MinistryWatch Podcast

Regular readers of MinistryWatch (or listeners to this podcast) likely already appreciate the value of hard-hitting, truth-seeking journalism. But in this episode, MinistryWatch President Warren Smith goes deep into this topic with Christianity Today’s News Editor Daniel Silliman. Indeed, you might even call today’s episode an apologia for Christian journalism with one of its master craftsmen. That master craftsman, Daniel Silliman, has been at Christianity Today since 2019. He got his start as a crime reporter in the Atlanta area. He also holds a doctorate in American Studies from the University of Heidelberg. He’s the author of the 2021 book Reading Evangelicals: How Christian Fiction Shaped a Culture and a Faith. One more quick note before we dive into the interview:  I refer a couple of times to a podcast interview Daniel did with “The Upwords Podcast.” It’s an excellent interview, and I commend it to you.  You can find that podcast here:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-impact-of-journalism-daniel-silliman/id1537044590?i=1000628242068 FINAL THOUGHT: Thanks to Rich Roszel and Jeff McIntosh for producing today’s program.  We get technical, database, and editorial support from Casey Sudduth, Christina Darnell, and Stephen DuBarry. Until next time, may God bless you.

On today’s program, we take a look at the 50 largest evangelism and discipleship organizations in the nation.  We also have details regarding the suspension of celebrity pastor Albert Tate. And the state of California has sued pregnancy care centers in the state. The lawsuit could have chilling effect on pregnancy resource centers around the country. And do you remember Mark Driscoll, the disgraced former pastor of Seattle’s Mars Hill Church?  Well, he’s back, and we’ll fill you in what he’s been up to. We begin today with Andy Stanley’s controversial conference Unconditional Love, which took place at Stanley’s North Point Church near Atlanta last weekend.  FINAL THOUGHTS: It’s a new month, and we have a new gift for our donors. MinistryWatch has published a booklet called “75 Red Flags To Consider Before Donating To A Christian Ministry.” We’ll send you that booklet as our thank you for any gift to MinistryWatch during the month of October. This is a great tool for Christian donors. We use the questions in this booklet every day here at MinistryWatch to help us evaluate ministries. To get your copy, just go to the MinistryWatch website 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 Liz Lykins, Chris Moody, John Stonestreet, Timothy Padgett, Kim Roberts, Kathryn Post, Steve Rabey, Christina Darnell, and Rod Pitzer. A special thanks to Religion UnPlugged and Breakpoint with the Colson Center for Christian Worldview for contributing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.

Julian Simon’s name does not mean much to many Christians today, but it should.  Julian Simon understood “the long game” when it came to public discourse. He knew that it was important not merely to win political victories, but to win hearts and change minds. It’s a lesson that ministry leaders and donors who want to make a difference would do well to remember.

On today’s program, a Methodist nonprofit in New Jersey is embroiled in a religious liberty battle with local government over beach access. We’ll have details. Also, an Assemblies of God pastor speaks out against Chi Alpha, the denomination’s college campus ministry that’s currently knee deep in a sexual abuse scandal. And, a new study shows that Southern Baptist churches are growing in the Northeast…but does it tell the whole story? We begin today with positive news — 11 evangelical colleges across the country have announced record enrollment this fall. Most of you will be listening to this on Friday or Saturday, which means we are at the very end of the month of September, and that means you have only hours left to get a copy of my book “Restoring All Things,” which we’re sending to everyone who makes a gift to MinistryWatch during the month of September. I wrote this book with my friend and former Colson Center colleague John Stonestreet, and I think you’ll find it to be a blessing. It highlights how God is using ministries and individuals to make a positive difference in the world. Just go to the MinistryWatch website 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 Bob Smietana, Kim Roberts, Clemente Lisi, Dale Chamberlain, Kathryn Post, Yonat Shimron, Christina Darnell, and Rod Pitzer. A special thanks to Religion UnPlugged, ChurchLeaders, and Lifeway Research for contributing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.

Do women or men make most of the giving decisions in evangelical households?  That’s one of many questions Ron Sellers and Grey Matter Research asked in their most recent survey. In this conversation, we hit the highlights of his study. But if you want to know more, click here. The producers for today’s program are Jeff Mcintosh and Rich Roszel. We get database, technical, and editorial support from Stephen DuBarry, Christina Darnell, Kim Roberts, and Casey Sudduth. Until next time, God bless you.

