Episodes

Karl Vaters is not against bigness on principle. He is quick to point out that large churches can use their size to do things that smaller churches simply cannot. But he also says that the things that big churches do better are few, and that getting big, pursuing growth, often comes at great financial and spiritual cost. His new book is called De-Sizing The Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What’s Next. He says that numbers are meant to inform us, not define us, ...

On today’s program, former CEO of Orange, Kristen Ivy, originally admitted to an “inappropriate relationship” with the ministry’s founder Reggie Joiner. Now, she’s reclassifying that relationship as clergy abuse. We’ll have details. Also, summer is the season of short-term missions—but The Chalmers Center has some warnings before posting about those trips on social media. We’ll take a look. And, former S-B-C leader and long-time megachurch pastor Ed Young announces he’s retiring. But first, a yo...

On today’s MinistryWatch podcast we remember Marshall Allen, an investigative journalist who was a friend and supporter of MinistryWatch. To read a transcript of this podcast, click here. You’ll also find there links mentioned in today’s episode. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. Until next time, may God blss you.

On today’s program, the U-S Department of Justice has indicted a former professor and interim provost of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary for obstructing justice in a sexual misconduct case. We’ll have details. Also, the Boy Scouts of America changes their name in hopes of boosting its dwindling numbers—but instead, a different scouting ministry is being flooded with requests for more information. We’ll take a look at Trail Life USA later in the program. And, World Vision is ordered to ...

On today’s EXTRA Episode, Warren Smith identifies four lessons we can learn from the controversy surrounding David French and the Presbyterian Church in America. To read more about this controversy: https://ministrywatch.com/editors-notebook-the-pca-david-french-debacle/ https://ministrywatch.com/pca-cancels-anti-polarization-panel-with-david-french-for-being-too-polarizing/ The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. Until next week, may God bless you.

On today’s program, a North Carolina Sheriff’s office has called in the FBI to help investigate the death of pastor’s wife, Mica Miller. We’ll have details. And, Haitian workers are concerned Christian donors could be hurting the very people they’re trying to help…and ask donors to redirect their money away from orphanages. We’ll take a look. Also, Gospel for Asia founder K-P Yohannan dies following a tragic accident. But first, another church is being told by its city to close its temporary hom...

Katelyn Beaty believes that some Christian leaders use their fame and influence in positive ways. But too often, she says, fame and celebrity are cultivated for their own sake, or for the sake of profits and the building of personal empires. We see this phenomenon most conspicuously with the prosperity Gospel preachers. But, increasingly, these practices of the Prosperity Gospel have crept into mainstream evangelical ministries. That’s why Katelyn Beaty believes we should explore the evangelical...

On today’s program, an investigation into the death of a South Carolina pastor’s wife, 30-year-old Mica Miller, has captured the attention of people across the nation, raising questions about mental health and abuse. We’ll look at the latest findings. A Pennsylvania pastor faces a gunman in the middle of his Sunday sermon. We’ll have details. A new Southern Baptist report details where member churches stand with attendance, baptisms, and sexual abuse reforms. We’ll take a look. But first, a laws...

For centuries, Christianity has been seen as a positive force in the world – even by those who are not Christians. But my guest today, Aaron Renn, argues that this perception has changed. In a widely read and discussed article for “First Things” magazine, first published a decade ago, Renn said that the world up until 1964 was a “positive world” for Christianity. From 1964 to 2014, we lived in what he calls the “Neutral World.” Since 2014, we live in a “Negative World” for Christianity. Renn exp...

On today’s program, the top legislative body of the United Methodist Church gathered in Charlotte, N.C., this week for its long-awaited General Conference. There, delegates cast decisive votes on issues of gender and sexuality. We’ll have details. And, an Ohio church is under fire AGAIN for opening its doors to shelter the homeless. We’ll take a look. Also, Wayne Grudem, bestselling author of ‘Systematic Theology,’ is stepping away from academia after teaching for almost 50 years. That story lat...

Nancy French was not a household name in American politics -- because she mostly operated behind the scenes. But she was well known in the highest levels of Republican circles. She was the ghost writer for politicians and conservative celebrities, with five books she wrote making it to the New York Times Bestseller List. But she found the Republican Party to be going down a path she could not travel, and eventually her political clients abandoned her. She continued to write, however, and she did...

On today’s program, Arkansas pastor Steven Smith steps down after fallout from mishandling abuse allegations against a former children’s minister. We’ll have details. Also, controversial megachurch pastors Mark Driscoll and John Lindell seemed to reconcile on stage at the Stronger Men’s Conference last week…but since then, tensions between the two leaders have only intensified. We’ll take a look. And, how a small U-S evangelical seminary is defying the odds. While many theological schools are sh...