MinistryWatch Podcast

On today’s program, New York opened a one-year window to allow adult abuse survivors to file lawsuits that were barred by the statute of limitations—that window closed on Thanksgiving Day. We’ll have an update. And we’ll look at a recent statement by the International House of Prayer in Kansas City about its investigation into its founder Mike Bickle. Also, religious groups are no longer the most trusted charities, according to a recent report by the Better Business Bureau.  We’ll have details later in the program. We begin today with news that Crandall University has fired its professor of religious studies for sexual misconduct. FINAL THOUGHTS: 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 Brittany Smith, Kim Roberts, Fiona André, Shannon Cuthrell, Jessica Eturralde, and Rod Pitzer. Until next time, may God bless you.

Any assessment of Contemporary Christian Music in the 1980s and 90s would have to include the name Steve Camp. His first national release, “Sayin’ It With Love,” topped the then fledgling Christian charts in 1978, 45 years ago.  He put out a steady stream of top selling albums and singles for the next 20 years. But in 1998 he did something that amplified his influence far beyond the Christian music scene. While on tour in Europe, he visited the church where Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses, an event that many say ushered in the Reformation. Camp sent out his own 107 theses on Reformation Day (October 31), 1998, calling for a reformation in contemporary Christian music: calling Christian musicians to make direct, uncompromising music that confronts the world with the message of the scriptures. Camp’s 107 Theses was widely covered at the time in Christian media, and some of the ideas he introduced are being hotly debated even today. So when I heard that Steve Camp had a new album out, his first in more than 15 years, I could not resist the opportunity to have a chat with him. We talk about his new album, “Neighbors in an Age of Rage,” and his work as a pastor of a church in Florida. By the way, you can find Steve Camp’s 107 Theses here. FINAL THOUGHTS If you enjoy interviews such as this, please consider supporting MinistryWatch.  I’m recording this on “Giving Tuesday,” and I know that many of you will be supporting us today. I’m grateful for that. But please know that our needs go on year-round, and we’d love to hear from you any time. In fact, I have a special challenge for you today. This year is the 25thanniversary of MinistryWatch, and we are hoping that 100 people will help us celebrate by making a commitment of $25 per month. Just go to MinistryWatch.com and hit the donate button at the top of the page, and we’ll have a way there for you to make a recurring $25 per month contribution. That would be a huge help to us as we end 2023 and begin the new year. The producers for today’s program are Jeff McIntosh and Rich Roszel. We get database, technical, and editorial support from Christina Darnell, Kim Roberts, Stephen duBarry, and Casey Sudduth. Until next time – may God bless you.

During the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, you will compelling, even heartbreaking, appeals for funds. One of them came to me from Prison Fellowship Ministries. It began: “Bibles are desperately needed in America’s prisons. Every gift you give will put Bibles and Christian content into the hands of a waiting prisoner.” But is that true? We tried to find out, and our search highlights the fact that donors to Christian ministries need to give generously, but also wisely. In this episode of the MinistryWatch podcast, we highlight some of the questions we ask, and suggest that you should be asking them too. FINAL WORDS: The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and Jeff McIntosh. We get database, technical, and other support from Casey Sudduth, Stephen DuBarry, Christina Darnell, and Kim Roberts, Until next time, Happy Thanksgiving, and may God bless you.

On today’s program, the International House of Prayer in Kansas City has stripped its founding leader Mike Bickle of his duties pending a formal investigation into allegations of clergy sexual abuse. We’ll have details. Also, Bible publishers—are they stewards of God’s Word…or profiteers? We take a closer look. Then, later in the program, church switchers share the reasons behind their congregational change. We begin today with news that pastor and author Scott Sauls has resigned from leadership at his Nashville megachurch. FINAL THOUGHTS I do want to mention to our listeners that we are in the most critical time of the year for Christian ministries, including MinistryWatch, when it comes to fundraising. We need to raise about a quarter of our budget, about $110 thousand, before the end of the year, and we need to raise about $40,000 of that this month alone. We have Giving Tuesday coming up the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. That’s November 28. And I hope those of you who are listening to this will prayerfully consider making a gift to us on that day. And, of course, MinistryWatch is not alone. Some ministries raise 30 or 40 percent of their budgets during the last two months of the year. If you’d like to help us reach our year-end goal, just go to MinistryWatch.com and hit the donate button at the top of the page. But whether you give to us or not, we hope you will use our database to help you make giving decisions. And that you will give wisely and generously during this season. 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, Jessica Eturralde, Shannon Cuthrell, Jon Here, Aaron Earls, and Christina Darnell. A special thanks to Lifeway Research for contributing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.

Pregnancy Resource Centers (PRCs) are the heart and soul of the pro-life movement. They provide compassionate care to women and babies in more than 3000 locations across the U.S. The pro-life movement, in its pursuit of political victories, should not forget that if it wants to change not just laws, but the hearts and minds of Americans.

