MinistryWatch Podcast

On today’s program, students at Seattle Pacific University end their sit-in for LGBTQ rights, but the controversy at this Christian school is not likely to go away.  And we check in with some prominent pro-life ministries to see how the Dobbs decision, the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, will impact their work.  We begin today with a report that rapidly rising prices are having a significant impact on ministries that provide food and housing for the poor. A few housekeeping items before we go. First, a big thank you to those who gave us a fiscal year end gift last month.  We had nearly 200 donors during the month of June who gave us about $20,000, which barely got us to our goal.  But it was an ambitious goal, and I am grateful for the support. I also wanted to mention that I was in Southern California last week and had the pleasure of hosting a luncheon of MinistryWatch supporters in Newport Beach.  A hearty thank-you to those who came out for that event.  And I wanted to mention that I’ll be doing a similar lunch in Des Moines, Iowa, on July 19.  That’s a Tuesday.  If you live within driving distance of Des Moines and you’d like to attend, shoot me an email and we’ll make sure you get an invitation.  My email is wsmith@ministrywatch.com 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 Haley Barker, Riley Farrell, Marika Proctor, Kim Roberts, Alejandra Molina, and Donald Kramer.  Special thanks to The NonProfit Times for contributing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.

The Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision put an end to the Roe v. Wade era in America.  Many millions of pro-life Americans played a role in bringing about this historic decision, but few have been as active as my guest today Ryan Bomberger. Ryan’s story gives his pro-life activism special power.  His biological mother was raped, but chose not to have an abortion.   He was then adopted at 6 weeks of age and grew up in a loving, multi-racial Christian family of 15, with 10 of the 13 children adopted. Today, Ryan and his wife Bethany lead The Radiance Foundation.  They are activists, but they prefer to call themselves FACTivists, using facts, logic, history, data, and reason to make their pro-life arguments in the public square.  Today, Ryan and Bethany have four children of their own, two of whom are adopted. To read more from Ryan, and to check out our reporter Kim Roberts’ exploration of the topic “Where Does The Pro-Life Movement Go After Roe?” check out the MinistryWatch website. Before we to, I want to thank those of you who made fiscal year end gifts to MinistryWatch.  Thanks to you, we made our year-end goal.  If you have not yet donated to MinistryWatch, please know that our needs go on year round, and we would welcome your support at any time.  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 Cathy Goddard, Stephen DuBarry, Emily Kern, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. I’m Warren Smith, and – until next time – May God bless you.

On today’s program, a lawsuit against well-known preacher David Platt and the church he pastors, McLean Bible Church, has been dropped.  We’ll have details. We’ll also talk about TV preachers and their books.  Who should get the royalties?  We’ll have the answer.  And Explo 72, took place 50 years ago.  An event took place in Dallas last week that tried to capture some of the spirit of Explo.  We’ll have a report.  We begin today with some of the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, the decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. I want to thank the nearly 200 of you who gave us donations in June.  We didn’t quite make our goal of $20,000, but it was an ambitious goal, and we came close, topping $18,000 for the month.  Thank you. Also, at the risk of shameless self-promotion, I wanted to mention that I was on NBC Nightly News this week to discuss one of the stories we’ve been covering here at MinistryWatch.  It’s the story of a Christian ministry in Florida that has allegedly defrauded the government of more than $8-million in payroll protection program funds.  You can see that segment here. 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 Anne Stych, Steve Rabey, Kim Roberts, Bob Smietana, Jesse T. Jackson, Kathryn Post, Donald Kramer, and Christina Darnell. Special thanks to the website Church Leaders for contributing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.

