Episodes

In an era of celebrity and platform, it’s easy to forget that God uses the “least and the lost” to advance His Kingdom. The men and women I discuss in today’s podcast are not media celebrities. They don’t have “platforms” or book deals. But they have been quietly going about the business of the Kingdom of God. At MinistryWatch we often report on Christian leaders behaving badly. Sometimes it’s right and proper to pause and recognize those men and women who have quietly been engaged in what Eugen...

On today’s program, Operation Underground Railroad founder Tim Ballard sues for defamation after six women accuse him of sexual assault. We’ll have details. And, MinistryWatch reporter Marci Seither visits Joni & Friends in Tennessee as the ministry ships off hundreds of donated wheelchairs. They head to a prison, where inmates are repairing the equipment, even as they work to repair their own lives. Also, the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference announces the launch of new health i...

Most Christians who are active in church have been in this situation before. You’ve just listened to a compelling presentation about a need in some far-away corner of the world. Or perhaps it was a television program, or a commercial on your favorite Christian radio station. The need seems so great, and the story tugs at your heart strings. I’ve never heard of this organization before, but maybe it’s the Holy Spirit prompting me to give. What should I do? Hello, everyone, I’m Warren Smith, the p...

On today’s program, Cru will stop using its current LGBTQ training program for staff by the end of this year. The change comes after facing accusations that the long-time campus ministry is compromising on biblical sexuality. We’ll have details. Meanwhile, United Methodist churches in Liberia face protests and unrest as it deals with the fallout of the global denomination’s shift on LGBTQ issues. We’ll take a look. And, American pastors are burned out and exhausted—but experts say that can chang...

Christian ministries and other non-profit organizations have played a huge, positive role in American culture. If you don’t believe me, just read Benjamin Franklin, Alexis de Tocqueville, Robert Bellah, Rodney Stark, Arthur Brooks…the list goes on. Because of the positive influence in our culture, our laws encourage their work. They are not required to pay taxes on revenue, and donors to them get tax advantages as well. In exchange for these advantages, we ask only a couple of things: First, tha...

On today’s program, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association threatens to sue after the group Evangelicals for Harris uses video of Billy Graham to make an anti-Trump ad. We’ll have details. Plus, a storm is brewing within the Evangelical Presbyterian Church—some are asking if the denomination will stay true to its mission. And, the leaders of Kanakuk Kamps are the defendants in a sexual abuse-related lawsuit. They tried to get parts of that lawsuit dismissed—and the court has handed down its d...

Darren Dochuk’s book Anointed With Oil: How Christianity and Crude Made Modern America has been out a couple of years. But I must confess that I discovered it only recently, and it has changed my perspective about a lot things I thought I knew about modern American Evangelicalism. As you will hear, he outlines how modern Protestantism split in the early 20th century into liberal and conservative factions. The liberal stream was made up mostly of the mainline protestant churches, and the conserva...

On today’s program,, Christian ministries are on the forefront of relief efforts as cities in Western North Carolina grapple with loss after Hurricane Helene. We’ll take a look. And, a Georgia congregation locked out of their own building after splitting from its parent church. We’ll have details. Plus, the missions organization Ethnos 360 faces a lawsuit after a victim alleges that another missionary child abused her…and the ministry is continuing to allow the perpetrator access to other childr...

The Network is a group of churches started by Steve Morgan, a pastor who began his career as part of the Vineyard USA association of churches, but left that group to start his network of churches in 2006. Until recently, the network had 26 member churches. Morgan is the lead pastor of Joshua Church in Austin, Texas. But in the past few months, families and even some churches have been speaking out about the practices of Morgan and The Network. Today, we talk with reporter Kim Roberts, who has be...

On today’s program, longtime pastor Steve Lawson was removed as pastor of Trinity Bible Church in Dallas over an ‘inappropriate relationship’ with a woman...now, ministries are dropping the author and teaching fellow as ripples of his affair spread. We’ll take a look. And, devastated families share stories of being cut off by adult children involved in The Network—an association of churches started by Steve Morgan. We’ll have details. Plus, two prominent pastors announce their plans for retireme...

“Protect Children. Support Survivors. Protest Pete Newman’s Parole!” are the opening lines readers will see when they click on the new website, protestpetesparole.com. As the September 25 parole hearing for serial child sexual abuser Peter Newman quickly approaches, survivors and advocates continue to call for support in urging the Missouri Department of Corrections Board and Parole to deny his possible release. Previously, survivors and advocates have urged concerned citizens to write letters t...

Giving is down among evangelical Christians, according to a new study by Infinity Concepts and Grey Matter Research. The study—called The Giving Gap: Changes in Evangelical Generosity— found that 61% of evangelicals say they gave to their church in the last 12 months. That is down 13 percentage points from 2021 when 74% reported giving to their local congregation. On today’s podcast, we unpack the results of that survey with one of its authors, Mark Driestadt. He’s the president of Infinity Conc...