On today’s program, new conflicts between Liberty University and Jerry Falwell, Jr. Now his brother Jonathan Falwell is in the mix. Andy Stanley, the pastor of Northpoint Church in Atlanta, is facing criticism for hosting a conference that many observers say affirms homosexuality. Plus, the Episcopal Church continues its decades-long decline, we’ll have facts and numbers. And the Southern Baptist’s leaders met last week in Nashville, and – well – things are still a mess. We’ll have a report. We begin today with news that Sen. Chuck Grassley wants to investigate the Christian ministry World Vision. FINAL THOUGHTS: It’s a new month, and we have a new gift for donors. This month, we’ll be sending a copy of my book “Restoring All Things” to you if you make a gift of any size during the month of September. I wrote this book with my friend and former Colson Center colleague John Stonestreet, and I think you’ll find it to be a blessing. It highlights how God is using ministries and individuals to make a positive difference in the world. Just go to the MinistryWatch website and hit the donate button at the top of the page. And THANKS to all of you who attended our webinar this week. How to Find and Read A Form 990. It was a lively discussion, and we’ll do it again soon. 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, Kim Roberts, Steve Rabey, Yonat Shimron, Daniel Ritchie, Jeffrey Walton, Christina Darnell, and Rod Pitzer. A special thanks to the Institute for Religion & Democracy for contributing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.

Today’s EXTRA episode is based on Warren Smith’s “Editor’s Notebook” column, which you can find here. To hear Robertson McQuilkin in the YouTube video I mentioned in the podcast, click here. The producers for today’s program are Jeff McIntosh and Rich Roszel. I’m Warren Smith.  Until next time, may God bless you. Editor’s Note:  This episode and the original “Editor’s Notebook” column are based on an article written by Warren Smith in 2017 for The Colson Center’s Breakpoint.org website.

On today’s program, a former executive at the American Family Association is suing for alleged sexual harassment. We’ll have details. Also, an annual conference founded by the hymn-writing duo Keith and Kristyn Getty pushes back on the spread of megachurch music. We’ll take a look. And tips for Christians wanting to give to disaster relief ministries providing aid in Morocco following a devastating earthquake last week. We include a list of ministries with high ratings in the MinistryWatch database. FINAL THOUGHTS: It’s a new month, and we have a new gift for donors. This month, we’ll be sending a copy of my book “Restoring All Things” to you if you make a gift of any size during the month of September. I wrote this book with my friend and former Colson Center colleague John Stonestreet, and I think you’ll find it to be a blessing. It highlights how God is using ministries and individuals to make a positive difference in the world. Just go to the MinistryWatch website and hit the donate button at the top of the page. And we’ll be doing another webinar on Sept. 20. How to Find and Read A Form 990. It’s absolutely free, but you do need to sign up.  Watch your in-box for a sign-up link. 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 Yonat Shimron, Bob Smietana, Steve Rabey, Chris Moon, and Rod Pitzer. A special thanks to the Christian Standard and The NonProfit Times for contributing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.

On today’s program, Tim Tebow’s foundation is fighting human trafficking, and the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church is responding to allegations that he has not done enough to deal with sexual abuse claims. And the Southern Baptists of Florida have released a report explaining how $700-thousand was stolen. The report finds no wrongdoing on the part of the staff, but recommends safeguards that all Christian ministries should pay attention to. We begin today with news that Sarah Young, the controversial author of the publishing phenomenon “Jesus Calling,” has died at age 77. “Jesus Calling” has sold more than 40 million copies. It’s author diedThursday (Aug. 31) after struggling for years with chronic illness and Lyme Disease. News of the Nashville native’s death, first reported by Christianity Today, came a day after Publisher’s Weekly reported that the author’s health was “rapidly failing.” FINAL THOUGHTS:  It’s a new month, and we have a new gift for donors. This month, we’ll be sending a copy of my book “Restoring All Things” to you if you make a gift of any size during the month of September. I wrote this book with my friend and former Colson Center colleague John Stonestreet, and I think you’ll find it to be a blessing. It highlights how God is using ministries and individuals to make a positive difference in the world. Just hit the donate button at the top of the page. And we’ll be doing another webinar on Sept. 20. How to Find and Read A Form 990. It’s absolutely free, but you do need to sign up.  Watch your in-box for a sign-up link. 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, Kim Roberts, Steve Rabey, Kathryn Post, Jessica Eturralde, Christina Darnell, and Rod Pitzer. Until next time, may God bless you.

For the past four years, MinistryWatch has an annual list of the 50 largest Christian colleges and universities in the nation. This year’s list published today, and you can find it here. In today’s EXTRA episode, Warren Smith discusses this list and explains how we can solve the Christian higher education crisis with one simple fix: Christian parents, don’t send your kids to secular schools. The producers for today’s program are Jeff McIntosh and Rich Roszel. Until next time, may God bless you.