Episodes

On today’s program, a Texas court is considering sanctions against the South Texas Assemblies of God for refusing to provide documents in a case related to its Chi Alpha college ministry. The denomination has been accused of allowing a convicted sexual predator to continue serving with college students. We’ll have details. Plus, anti-trafficking group Unlikely Heroes has been accused of misusing a $100-thousand grant—the private foundation who issued the grant has just acquired the ministry’s as...

On today’s program, Warren Smith has one of his periodic “lightning round” talks with Michael Reneau of The Dispatch. This time, they dig into celebrity Christians, including Jen Hatmaker, Doug Wilson, Chip and Joanna Gaines, and others. They also discuss how Tim Keller is sort of an antidote to that, the “anti-celebrity celebrity. They also discuss recent articles at The Dispatch regarding artificial intelligence, and a whole lot more. We mention a couple of articles in the program. Here are li...

Here at MinistryWatch, our mission is to help Christian donors become true stewards. We provide resources to help you become more faithful stewards of the resources God has entrusted to you. If you’ve been around MinistryWatch for a while, that means we help you to give wisely and faithfully. But for most Christians, even generous Christians, the amount of money they give away is just a fraction of the amount of money they invest. Christians invest in the stock market, in mutual funds, through t...

On today’s program, the Assemblies of God South Texas Ministry Network has discovered financial misconduct among its ranks. This is the same Assemblies of God network plagued by Chi Alpha sexual abuse scandals. We’ll have details. And, a ministry helping Christians escape ‘high control’ churches…the group encourages believers to rebuild—not deconstruct—their faith. Plus, the American Bible Society is issuing thousands of dollars in grants to Christian colleges to fund the development of an A-I a...

Catchisms are, quite simply, question-and-answer summaries of the faith. For centuries Christians have catechisms to teach the fundamentals of the faith, and to disciple new believers. The Westminster Catechism, the Heidelberg Catechism, Luther’s Catechism, and others have been used by Christians since the Reformation. But some so-called “low church” traditions – Baptists, non-denominational evangelical churches, and others – don’t have a strong tradition of using catechisms. And even those deno...

On today’s program, David E. Taylor—the self-appointed apostle of Kingdom of God Global Church and head of Joshua Media Ministries—was arrested this week for forced labor and money laundering. If convicted, he could face more than 20 years in prison. We’ll have details. And, a Kentucky church has encouraged their members to check books out of their local library, and not return them—ever. The books, many of them geared toward children, promote LGBTQ lifestyles, and the church is framing the thef...

James C. Dobson, a psychologist, political activist, and author who championed Christian pro-family values on his popular radio shows and in his bestselling books, died Thursday. He was 89. Here are a few links I mention in today’s EXTRA episode. In 2022, I wrote an appreciation of Dr. Dobson for MinistryWatch, when he announced his retirement from full time work. Paul Batura, who worked with Dr. Dobson for many years as a senior executive at Focus on the Family, posted a long tribute to him on ...

On today’s program, a former employee sues Liberty University, claiming she was given heavier work loads, less pay, and was passed over for promotions. In the end, she claims she was fired for being a whistleblower. We’ll have details. Plus, email scams are targeting churches…in some cases, scammers pose as pastors seeking donations. How can churches and members protect themselves? We take a look. Also, the Southern Baptist Convention launches a new abuse helpline. We’ll also have a remembrance ...

When the Soviet Union collapsed, Frances Fukuyama famously declared that we had reached the “end of history.” He meant that the big arguments, the major ideological struggles, were now all in the past, and that liberal democracy would prevail from then on. The rest would be just cordial arguments about policy. That peaceful kingdom has obviously not come to pass. Some might argue that Fukuyama’s core thesis is still true. Liberal democracy lacks a coherent, universal rival. No alternative ideolo...

On today’s EXTRA Episode, Warren Smith discusses new research from Ryan Burge on “exvangelicals.” Burge’s conclusion: The movement is “way overblown.” To read a transcript of today’s episode, click here. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. Until next time, may God bless you.

Here at MinistryWatch we measure a lot of things. We measure financial efficiency. Simply explained, that’s the amount of money that goes to ministry vs. the amount of money. We grade ministries based on their transparency. Our Donor Confidence Score takes into account more than a dozen factors before providing an overall score designed to help you decide whether to give to a ministry or not. One of the most vexing problems we face in the work we do is the problem of measuring ministry effective...

The producers of the new season of “Shiny Happy People” have taken a page out of the Geraldo Rivera School of Journalism. To read a transcript of today’s podcast, click here. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. Until next time, may God bless you.