On today’s program, California pastor Gavin Ortlund is leaving to focus on his YouTube Ministry Truth Unites. We’ll have details. Also, PragerU a conservative media organization known for its 5-minute videos on hot button cultural issues, has grown from $10 million in revenue to $65 million in just five years. We’ll look at why. And we have the next article in our series of stories based on our quarterly survey of ministry leaders. We begin today with news that a Memphis pastor—who was also a former contestant on both American Idol and The Voice—has been arrested for stealing someone’s identity and money. Steven Flockhart, pastor of 901 Church in Memphis, Tennessee, was arrested last week on one count of identity theft and one count of theft of merchandise between $2,500 and $10,000. FINAL THOUGHTS: I do want to mention to our listeners that we are entering the most critical time of the year for Christian ministries, including MinistryWatch, when it comes to fundraising. We need to raise about a quarter of our budget, about $110 thousand, before the end of the year, and we are not alone. Some ministries raise 30 or 40 percent of their budgets during the last two months of the year. If you’d like to help us reach our year-end goal, just go to MinistryWatch.com and hit the donate button at the top of the page. But whether you give to us or not, we hope you will use our database to help you make giving decisions. And that you will give wisely and generously during this season. 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, Steve Rabey, Daniel Ritchie, Michele Chabin, Rod Pitzer and Christina Darnell. Until next time, may God bless you.

Last year, SBC President Bart Barber signed an amicus brief that was submitted to the Kentucky Supreme Court that argued against statute of limitations reform. The reforms that the SBC argued against were precisely the reforms that many sex abuse survivors want and have been working for in Kentucky and around the country. Bart Barber ultimately apologized for that action. Today, I offer a few thoughts about the chain of events that let to that apology. As I mentioned in today’s episode, I did an in-depth interview with Bart Barber. You can find it by clicking on the highlighted link. Thanks to Jeff McIntosh and Rich Roszel for producing today’s program.  We get technical, database, and editorial support from Casey Sudduth, Stephen DuBarry, Kim Roberts, and Christina Darnell. Until next time, may God bless you.

On today’s program, the leader of the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, Mike Bickle, has been accused of sexual abuse spanning decades. Also, Grand Canyon University—the largest Christian university in the U-S—is facing record fines after a federal probe that claims the school lied to students about the cost of degrees. And, we have compiled a list of the largest Christian ministries in the U-S. We begin today with news that Kanakuk Kamps is suing its insurer over breach of contract. FINAL THOUGHTS: I do want to mention to our listeners that we are entering the most critical time of the year for Chrisitan ministries, including MinistryWatch, when it comes to fundraising. We need to raise about a quarter of our budget, about $110 thousand, before the end of the year, and we are not alone. Some ministries raise 30 or 40 percent of their budgets during the last two months of the year. If you’d like to help us reach our year-end goal, just go to MinistryWatch.com and hit the donate button at the top of the page. But whether you give to us or not, we hope you will use our database to help you make giving decisions. And that you will give wisely and generously during this season. 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, Bob Smietana, Jesse Jackson, Rod Pitzer and Collin Binkley. A special thanks to ChurchLeaders for contributing material for this week’s program. Until next time, may God bless you.

Here at MinistryWatch we write from time to time about sexual sin, scandal, and brokenness. It has been my experience that many of these stories have pornography as one component of the story.  It is also apparent that pornography has become something of a secret sin among church and ministry leaders. Some surveys have found that as many as 50 percent of church leaders have some involvement with pornography. Other studies say that a child’s first involvement with pornography can start as early as age 9. Because these facts are, unfortunately, a part of the current cultural moment, I’ve read a good bit about the topic, but I’ve not read anything as wise and helpful as Sam Black’s “The Healing Church: What Churches Get Wrong About Pornography, and How To Fix It.” Sam Black believes that churches should places of healing, and he offers both theological and practical advice for church leaders, ministry leaders, those struggling to stop using porn, and those who want to fortify themselves so they never start. Sam Black is the director of recovery education for Covenant Eyes, a software program that provides help and accountability for those who want to avoid online pornography. Prior to joining Covenent Eyes in 2007, he made his living as a journalist. FINAL THOUGHTS: A couple of quick thoughts before we go.  First, if you found value in today’s program, please share it with a friend. Secondly, just a quick reminder that MinistryWatch is a donor supported ministry. We take no money from the ministries we cover, we don’t put ads on our site, and we don’t have one of those annoying paywalls. If you would like to support us in our work, just go to MinistryWatch.com and hit the donate button at the top of the page. Thanks to Rich Roszel and Jeff McIntosh for producing today’s program. We get technical, database, and editorial support from Christina Darnell, Kim Roberts, Casey Sudduth, and Stephen DuBarry.

On today’s program, Christian attorney Jenna Ellis pleads guilty for her role in attempting to overturn election results in Georgia in 2020. We’ll have details. Also, Korean churches are leaving the United Methodist Church—but not without difficulty. And a Texas seminary has big changes ahead…we’ll share more later in the program. We begin today with news that the former president of Southwestern Theological seminary Adam Greenway is threatening the school with a $5 million lawsuit. Adam Greenway, who resigned as president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS) in September 2022, is reportedly threatening to sue the Texas-based institution for $5 million. According to The Tennessean, Greenway’s attorney, Andrew Jones, sent a demand letter to the seminary last month, claiming that SWBTS damaged Greenway’s reputation and his ability to seek further employment. FINAL THOUGHTS: First, we posted the quarterly results of our Ministry Executive survey on the website this week. The findings suggest that ministry leaders remain optimistic about the year ahead, but cite fundraising as their biggest concern. That’s a shift from quarters past, when finding qualified employees was the top concern. There’s a lot of new data in this quarter’s survey, and if you are ministry leader, I encourage you to check it out here. I also want to remind you that 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 Jessica Eturralde, Kim Roberts, Steve Rabey, Stephanie Martin, Christina Darnell, and Rod Pitzer. A special thanks to Church Leaders for contributing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.