MinistryWatch Podcast

On today’s EXTRA episode, Warren and Christina discuss a report that Compassion International failed to act when they had evidence of 25,000 “suspected grooming cases.” They also tackle gambling and prediction markets. Also, new data from the Anglican Church in North America(ACNA) released this past week shows a 2.55 percent jump in churchwide Average Sunday Attendance in 2025, an increase of 2,509 from 96,009 in 2024 to 98,514 in the most recent reporting year. These new data mean that the ACNA

A quick look at the news will let you know that the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are on fire. International observers say that in the past five years we have seen at least 10, and possibly as many as 15 wars or significant armed conflicts in the region. They include wars in Gaza, Iran, Sudan, Yemen, Syria and elsewhere. These conflicts have left at least 200,000 people dead. But these wars are not the whole story. I was in London last week at a conference of church leaders from the regi

On today’s program, Life Surge is close to reaching a settlement in a wage lawsuit. A former salesperson for the ministry says the company wrongfully classified him as an independent contractor to avoid paying overtime. We’ll have details. Plus, a host of Christian influencers are rallying behind popular blogger and podcaster Samuel Sey after he was detained by ICE. Supporters are blaming a clerical error, but DHS says Sey will likely be deported. We’ll take a look. And, multi-site churches ar

A couple of years ago, Warren Cole Smith had a conversation with Charlie Peacock. Warren is away on a reporting trip, and Charlie has a new book out, a novel, called Once Concealed, Now Revealed. So we thought it would be the perfect time to have an “encore performance” of that interview. If you heard it the first time, it’s worth a repeat. If this is your first time, enjoy a conversation with one of Christian music’s most thoughtful artists. Here are the original show notes: Charlie Peacock i

On today’s program, popular megachurch pastor Andy Stanley is stepping down from his role at North Point Community Church, which he’s led for 31 years. He said he’s stepping back from his job — but not from ministry. We’ll have details. And, Liberty University and Bethel University are among Christian colleges offering specialized programs for students with intellectual disabilities. We’ll take a look. Plus, an almost 200-year-old church burned to the ground last week — and investigators belie

Here are some resources mentioned in today’s podcast episode: You can watch Roland Warren give his melancholy assessment of the current state of abortion in America here. The turmoil at Christianity Today continues. Now, the mess has made its way into the New York Times. Reporter Ruth Graham does not break any news here. Most of what she covers Warren wrote about two weeks ago here. Columnist and provocateur Rod Dreher is always interesting and often helpful. In his latest column he laments t