MinistryWatch Podcast

On today’s program, Christian groups are being vandalized by pro-gay and pro-abortion activists.  We’ll have two stories that highlight this growing and troubling trend.  And a new report from the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability indicates that – despite uncertainties in the economy – giving to evangelical groups is up. We begin today with news that megachurch pastor Matt Chandler will be reinstated to the pulpit after a three-month leave of absence.  Dallas-area megachurch pastor Matt Chandler returned to the pulpit Sunday (Dec. 4) after a leave of absence. The Village Church’s board of elders reinstated him following disciplinary actions for Chandler’s “inappropriate” social media relationship with a woman who is not his wife. The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and Jeff McIntosh.  We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Emily Kern, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Bob Smietana, Steve Rabey, Kim Roberts, Shannon Cuthrell, Anne Stych, Rod Pitzer, Christina Darnell, Kathryn Post, and Jessica Eturralde. Until next time, may God bless you.

As we approach year-end, the thoughts of children turn toward Christmas, but the thoughts of ministry executives turn toward year-end giving efforts.  And the thoughts of many donors turn toward those ministries they have given to in the past as they try to decide how much, or even if, they will be giving to them this year. One of the cliches in the philanthropy world is that the state of the stock market is a leading indicator of giving.  A rising market doesn’t CAUSE giving, but historically it has correlated with increased giving. But 2022 has turned that cliché on its head.  This year has been really bad for the stock market, yet philanthropic giving has held steady, or even increased. Given all these conflicting signals, I find this year’s State of Giving report by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability to be particularly helpful.  So I asked the two men behind the study, Warren Bird and Jake Lapp, to join me for today’s EXTRA podcast. To see our article about the survey, and from there to link to the study itself, click here.  The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and Jeff McIntosh.   We get database, technical, and editorial support from Stephen DuBarry, Christina Darnell, Emily Kern, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth.      Until next time, may God bless you.

We usually do interviews on these mid-week episodes, but today an update on what’s going on at MinistryWatch. The main reason I wanted to do this episode was to talk with you about Giving Tuesday.  I’ll admit that this short episode is shamelessly self-referential – it will be almost all about us.  So I hope you will show me a bit of grace for that, but – on the other hand – I consider you listeners to the podcast a part of the inner circle here at MinistryWatch, and I want you to knows what’s going on. The first thing I want you to know is that we’re doing fine.  This is not a panic or crisis communication, I’m pleased to say.  The budget for MinistryWatch is about $450-thousand a year.  Our fiscal year begins July 1.  That means we’re nearing the end of the fifth month of our fiscal year.  And I’m happy to report that we are more or less on budget both in terms of revenue and expenses. Our year-end goal – and by that I mean our combined goal for November and December – is $81,000.  That’s $25,000 for the month of November.  As of Monday night, the day BEFORE Giving Tuesday, we were at about $15,000.  That means that we need to raise about $10,000 on Giving Tuesday and on Wednesday the 30th to stay on target.  That’s certainly a do-able number for us.  We raised about $10,000 last year.  But our average donation is less than $100, so that means we will need about 100 people to step up on Giving Tuesday to get us to our goal. But the bigger challenge for us comes in the month of December.  Our goal for the month is $56,000.  These are big numbers for us.  I also know that for a lot of people, maybe for you, times are tough, or they are – at a minimum – not as good as they were last year.  The stock market is way down.  Inflation is up.  Lots of us are watching our purse strings. That said, if you can afford to help us out over the next month, we would be grateful.  And whether you give to us or not, I hope you’ll use this day as a reminder that Christians are supposed to be joyful, generous, and wise givers.  Here at MinistryWatch we encourage people to give to their local church first.  I’m not ashamed to say out loud that I think that’s where the vast majority of Christian giving should go. After that, we think Christians should carefully and prayerfully consider supporting a few ministries that God has placed on your heart.  But which ministries – of the more than 1-million that are out there – should I support. Well, that’s where MinistryWatch comes in.  Our goal is to help you become a more effective steward.  We are intentionally not a mega-ministry.  We utilize technology in ways that we think are hyper-efficient, designed to keep us small while at the same time giving you the data you need to make good giving decisions. And our strategy seems to be working.  About 140,000 people receive our daily emails.  And in a recent survey we did, more than half of respondents say they use MinistryWatch to help them make giving decisions, and a third said they had changed their giving decisions based on information they received from MinistryWatch. All of that is to say this:  We think we’re making a difference, and we couldn’t do what we do without your support. So we hope you’ll consider a gift to MinistryWatch either today, on Giving Tuesday, or sometime December, and – if you can – the earlier the better.  I’d love to take some of the drama out of the last week of December – and I’d doubly love not to clutter your inbox with emails.  I can promise you this, if we meet our year-end goal, the emails asking for money will stop. Before I go, I did want to mention that we have a few needs here at MinistryWatch that are not financially related.  First, we covet your prayers.  Pray that we will remain faithful.  Here at MinistryWatch, we often write about ministries that started out strong but ended poorly.  I’ve written enough of these stories myself to know that it could happen to any of us.

