Episodes

On today’s program, Duluth Vineyard cleared Interim Pastor John Kliewer of misconduct after an investigation found him innocent…but his wife is crying foul, saying Kliewer was forced to sign an NDA as part of his settlement agreement. We’ll have details. And, a look at where the My Faith Votes is today a year after its former CEO Jason Yates was charged with the possession of child sexual abuse materials. Plus, another next installment in our occasional series on radical generosity. But first, t...

Capitol Hill Baptist Church, located just blocks away from the center of American power, has a rich 150-year history. Its members have participated in significant world events, advocated for religious freedoms, and spoken out against the moral failings of the times. There’s no doubt this church has had a unique impact on evangelicalism from a significant location. But these lively characters and their unique experiences only tell part of this engaging narrative. Through real-life stories, A Ligh...

On today’s program, Moody Bible Institute is suing the Chicago Public School system for excluding its students from the student-teaching program due to its religious hiring practices. We’ll take a look. Plus, a second woman has come forward claiming ACNA Archbishop Steve Wood sexually harassed her. We’ll have details. And, a new partnership shows how artificial intelligence is transforming Bible translation. But first, families of the children who died at Camp Mystic after the July 4 floods have...

The day before Veterans Day this year is another holiday, less known to the public but celebrated religiously by those in the Marine Corps. That day, November 10, is the Marine Corps birthday. On today’s extra episode, I remember our veterans and the ministries that serve them. Stick around to the end for the names of a few ministries that serve active-duty military, veterans, and their families. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. Until next time, may God bless you.

On today’s program, an Oklahoma pastor was fired after reporting missing church funds—this, despite the fact that he followed denominational rules in raising his concerns. Now, his bishop has been arrested for embezzlement. We’ll take a look. And, Gen Z is bringing a new paradigm to traditional missions. A new report examines what they value—and what they don’t. We’ll have details. Plus, churches and ministries are working to fill in the gap as SNAP benefits continue to be unpredictable amid the...

The Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) is a small but mighty denomination. As I have written elsewhere, Anglicanism has the potential to breathe new life into the evangelical movement. But the denomination is facing challenges on many fronts, some of them self-inflicted. Archbishop Steve Wood, the senior leader of ACNA, has been credibly accused of sexual harassment and other offenses. Another bishop, Stewart Ruch, is currently facing a church trial for his handling of a sex offender in his...

On today’s program, an Ohio ministry dedicated to addiction recovery is being used for alleged misuse of funds. The Ohio Attorney General says Lamb’s House hasn’t served any charitable purpose since at least 2017. We’ll have details. Plus, with a growing number of children being diagnosed with autism, churches are developing strategies to make their families more comfortable—and their spaces more accommodating. We’ll take a look. And, when donors give their money to special programs, they usuall...

There’s been a lot of talk about revival lately. On today’s EXTRA episode, Warren Smith asks some important questions: What’s going on in America today? What do the facts say? Also, what are the signs of true revival, and are we seeing those signs in American life. Here are some links I mentioned in today’s program: Ryan Burge seems particularly skeptical of a Gen Z revival. In July, he wrote that there was “zero convincing evidence” that Gen Z was returning to religion. He said that 38% of Gen ...

On today’s program, Federal officials have declined to file charges against Olivet University. The Christian school in California has faced accusations of human labor trafficking and visa fraud—accusations the school denies. We’ll have details. Plus, both news and scandal from the Anglican church. After the Church of England appointed Sarah Mullaly as its next bishop of Canterbury, another network of Anglican leaders have announced they are cutting ties with Canterbury and laying claim to the An...

Peter Greer, the CEO of Hope International, started noticing a disturbing trend among his fellow ministry leaders. Too few of them finished their lives and careers well. He observed many of the succumb to moral failure, oversee organizations with substantial financial or governance issues, or have other major problems. He started asking…why? And is it possible to prevent this tendency toward personal and organizational drift. Many of you probably know his book Mission Drift, which looks at this ...

On today’s program, musician Sean Feucht and pastor Rob McCoy are joining forces for The Courageous Christianity Tour in honor of the late Charlie Kirk. Feucht has been accused in recent months of major moral, ethical, and financial failures. We’ll take a look. Plus, Contemporary Christian Music legend Amy Grant and her family have settled a case over her great-grandfather’s Nashville church. We’ll have details. And, MinistryWatch each month tracks revenue for some of the largest Christian minis...

Here at MinistryWatch, we often report on organizations in crisis. One of the things that continues to interest me about these situations is the way Christian organizations respond to these crises. Some of them do a good job of staying in front of the crisis, or at least attempting to do so. But others are either caught by surprise, don’t know what to do, or do the wrong thing. They seem to have forgotten the lessons of the Watergate scandal that happened more than 50 years ago. One of the key l...