On today’s program, a former World Vision executive is convicted in Israel of aiding a terrorist group, but independent observers say this verdict is a miscarriage of justice.  We’ll have details.  And an independent report into the behavior of Christian musician Chris Rice found what it calls credible evidence of child abuse.  We begin today with a major win for religious liberty.  The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that religious schools can’t be excluded from a Maine program that offers tuition aid for private education, a decision that could ease religious organizations’ access to taxpayer money. A final reminder that our fiscal year ends on June 30, at the end of this month.  That’s just a week away.  Our goal for June is $20,000, and so far we’ve raised about $8,000, so we have a ways to go. So if you would like to help us get back on track and finish the year strong, just hit the donate button at the top of the page.  And if you give during the month of June, we’ll send you a copy of a book I wrote with Christian journalism legend Marvin Olasky called “Prodigal Press:  Confronting The Anti-Christian Bias of the American News Media.” 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 Anne Stych, Steve Rabey, Kim Roberts, Bob Smietana, Shannon Cuthrell, Jesse T. Jackson, Jessica Lea, Mark Sherman, and Christina Darnell. Special thanks to the website Church Leaders for contributing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.

On today’s program, Seattle Pacific University is struggling with issues of human sexuality.  A three judge panel in Colorado ruled against a Christian school’s ability to hire and fire teachers based on belief.  And the United Methodist Church has settled a dispute with one of the largest churches in its denomination.  The church gets to leave and keep its building, but it will pay millions to the denomination.  We begin today with news from the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting, which took place this week in Anaheim, California. A reminder:  our fiscal year ends on June 30, at the end of this month.  I’m not embarrassed to admit that we’ve been running so hard covering the news – and there’s been lots of it this month – that we have not done all we could on the fundraising front, and we’re running a bit behind.  Our goal for June is $20,000, and so far we’ve raised less than $5,000.  Now, I should add that it’s kind of normal that we get most of our funds in the last half of every month, so I’m not officially freaking out yet, but it would be great if you could take some of the drama out of next week and the following week by giving now if you already know you want to help us by the end of the month. So if you would like to help us get back on track and finish the year strong, just go to MinistryWatch.com and hit the donate button at the top of the page.  And if you give during the month of June, we’ll send you a copy of a book I wrote with Christian journalism legend Marvin Olasky called “Prodigal Press:  Confronting The Anti-Christian Bias of the American News Media.” 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, Shannon Cuthrell, Peter Smith, Holly Meyer, Yonat Shimron, Steve Rabey, Kim Roberts, Adelle M. Banks, Bob Smietana, and Christina Darnell. Until next time, may God bless you.

On today’s program, pro-abortion activists disrupt a church service in Houston.  And we have details of a bizarre story we’ve reported on previously.  It’s the story of a Christian ministry that allegedly defrauded the Payroll Protection Program of millions of dollars. Also, Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE), an organization hired by Covenant Fellowship Church to look into the allegations against the church and its former head pastor, Min Joshua Chung, said in a statement that although all that remained in the investigation was a “minimal” number of interviews, primarily with CFC leadership, they had been informed by CFC that the assessment would not continue. Our fiscal year ends on June 30, at the end of this month.  So if you would like to help us get back on track and finish the year strong, just go to MinistryWatch.com and hit the donate button at the top of the page.  And if you give during the month of June, we’ll send you a copy of a book I wrote with Christian journalism legend Marvin Olasky called “Prodigal Press:  Confronting The Anti-Christian Bias of the American News Media.” 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 Donald Kramer, Peter Smith, Brian Melley, Yonat Shimron, Steve Rabey, Kim Roberts, Anne Stych, Bob Smietana, and Christina Darnell. Until next time, may God bless you.

On today’s program, a pro-life activist, Jennifer Christie, is facing a credibility crisis after aspects of her dramatic testimony are not standing up to scrutiny.  When a major ministry saw a 50 percent drop in revenue, it had to ask some hard questions about how it was doing things.  But Cross International is back, and it’s a case study in how to make a strategic shift.  We begin today with more news from the Southern Baptist Convention.  The sex abuse scandal in the SBC brings us almost daily news.  We’ll have updates.  For those who care about such things, Warren Smith was on Newsmax this week to discuss the Southern Baptist Church’s abuse scandal.  You can see the show here.  Warren goes on the air at about the 45-minute mark. Finally, I want you to know that this program wouldn’t exist without the support of people like you.  We take no money from the ministries we cover.  Our fiscal year ends on June 30, at the end of this month.    I should tell you that we’re a little behind budget for this year when it comes to fundraising, so it would be really great to have a strong June to get us back on track.  So if you would like to help us get back on track and finish the year strong, just go to MinistryWatch.com and hit the donate button at the top of the page.  And if you give during the month of June, we’ll send you a copy of a book I wrote with Christian journalism legend Marvin Olasky called “Prodigal Press:  Confronting The Anti-Christian Bias of the American News Media.” 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 Donald Kramer, Erik Tryggestad, Anne Stych, Shannon Cuthrell, Steve Rabey, Bob Smietana—and you, Warren. Special thanks to The Christian Chronicle for contributing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.