Last week, Logan Yandell filed a lawsuit against Kanakuk Ministries alleging fraud.  Logan Yandell’s lawsuit says that when he signed a financial settlement and non-disclosure agreement with Kanakuk, he did not have information that Kanakuk had that would have changed his decision to sign these documents. Here at MinistryWatch, we’ve been covering this story for more than a year, so naturally we were interested in this new development.  So we reached out both to Kanakuk and to Logan Yandell’s attorney, Robert Thrasher.  Kanakuk sent us a short statement, which we published in our story about this new lawsuit, posted on the website last week. But Robert Thrasher, the attorney for Logan Yandell, agreed to an interview.  So I spoke with Thrasher via zoom last week.  Today we feature that conversation.  You can read our article about the lawsuit, and all of our coverage of Kanakuk Ministries, by going to MinistryWatch.com and typing “Kanakuk” into the search engine.   Before we go, I’d like to remind you that Giving Tuesday is coming up next week, the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving.  Over the past few years, this global day of giving has evolved into a significant event both for us and for non-profits around the country.  If you can make a gift to us on Giving Tuesday, we’d be grateful.  Just go to MinistryWatch.com and hit the “donate” button at the top of the page. I also want to remind you that there’s an easy and absolutely free way you can help the program.  Just rate us on your podcast app.  The more ratings we get, the higher we rank with search engines, and that means other people can find us more easily.  Rating us just takes a second, and it doesn’t cost you a dime.  It’s a free and easy – and important – way you can support the MinistryWatch podcast. The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and Jeff McIntosh. We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Emily Kern, Rod Pitzer, Kim Roberts, Christina Darnell, Anne Stych, and Casey Sudduth. May God bless you.

On today’s program, Tennessee pastor and MAGA celebrity Greg Locke has been banned from YouTube.  We asked why.  Charis Bible College, founded by prosperity gospel preacher Andrew Wommack, was rocked this week by a murder-suicide.  We’ll have details.  We also take a look at the explosive growth of a ministry called Children’s Hunger Fund. We begin today with an influential Hispanic pastor under investigation for violating wage and hour laws. A big thank you to the folks who showed up earlier this week for a dinner I hosted with MinistryWatch supporters in Newport Beach, California.  And I’ll be having lunch with MinistryWatch supporters in New York City on December 16.  If you live in New York, keep your eyes open for an email from me with the details.  If you want to be sure you get that invitation, just email me at wsmith@ministrywatch.com I also wanted to mention that we will be taking a break from the podcast next week.  We’ll be dropping an EXTRA episode on Tuesday, but no podcast episode on Friday.  And we hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday! The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and Jeff McIntosh.  We get database and other technical support from Cathy Goddard, Stephen DuBarry, Emily Kern, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Yonat Shimron, Bob Smietana, Steve Rabey, Kim Roberts, Christina Darnell, and Jessica Eturralde. Until next time, may God bless you.

On today’s program, James Dobson is stepping aside from the ministry he founded after turning Focus on the Family into an evangelical powerhouse.  We’ll have details.  And during this election week, we have a couple of stories of pastors who are mixing politics and the pulpit.  At least one is under investigation. We begin today with an interesting story coming from one of the bastions of fundamentalism in this country:  Bob Jones University. The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and Jeff McIntosh.  We get database and other technical support from Cathy Goddard, Stephen DuBarry, Emily Kern, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Scott Barkley, Jeremy Schwartz, Jessica Priest, Alejandra Molina, Steve Rabey, Anne Stych, Jessica Eturralde, Christina Darnell—and you, Warren. Special thanks to Church Leaders.com for providing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.

On today’s program, a church does something it doesn’t often do.  It apologizes for its past.  We’ll share why.  We also look more closely at the $100-million evangelistic ad campaign called “He Gets Us.”  And we note the passing of an evangelical elder statesman.  Steve Douglass, who helped Cru grow into one of the largest ministries in the world, is dead at age 77.  We’ll have an appreciation.  We begin today with news that Celebration Church’s founders have reopened a defamation lawsuit against their former church. A final reminder that I’ll be hosting a lunch for MinistryWatch friends in Newport Beach, California, on November 15.  If you live in LA, especially Orange County, you should be getting an email from me with more information, but if you want to make sure that you get an invitation, please email me and I’ll make sure you get the details.  All of these lunches are FREE.  They’re just our way of saying THANK YOU for being a part of our work. Secondly, we’ve started something new here at MinistryWatch.  We’re doing a quarterly survey of the senior executive in each of the MinistryWatch 1000 ministries.  The first article based on that survey is on the website now.  And I describe the survey more fully in this week’s MinistryWatch EXTRA episode, so if you haven’t heard that episode, please check it out.  The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and Jeff McIntosh.  We get database and other technical support from Cathy Goddard, Stephen DuBarry, Emily Kern, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Scott Barkley, Jeremy Schwartz, Jessica Priest, Alejandra Molina, Steve Rabey, Anne Stych, Jessica Eturralde, Christina Darnell—and you, Warren. Special thanks to The Baptist Press and ProPublica for providing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.

