Meaning of Life.” We discuss this book on today’s program. A quick note about David himself. He is the founder, managing partner, and chief investment officer of The Bahnsen Group, a national private wealth management firm with offices in California, New York, and elsewhere around the country. His firm manages $5 billion in client assets. He has also written other books, including “Crisis of Responsibility: Our Cultural Addiction to Blame and How You Can Cure It.” His new book is “Full Time: Work and the Meaning of Life.” And, as you just heard, it’s a book I heartily recommend. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. We get database, technical, editorial, and other support from Casey Sudduth, Stephen duBarry, Christina Darnell, and Kim Roberts. I hope you’ll join me and Natasha Cowden for our roundup of the stories we’ve been working on this week here at MinistryWatch. Until then, may God bless you.

On today’s program, North Carolina Pastor Bruce Frank is joining the crowded Southern Baptist Convention presidential race. Frank was a former leader of the SBC’s abuse task force. We’ll have details. And, Bishop TD Jakes is mentioned in a lawsuit against music mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs—though the lawsuit does not accuse the bishop of wrongdoing. We’ll take a look. Also, another Christian college is closing its doors. But first, North Carolina’s Pursuit Church announced this week that it fired its lead pastor over sexual misconduct. I want to remind everyone that we’re offering an important new book this month to everyone who donates to MinistryWatch. It’s called “How I Lost $1,500,000 in Missions” by John Addink. If you are a donor to foreign missions projects, a ministry leader of a missions organization, or perhaps a pastor who supports missionaries, you should read this book. We’ll send it to you absolutely free, as our thank you, for a gift of any size to MinistryWatch this month. Just go to MinistryWatch.com and hit the donate button at the top of the page. The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and 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 Jessica Eturralde, Bob Smietana, Bethany Starin, Kim Roberts, Brittany Smith, and Christina Darnell. Until next time, may God bless you.

Andrew Peterson is, as the old saying goes, a “man of many parts.” I first discovered Andrew’s music in the late 1990s, when his song “Nothing to Say” first became a favorite – and it still is. I began following his musical career and quickly discovered that he had more on his mind that music. He was building a community of artists in Nashville that were slowly making something great. Musicians such as Ben Shive, Sandra McCracken, Jill Phillips, Andy Gullahorn, Andrew Osenga, and many others started collaborating on each other’s projects. Many of them became a part of Andrew’s annual “Behold The Lamb of God” tour, which has become an annual Christmas tradition for many of us. An Easter tour, called “Resurrection Letters,” just finished a 15-city run. In fact, I got to see it and hang out with Andrew here in North Carolina near the end of that tour last week. Andrew Peterson’s creative energy has other outlets, too. His Wingfeather Saga books have sold more than a million copies, and it’s now an animated series. The second season drops this week. He also founded a non-profit organization called The Rabbit Room, with his brother Pete Peterson, a fine writer himself. The Rabbit Room hosts events and concerts and now has a headquarters in Nashville, called Northwind Manor, which has become a gathering place and work space for writers and artists of all kinds. We talk about all of this and a lot more in this conversation I had with Andrew Peterson last week via zoom. Though we covered a lot of territory in this interview, the “breaking news” here, as we say in the world of journalism, is that Season Two of the Wingfeather Saga just dropped from Angel Studios. If you get a chance, check it out. The producer of today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. Here at MinistryWatch we get technical, editorial, and database support from Christina Darnell, Kim Roberts, Rod Pitzer, Casey Sudduth, and Stephen duBarry. And in the spirit of Andrew Peterson’s Resurrection Letters, let me mention that Easter is not a day, but a season, so let me wish you a happy and joyous Easter season, and – until we meet again with Natasha Cowden on Friday for our weekly news round-up…May God Bless You!