On today’s EXTRA episode, Christina Darnell and Warren Smith will be doing a question-and-answer episode.  Regular listeners to the program might remember that back in February we did our first Q&A session, and at that time I said we’d be doing them every month or so.  But what’s that old saying about the best laid plans of mice and men? We haven’t done a Q&A session since March, so we’ve got some catching up to do, including updates on new MinistryWatch features. If you have a story you’d like us to cover, or a ministry that you think needs a closer look, please email us.  Our email is info@ministrywatch.com.  That will come directly to my desk, and we’ll take it from there. Also, a reminder that you can help the program by leaving us a rating on your podcast app.  The  more ratings we get, the easier it is for others to find us.  It’s a quick, easy, and free way you can support MinistryWatch.  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.

A judge has decided that a lawsuit filed by donors to Ravi Zacharias International Ministries can continue.  It the donors succeed in getting their money back, could set a landmark precedent.  We’ll also look at the story of a sexual abuse victim confronting his alleged accuser – during the Sunday service.  A video of the event has gone viral.  We begin today with the biggest religion story of the week, and one that will likely be among the biggest of the year.  That story is the release, by the Southern Baptist Convention, of a nearly 300-page report on sexual abuse in the denomination.  We’ll look at this story from multiple angles today. Our fiscal year ends on June 30, a little more than a month from now.  So if you would like to help us get back on track and finish the year strong, just go to MinistryWatch.com and hit the donate button at the top of the page.  And now, you can now give via text. If this is your preferred way of giving, just text @ministrywatch to 52014.  Again, that’s @ministrywatch to 52014. If you have a story you’d like us to cover, or a ministry that you think needs a closer look, please email us.  Our email is info@ministrywatch.com.  That will come directly to my desk, and we’ll take it from there. Also, a reminder that you can help the program by leaving us a rating on your podcast app.  The more ratings we get, the easier it is for others to find us.  It’s a quick, easy, and free way you can support MinistryWatch. 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 Anne Stych, Donald Kramer, Kim Roberts, Adelle M. Banks, Yonat Shimron, Bob Smietana, Rod Pitzer and Christina Darnell. Until next time, may God bless you.

On today’s program, we have updates on the situation at Grove City College.  The Global Leadership Network – formerly known as the Willow Creek Association -- makes a comeback.  And disgraced megachurch pastor Jack Schaap, convicted of sex crimes more than a decade ago, gets an early release from prison.  We begin today with news that a controversial “discernment blogger” has been charged with DUI and for carrying a weapon. I want you to know that this program wouldn’t exist without the support of people like you.  We take no money from the ministries we cover.  We don’t charge a subscription or have a paywall.  We are 100 percent donor supported.  If you’d like to make a donation so that our work can continue, please go to MinistryWatch.com and hit the donate button at the top of the page.  And now, you can now give via text. If this is your preferred way of giving, just text @ministrywatch to 52014.  Again, that’s @ministrywatch to 52014. If you have a story you’d like us to cover, or a ministry that you think needs a closer look, please email us.  Our email is info@ministrywatch.com.  That will come directly to my desk, and we’ll take it from there. Also, a reminder that you can help the program by leaving us a rating on your podcast app.  The  more ratings we get, the easier it is for others to find us.  It’s a quick, easy, and free way you can support MinistryWatch. 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 Anne Stych, Kim Roberts, John Stonestreet and Shane Morris, Kathryn Post, Alejandra Molina, Calvin Cockrell, Bob Smietana, and Christina Darnell. Special thanks to BreakPoint, The NonProfit Times, and Christian Chronicle for contributing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.