Usually, we do interviews on these mid-week episodes, but today an update on what’s going on at MinistryWatch. The main reason I wanted to do this episode was to tell you about our new MinistryWatch 1000 Executive Survey. I also want to let you know where we are financially.   The budget for MinistryWatch is about $450-thousand a year.  Our fiscal year begins July 1.  That means we’re in the fifth month of our fiscal year.  And I’m happy to report that we are more or less on budget both in terms of revenue and expenses. But I should also note that the last two months of the year kinds of make-or-break us.  Giving Tuesday takes place in the last week of November this year, and – of course – there’s year-end giving, which for us and for a lot of non-profits are critical times. Our year-end goal – and by that I mean our combined goal for November and December – is $81,000.  That’s $25,000 for the month of November and $56,000 for the month of December.  These are big numbers for us.  I also know that for a lot of people, maybe for you, times are tough, or they are – at a minimum – not as good as they were last year.  The stock market is way down.  Inflation is up.  Lots of us are watching our purse strings. That said, if you can afford to help us out over the next 60 days, we would be grateful.  Here at MinistryWatch we encourage people to give to their local church first.  We think that’s where the vast majority of Christian giving should go.  If you will allow me to use a biblical metaphor, we believe the church is the Body of Christ, and just as we have physical bodies, we should feed it in ways to keep it healthy and growing. Well, thanks for indulging me these few minutes to give you an update of things here at MinistryWatch.  Please checkout Kim Roberts article on our new MinistryWatch 1000 Executive Survey, and if you have any feedback for me, you can always just hit the reply button on our daily emails.  Those responses come directly to me.  I’m always delighted to hear from you. The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and Jeff McIntosh. We get database and other technical support from Cathy Goddard, Stephen DuBarry, Emily Kern, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Until next time – May God bless you.

On today’s program, when the economy falters, we often see financial fraud emerge.  Today we have a couple of stories about financial fraud, and some advice about what you can do to prevent elder fraud.  Also on today’s program:  An Anglican bishop is returning from a voluntary leave of absence in the aftermath of a sex abuse and spiritual abuse scandal, and not everyone is happy about his return. We begin today with the resolution of a two-year long dispute.  On Monday (October 24), a Scottish court ruled in favor of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) in a lawsuit against Scottish Event Campus Limited, which canceled an evangelistic event at the Hydro Arena in Glasgow featuring Franklin Graham in 2020 on the grounds of Graham’s stated beliefs about human sexuality and Islam. The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and Jeff McIntosh.  We get database and other technical support from Cathy Goddard, Stephen DuBarry, Emily Kern, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Rod Pitzer, Yonat Shimron, Anne Stych, Shannon Cuthrell, Bob Smietana, Jessica Eturralde, Kim Roberts, and Dale Chamberlain. Special thanks to Church Leaders dot com for providing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.

Here at MinistryWatch we bring you news about Christian ministries, as well as the latest in charity and philanthropy, news that we examine from a Christian worldview perspective.  Our goal is to help us become better stewards of the resources God has entrusted to us. These mid-week “Extra” episodes are a chance for us to go deep with a particular topic, and today I’m pleased to have back on the program Ron Sellers, the president of Grey Matter Research and Consulting.   Ron Sellers and I discuss a new study his organization has done in conjunction with Infinity Concepts.  That study is called “Understanding Evangelical Mid Level Donors.” Before we jump into that interview, I just want to note that you can get a copy of this nearly 70-plus-page report here: https://greymatterresearch.com/articles-studies/ Before we go:  A few quick notes. First, regular listeners to the podcast know that this is not the first time Ron Sellers has been on the program.  If you are a ministry leader, and you’re new to the program, you might want to give a listen to some of his previous appearances on the program.  His research provides insights into evangelical giving patterns that are helpful. Just go to the MinistryWatch website and type Ron Sellers into the search engine. I also want to remind you that MinistryWatch is donor supported.  We take no money from ministries, from advertising.  There’s no paywall.  All of our content is free.  Our donors are the real heroes of this story.  If you would like to become a part of that heroic group, please visit us at MinistryWatch.com and hit the donate button at the top of the page. If money is a little tight now, you can still help the program.  Just rate us on your podcast app.  The more ratings we get, the higher we rank with search engines, and that means other people can find us more easily.  Rating us just takes a second, and it doesn’t cost you a dime.  It’s a free and easy – and important – way you can support the MinistryWatch podcast. The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and Jeff McIntosh. We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Emily Kern, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. I’m Warren Smith, and – until next time – May God bless you.