In October of 1948, Billy Graham and his ministry team — Cliff Barrows, George Beverly Shea and Grady Wilson — held evangelistic meetings in Modesto, Calif. These men gathered in their spare time to write what Barrows came to call the “Modesto Manifesto.” That document outlined the standards they would follow regarding “financial integrity, sexual morality, publicity, and partnership with the local church.” However, the organizations led by Billy Graham’s son Franklin recently withdrew from the ...

On today’s program, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association was a founding member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. Its sister ministry, Samaritan’s Purse, joined soon after. Now, both ministries have voluntarily resigned due to a newly added leadership requirement. We’ll have details. And, pro-life ministries continue to adjust to a post-Roe world. MinistryWatch senior reporter Kim Roberts took a deep dive into where the pro-life movement stands now. Plus, the Church of...

Canon Press, the publishing arm of Pastor Douglas Wilson’s ministry, made an unsolicited and unsuccessful offer to buy Christianity Today (CT) for $10 million. CT responded by saying the magazine “is not for sale and has never been for sale.” That has gotten Warren Smith thinking about the dissident right and the role of journalism. Here is a link I mentioned in today’s program: Warren’s review of the 2024 book “Shepherds for Sale.”

Regular listeners to this podcast, or regular readers of MinistryWatch, know that we have spent a lot of time covering Christian education. The reasons for our coverage are many. Christian colleges are among the largest Christian institutions in the country, taking in billions of dollars each year. Secondly, what happens in Christian colleges and seminaries often directly affects the church. So even if you don’t have kids in college now, or ever, your life and your church will be impacted by wha...

On today’s program, an investigation dug into abuse allegations at IHOP-KC—and now a pastoral team charged with making recommendations based on that investigation has determined Mike Bickle is ‘permanently disqualified’ from church office. We’ll take a look. And, a sexual abuse lawsuit against the missionary agency Ethnos360 has been dismissed. Plus, remembering Voddie Baucham, who passed away last week. But first, Camp Mystic has announced plans to partially reopen next summer—and not everyone ...

Paul McNulty has had at least three careers. After graduating from law school, he spent 20 years in public service, rising to the top levels of the U.S. Department of Justice. Then he moved to one of the nation’s – some might say the world’s – top law firms. But service was in his blood, and in 2014 he became president of his alma mater, Grove City College. He has just retired from that position, after an 11 year stint. At a time when lots of colleges are shutting down, Grove City – under McNult...

In 2015 I sat down with Voddie Baucham and had a wide-ranging conversation. We talked about homeschooling, what it means to be a man, the duties of fatherhood, and Brazilian jui-jitsu! On today’s podcast, I share with you excerpts of that conversation. To read an edited transcript of our 2015 conversation, click here. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. Until next time, may God bless you.

On today’s program, St. Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Florida, has refused to reveal the salaries of its pastors—even to its own board of elders. But a new whistleblower report shows that at least three of its pastors receive compensation that’s raising eyebrows. We’ll take a look. Plus, the use of celebrities to promote causes is not new—but ministries are increasingly turning to social media influencers to tout their missions. We look at their uses—and misuses—plus cautions to consider. And, for...

Justin Murff is one of those guys I turn to when I want to sort out what is going on in the world. He has been, or is currently, an Anglican priest, a media executive, and advocate for religious freedom, a former Southern Baptist pastor, and a whole lot more. His innovative work has reshaped how faith communities engage unreached or poorly reached people groups in the digital age. Currently, He is the Canon for Global Affairs to the General Secretary of GAFCON, the global fellowship of confessin...

Christian ministries, especially Christian broadcasters, should pay attention to the Jimmy Kimmel situation. What’s happening to Kimmel now could be happening to Greg Laurie, David Jeremiah, Alistair Begg, Erwin Lutzer, or dozens of other broadcasters in a future administration. The Wall Street Journal I reference in this episode can be found here. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. Until next time, may God bless you.

On today’s program, an anti-trafficking group based in North Carolina is being accused of exploiting the very women it is supposed to be helping. We’ll take a look. And, World Vision’s CEO discusses humanitarian work in a post USAID world. We’ll have details. Plus, factors that are forcing pastors to quit the ministry. But first, eight leaders at the House of Prayer Christian Church in Georgia have been indicted for fraud and tax charges for defrauding banks through real estate schemes and funne...

The death of Charlie Kirk has caused a lot of soul searching by those on the left and the right, as it should. Al Mohler, writing for WORLD, said, “Every generation has its own formative moments. Yesterday is now one of those days.” Charlie Kirk changed over the years. His near-permanent scowl, perhaps a young man’s attempt to be taken seriously, was replaced with a nearly perpetual smile, and regular outbursts of laughter. You could see in him joy, and compassion. He had the mind and the quick ...