On today’s program, an Arizona church is fighting to continue its food pantry ministry—but city zoning regulations threaten to shut it down. We’ll have details.  Also, the rise in crypto currency is forcing nonprofits to consider the pros and cons of taking crypto donations. We’ll take a look. And, the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability announces a new leadership standard. But first, Adam Greenway is suing the Southern Baptist seminary he once led. Lawyers for Adam Greenway, who resigned as president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in September 2022, alleged in a complaint filed Wednesday (March 20) that the school and the chair of its trustee board defamed Greenway, violated the terms of a non-disparagement agreement and made him “unemployable.” Greenway’s attorney had previously sent the school a demand letter for $5 million to settle the dispute. The school denies any wrongdoing.  FINAL THOUGHTS: Next week I’m headed to the True Charity Conference in Springfield Missouri. If you plan to be at that event, please send me and email and I’d love to connect. I also want to remind everyone that we’re offering an important new book this month to everyone who donates to MinistryWatch. It’s called “End The Reign of Pain – Identifying and Treating Toxic Leadership. It’s by Rickardo Bodden, and we’ll send it to you absolutely free, as our thank you, for a gift of any size to MinistryWatch this month. That means we have just a few days before this offer ends. Just go to MinistryWatch.com and hit the donate button at the top of the page. A Few Thank-Yous:  The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and 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, Tony Mator, Kim Roberts, Brittany Smith, Jessica Eturralde, and Bethany Starin. Until next time, may God bless you and Happy Easter. He is Risen. He is Risen Indeed!

This week, the podcast highlights how the lessons of Lent and Holy Week can inform the way we lead and give in this post-modern age. To read a written version of today’s podcast episode, click here. The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and Jeff McIntosh. Until next time, Happy Easter. Christ is Risen. He is Risen Indeed!

On today’s program, another person has sued the Assemblies of God and the denomination’s college ministry Chi Alpha. The victim, who is blind, claims he was sexually abused by one of the Chi Alpha leaders over the span of five years. We’ll have details. Also, Christians are often among the first to give to humanitarian aid nonprofits when a crisis hits—but where does the money go? We talked with some of the biggest ministries, like Samaritan’s Purse and World Vision, to find out. And, Compassion International reclassified itself as an association of church with the IRS—meaning they no longer release public form 990s. We’ll look deeper into what that means. But first, a legal victory for Child Evangelism Fellowship after their Good News Clubs were kicked out of public schools in Providence, Rhode Island last year. FINAL WORDS:  I also want to remind everyone that we’re offering an important new book this month to everyone who donates to MinistryWatch. It’s called “End The Reign of Pain – Identifying and Treating Toxic Leadership. It’s by Rickardo Bodden, and we’ll send it to you absolutely free, as our thank you, for a gift of any size to MinistryWatch this month. Just go to MinistryWatch.com and hit the DONATE button at the top of the page. The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and 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 Kim Roberts, Daniel Ritchie, Shannon Cuthrell, Clemente Lisi, Tony Mator, Eric Obernauer, Brittany Smith, and Christina Darnell. Special thanks to Religion UnPlugged and The NonProfit Times for contributing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.

Leadership books have become a dime-a-dozen. But books that combine rigorous academic research, boots-on-the-ground leadership experience, and an understanding of scripture and church and ministry dynamics…well, those books are rare indeed. But that’s what we have in a new book called “End The Reign of Pain: Identifying and Treating Toxic Leadership.” In this book, by Dr. Rickardo Bodden unpacks what toxic leadership is, what causes it, and how toxic leaders can de-tox and how churches and other organizations can keep themselves from becoming an incubator for toxic leaders. Rickardo Bodden is a pastor in the Washington, D.C., area, is a retired Air Force officer, and holds a doctorate in strategic leadership. His previous book is “Leadership in the Age of Narcissism.” By the way, I hope you will stay tuned to the end of the program. Rikkardo Bodden’s book is our donor premium for the month of March, and at the close of the show I’ll share with you how you can get a copy of Dr. Bodden’s book for yourself. For how, though, I hope you enjoy my conversation with Dr. Rikkardo Bodden. INTERVIEW Thanks for hanging out with me to hear my conversation with Rikkardo Bodden. As I mentioned at the top of the program, we’d like to put a copy of his book, “End The Reign of Pain: Identifying and Treating Toxic Leadership,” in your hands. Its our thank-you gift for the month of March to anyone who gives a financial gift to MinistryWatch. To make a gift, just go to MinistryWatch.com and hit the DONATE button at the top of the page. We’ll get that book in the mail to you ASAP, usually in a couple of days. The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and Jeff McIntosh. We get database, technical, editorial, and moral support from Christina Darnell, Kim Roberts, Stephen DuBarry, Casey Sudduth, and others. I hope you’ll join me and Natasha Cowden on Friday for our weekly roundup of news. Until then, may God bless you!