On today’s program, a third prosecutor has been appointed in the trial of Anglican Church in North America Bishop Stewart Ruch after the first two resigned. The Bishop is on trial with the denomination for welcoming abusers into the church, and minimizing the needs of abuse survivors. A North Carolina church was the victim of an online scam that stole nearly $800 thousand from their new building fund. That was two years ago—we’ll look at where the church is now. Plus, Brent Leatherwood resigns f...

If you are a regular reader of MinistryWatch, and you appreciate our approach to the news, you should know about Bob Case. In fact, if you read WORLD Magazine, or Christianity Today, or The Dispatch, or any of dozens of other news outlets, you have – whether you know it or not – been influenced by Bob Case. Robert Allen Case II is one of the unsung heroes in the development of Christian news outlets over the past 30 years, in part because of his co-founding and leadership of World Journalism Ins...

On today’s program, conservative leader Jason Yates, who was the former CEO of My Faith Votes, has pleaded guilty to the possession of child sexual abuse material. We’ll have details. President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill…school choice advocates welcome a provision in the bill that includes a private school tax credit…but the impact on Christian education remains uncertain. We’ll take a look. Plus, The King’s College in New York City. After years of financial woes and false restarts, the scho...

On today’s program, St. Andrew’s Chapel, the church founded by RC Sproul and now led by controversial pastor Burke Parsons, delays its long-awaited vote on leaving the Presbyterian Church in America. We’ll have details. The murders of two women at a Kentucky church this month point to a troubling trend—and churches are seeking help to prevent more violence. We’ll take a look. Plus, two years ago, Child Evangelism Fellowship set a goal of reaching 100 million children a year with the gospel throu...

In a recent court filing, the IRS said the-so called Johnson Amendment, which bars all nonprofits from being involved in political campaigns, should not apply to political speech during religious services. The IRS decision still awaits a judge’s approval, but – if it comes – it will be a major victory for the Trump Administration and the fulfillment of a promise to at least one segment of his political base. Trump made the repeal of the Johnson Amendment an important part of his stump speech to ...

Have you noticed that we live in contentious times? I certainly have. Our politics is polarized. Even our church life is too often contentious and ideological, with positions being driven as much by tribalism as by Scripture or a principled theology. Why is there so much conflict today, and is there a way out of it? Amanda Ripley thinks there is. She’s an investigative journalist who has written for Slate, The Atlantic, and many other publications. She is also trained in conflict mediation, and ...

On today’s program, St. Andrew’s Chapel is facing questions over its lack of financial transparency. Members say church leaders refuse to share budget details. Now, the local presbytery is involved. We’ll have details. And, the I-R-S now says churches CAN endorse politicians—this, despite the so-called Johnson Amendment…a law that threatens to remove a ministry’s non-profit status if it makes political endorsements. The move comes as the I-R-S hopes to settle a lawsuit brought by the National Re...

If you are listening to this podcast, I’m guessing religion plays an important role in your life. It certainly does in mine. That’s why I was a little put off by the title of Christian Smith’s new book Why Religion Went Obsolete: The Demise of Traditional Faith in America. Religion is certainly not obsolete in my life. But I must say: After reading the book, and after having the conversation with him that you are about to hear, I think he may be right. Of course, a great deal hinges on how you d...

On today’s program, Baylor University voluntarily rescinded their acceptance of an LGBTQ research grant after receiving pushback. The school’s president says their stance on biblical sexuality has not changed. We’ll have details. And, is a membership with the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability worth the cost? We talked with current and former members. Also, the adoption of A-I in church operations is now mainstream…but pastors aren’t ready to use it for everything. Plus, a guide to...

In this week’s “Extra” episode, Warren discusses the history of McLean Bible Church and the tenure of David Platt. Does he deserve the criticism he has received? Warren’s answer: Platt is not perfect, but the “conflict entrepreneurs” at his church have produced more heat than light. A few links mentioned in today’s program: Stories about McLean Bible Church or David Platt. In the past week, the church released a 35-page report telling its side of the story. I have read the entire report, and I s...

The mission of MinistryWatch is to help Christian donors become more faithful stewards of the resources God has entrusted to them. With a mission like that, it’s easy to see why Dana and Bill Wichterman’s new book got my attention. The book is Stewards Not Owners: The Joy of Aligning Your Money With Your Faith. Over the years, I’ve read a lot of books about this topic, from Randy Alcorn’s Money, Possessions and Eternity to Jay Richards’ Money, Greed, and God. Other books I often recommend on the...

Here at MinistryWatch, we have become all too familiar with the allure and the dangers of celebrity preachers. One of the things you will here me say often is that we humans are not meant to be celebrities. We’re not wired for it. Celebrityhood is a condition that wars against the health of our soul. And yet…we Americans, and American evangelicals in particular, have an addiction to celebrities. To use the words from the Joni Mitchell song, our star-making machinery keeps spitting them out. And ...