MinistryWatch Podcast

On today’s EXTRA episode, I’m sharing a conversation I had recently with Collin Hansen. Collin is editor in chief at The Gospel Coalition, and he is the author of an intellectual biography of Tim Keller called “Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation.” I think it’s fair to call Tim Keller the “Accidental Celebrity.” When he went to New York City to found Redeemer Presbyterian Church in the 1980s, a clear-eyed assessment of his chances for success would have placed that number very low.  He didn’t do any of the things that wannabe celebrities would have done. He didn’t have a radio or TV program.  He wasn’t a fiery orator. No rock band. Yet over the years, the church grew. In fact, it grew to the point that some call Redeemer, and Tim Keller himself, among the most influential churches and church leaders of the past half-century. Collin Hansen has been a friend and colleague of Tim Keller for decades, and he augmented his personal experience with first-rate research to produce the book we will be discussing today. I want to mention that I did an interview with Tim Keller just before he died, and you can find that interview here: https://ministrywatch.com/a-conversation-with-tim-keller/ I also wrote an appreciation of Tim just after he died, and you can find a link to that article here: https://ministrywatch.com/editors-notebook-remembering-redeemer-presbyterian-churchs-early-days/ Thanks for joining us today for this special episode of the MinistryWatch podcast. If you enjoy this podcast, there are a few things you can do to help us grow. First, leave us a rating, share a review, post a link to this conversation on social media, or – if you’re old school – just tell a friend. However, you do it, please know that I’m grateful, and your efforts really do make a difference in helping us grow. The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and Jeff McIntosh. We get technical, editorial, and administrative support here at MinistryWatch from Christina Darnell and Casey Sudduth. Until next time…May God Bless You!

On today’s program, the family charged with using a fake church to promote its fake COVID cure has been sentenced. We’ll have details. Also, Tim Ballard—the hero behind the anti-trafficking movie Sound of Freedom—has himself been sued for sexual assault. And, our MinistryWatch guide for giving to relief efforts in Israel. We begin today with news that Tommy Nelson, the best-selling author and long-time pastor of Denton Bible Church in Dallas, has announced plans for his retirement. 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 Kim Roberts, Steve Rabey, Jack Jenkins—and you, Warren. Until next time, may God bless you.

“Christianity Today” and “The Daily Wire” Provide Teachable Moment An article in the “Daily Wire” about the political contributions of “Christianity Today” staffers offer Christians a lesson in how to – and how not to – engage in truthful and fair public discourse. You can find the “Daily Wire” article here: https://ministrywatch.com/ministrywatch-guide-to-giving-to-support-israel/ You can find MinistryWatch President Warren Smith’s article about this “dust up” here: https://ministrywatch.com/dust-up-between-christianity-today-and-daily-wire-provides-a-teachable-moment/ The producers for today’s program are Jeff McIntosh and Rich Roszel.  Until next time, may God bless you.

On today’s program, we take a look at legal and verbal assaults on Pregnancy Resource Centers in California and New Jersey. Famous Christian apologist responds to the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability’s decision to terminate his membership. And a new report says churches and ministries kept more than $7 billion in Payroll Protection Plan funds.  We’ll look at some of the details. We also look at a report from the Department of Education about Liberty University. The report says they may have underreported campus assault incidents.  We begin today with an update on a story we’ve been covering for a while—a Minnesota youth pastor accused of sexually assaulting multiple teenage girls has been arrested. FINAL THOUGHTS: 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 Paul Clolery, Tom Campisi, Kim Roberts, Christina Darnell, Rod Pitzer—and you, Warren. A special thanks to Tom Campisi of the Tri-State Voice and to The NonProfit Times for contributing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.

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.