This podcast discusses the closure of the American Bible Society museum, Texas church wildfire relief efforts, Trinity International University program cuts, and a partnership between Dream City Church and Turning Point USA for a unique event. Topics also include financial struggles, collaboration with missions, legal challenges, toxic leadership, cryptocurrency donations, and impactful ministries.

In the early 1950s, war had left tens of thousands of orphans in South Korea. Everett Swanson arrived there to preach the Gospel to the troops there, but he was overcome by the starving children, and he faced the question, “What are you going to do?” That question compelled Everett Swanson to start an organization that became Compassion International, now one of the largest orphan care organizations on the planet. Compassion now cares for more than 2 million children around the world. That question – “What Are You Going To Do?” – is also the name of a new book about Everett Swanson’s life. That book is by Eric Wilson and my guest today, Matt Bronleewe. Some of you may know Matt Bronleewe’s name because he was a founder of the well-known Christian rock group Jars of Clay. After leaving the group, Matt has gone on to have a successful career as a songwriter and producer, and he is now producing his first feature film. I had this conversation with Matt Bronleewe at the recent meeting of the National Religious Broadcasters in Nashville. We began by talking about WHY he wanted to write this book. His new book is “What Are You Going To Do? The Inspiring Story of Everett Swanson and the founding of Compassion International.” I had this conversation with him at the annual meeting of the National Religious Broadcasters in Nashville. The producers for today’s program are Jeff McIntosh and Rich Roszel. We had technical, database, and editorial support from Casey Sudduth, Kim Roberts, and Christina Darnell. Until next time, may God bless you.

On today’s program, Liberty University faces a record-breaking $14 million fine from the Department of Education. We’ll have details. Also, Dream City Church in Arizona partners with Turning Point USA to host a politically flavored conference for ministry leaders. Featured speakers included Eric Metaxas, Sean Feucht, and Jentezen Franklin. We’ll take a look. And, later in the program, Wycliffe Bible Translators is selling its Florida headquarters. We begin today with a look at Lifeway Christian Resources…the Nashville-based Southern Baptist entity hit a financial low in 2020…but seems to be making a comeback. FINAL THOUGHTS: I was in Texas this week meeting with donors and supporters of MinistryWatch. It was a great visit. Thanks to those of you who showed up for these events. I’ll be home for a few weeks, but in April I’m headed to the True Charity Conference in Springfield Missouri. If you plan to be at that event, please send me and email and I’d love to connect. I also want to remind everyone that we’re offering an important new book this month to everyone who donates to MinistryWatch. It’s called “End The Reign of Pain – Identifying and Treating Toxic Leadership.” It’s by Rickardo Bodden, and we’ll send it to you absolutely free, as our thank you, for a gift of any size to MinistryWatch this month. Just go to MinistryWatch.com and hit the donate button at the top of the page. The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and 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 Tony Mator, Magdalena Rojo, Steve Rabey, Kim Roberts, Brittany Smith, Zach Rivas, Christina Darnell—and you, Warren. Special thanks to Religion UnPlugged for contributing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.