On today’s program, the former president of Bible Society of India has been arrested for financial corruption related to his position at another ministry…raising questions about how he handled finances at the Bible Society. We’ll take a look. And, an Illinois pastor has made it his mission to provide his community access to healthy food…by setting up a low-cost grocery store in a food desert. Also, Alistair Begg announces his 20-25 retirement. But first, Morningstar Fellowship Church in South Ca...

The Supreme Court of Texas heard oral arguments this week related to the potentially precedent-setting case of plaintiff Jane Roe suing Southwestern Baptist Seminary and its former President Paige Patterson for defamation related to a sexual assault she reportedly suffered in 2015. Roe claims Paige Patterson provided false and defamatory information about her in an attempt to “defend [his] reputation” that were then produced in three separate publications. The case was filed in federal district ...

Here are some of the resources mentioned in today’s EXTRA episode: A recent defense of public schools appeared in Christianity Today, written by Stefani McDade, the magazine’s theology editor. She cited popular writer and speaker Jen Wilkin, who has made faith-led arguments in favor of public education. Here at MinistryWatch, we take an active interest in Christian education. We include Christian schools and colleges in our database. We think they are vital institutions, with the power to advanc...

On today’s program, Bethany Christian Services is suing Michigan for religious discrimination after the state denied its contracts to resettle refugee families. We’ll have details. And, as we recognize another solemn anniversary of 9/11, we look at one ministry helping military heroes win the war back at home. Plus, a new survey shows that giving to churches and charities is down—by a lot. But first, China has closed its foreign adoption program, leaving families devastated. The decision announc...

(RNS) — A group of evangelical broadcasters is suing the Internal Revenue Service over the Johnson Amendment, a tax law that bars nonprofits from supporting political candidates. National Religious Broadcasters convention attendees await Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (RNS photo/Bob Smietana) Lawyers for the National Religious Broadcasters, along with two Baptist ch...

Here are some resources mentioned in this podcast episode: For a written version of this commentary, click here. Click here for my reporting on the Lakeland Outpouring for WORLD. I investigated more than a dozen so-called “miracles” here. Click here to read more about spiritual abuse. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. Until next time, may God bless you.

On today’s program, Morningstar Ministries is undergoing a leadership shakeup…after its CEO resigned, allegations of sexual misconduct began to arise. We’ll have details. And, many Christian colleges have fallen on hard times. But a Christian university in Georgia has been trying out new ways to grow enrollment…and it appears to be working. We’ll take a look. Plus, Trinity International University is on the look out for a new president….just six months after its current president took the reins....

For 2000 years Christians have heeded the call of The Great Commission to “go into all the world.” Christian missionaries have become some of the heroes of the faith, the subject of books, songs, and movies. But we rarely hear about the children of these missionaries. In the past few years, stories of spiritual and sexual abuse of missionary kids have started making news. Sometimes, even when there is no abuse, there is neglect and isolation, as many missionary kids, or MKs, are shuttled off to ...

On today’s program, three years after sexual abuse allegations surfaced against the late apologist Ravi Zacharias, imploding his organization and his legacy, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries appears to remain in operation…with little to no transparency. We dug around for some answers. Plus, a Knoxville-area ministry is restoring dignity and hope to its homeless population. We’ll take a look. And, the latest from a recent survey on the state of church compensation. We’ll have details. But ...

A luxury 24-acre estate with six houses and 22 garage parking spaces may not meet most people’s definition of a parsonage. But the tax code says otherwise—this one Texas home is turning heads after being listed on realtor.com for $15 million. Located in a Houston suburb, the property is the home of Bishop I.V. Hilliard and his wife, Pastor Bridget Hilliard. It belongs to New Light Church (also known as New Light Christian Center Church), a multi-site, Word of Faith megachurch that the Hilliards ...

Many of our neighbors have succumbed to what the French philosopher Jacques Ellul called “the political illusion.” What is it, and what can we do to resist it? Here are a couple of resources mentioned on today’s episode: Ellul explained the “political illusion” in his 1965 book L’illusion politique. It was published in English in 1967. To read my interview with Christopher Watkin, click here.) According to a recent Gallup survey, a majority of Americans now believe abortion should be legal in al...

On today’s program, Gateway Church in Dallas, Texas, continues to struggle in the aftermath of sexual abuse allegations against its founder Robert Morris—including NEW sexual abuse allegations, the cancellation of its annual Gateway conference, and more. We’ll look at the latest. And, Megan Basham is under fire from fellow journalists for naming an alleged sexual assault victim in her new book ‘Shepherds for Sale.’ We’ll have details. Plus, the largest seminaries in the U.S. But first, election ...