On today’s program, a former member of Village Church of Bartlett in Illinois is suing the church for defamation after the pastor allegedly accused her of an affair. Another family who supported the victim was also excommunicated. We’ll have details. And, last year, Texas Christians provided Thanksgiving dinner to a group of Ukrainian refugees. Thi…

Christian ministries need volunteers. Christian retirees need purpose and meaning. It’s a match that models for the world the Kingdom of God. Articles or other resources mentioned in today’s podcast: Article in Yahoo Finance explaining a trend among rich older Americans to pay millions of dollars to get into luxury retirement campuses. A recent art…

On today’s program, the wife of slain missionary Beau Shroyer has been arrested in connection with his death—investigators suspect she hired the man she was having an affair with to kill her husband. We’ll have details. And, a Pennsylvania church trying to disassociate from the Evangelical Presbyterian Church has been charged for sharing informatio…

Randall Goodgame is one of my favorite people. For one thing, he is unfailingly nice, one of the nicest guys I know. And he’s enormously talented. He began his musical career while still an undergraduate in the 1990s playing keyboards for a southern rock band called Black Creek that had regional success and developed a cult following even though it…

On today’s program, Jason Yates—the former president of the Christian advocacy group My Faith Votes—has been charged with possession of child pornography. We’ll have details. Plus, Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA is rallying young people to become active in politics by establishing chapters on Christian college campuses. We’ll take a look. And, re…

If you’ve been around me for a while, you know that I’m a fan of Roland Warren. He’s been the president of Care Net, the nation’s largest network of pregnancy resource centers, for more than a decade. He’s been an advocate for the unborn for much longer than that. Roland Warren has also helped bring fathers into the pro-life conversation, in part b…

On today’s program, a lawsuit against Hillsdale College has been dismissed after students alleging they were raped sued the college for Title 9 violations. We’ll have details. And, the nonprofit Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment—known as GRACE for short—turns 20 years old. We’ll look back at where they started—and where they’re g…

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 Ch…

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 eq…

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 ne…

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 …

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 require…

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 Kanak…

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 …

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 la…

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, famil…

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…

“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 Departme…

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 loca…

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 u…

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…

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 inte…

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 …

(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 Ce…

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 tim…

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 ta…

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 ha…

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 h…

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 Hi…

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 in…

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 …

COLUMBUS, Ohio (BP) – It happens with a couch or mattress. It happens with two chairs facing each other across a table.While refugees’ initial days and months in America can be complex and filled with paperwork and immigration meetings, churches have learned there are direct, simple ways to meet needs.Not long after it began six years ago, Living H…

Today I welcome back to the program Al Fadi, with the Strategic Resource Group, an organization that funds projects to reach unreached people groups in the Middle East and North Africa, the so-called MENA region of the world. Al has been on the program before to discuss a bible translation project for Hejazi speaking people. This is an Arabic langu…

On today’s program, new life breathed into a lawsuit against Dave Ramsey’s company. A former employee claims he was fired for not sharing Ramsey’s religious beliefs on how to handle the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ll take a look at the court’s latest ruling in the case.And, a Southern Baptist pastor in Florida faces a minimum sentence of life in prison w…

Former video editor claims he was fired for failing to follow Ramsey's faith-based beliefs onhow to deal with COVID-19 pandemic.By Bob Smietana for Religion News ServiceA federal appeals court has ruled in favor of a former employee who claimed Ramsey Solutions,the company run by Christian personal finance guru Dave Ramsey, discriminated against hi…

Here at MinistryWatch, we constantly consume all kinds of media. We are constantly looking for stories, and we are constantly looking at how other media outlets handle the stories we cover. We ask: How can we add value to a story? Is this a story that fits our mission? Should we even cover this story at all?Answering these questions is not always e…

On today’s program, after a slew of controversies, Southern Baptists chose a low-key leader. We take a closer look at new SBC President Clint Pressley. And, Pastors and politics—legally, what are churches and other Christian nonprofits allowed to do when it comes to this year’s presidential campaign?We also highlight the results are in from our sum…

On today’s MinistryWatch EXTRA episode, Warren Smith shares a review he wrote for “The Dispatch” of Megan Basham’s new book Shepherds For Sale: How Evangelical Leaders Traded The Truth for a Leftist Agenda. The fundamental flaw of the book is that it fails to note that the real problem in evangelicalism is that pastors have succumbed to the populis…

On today’s program, Liberty University reaches a settlement with former president Jerry Falwell Jr. after years of back-and-forth lawsuits between the two parties. Now, they say they are putting the past behind them. We’ll have details.A small university in North Carolina is beating the odds…while other Christian colleges face closure, this school …

You may have heard the term ex-vangelical. An ex-vangelical is someone who formerly identified as an evangelical, but no longer does so. The phenomenon has created a sub-genre of books from memoirs – such as those by Josh Harris, Rachel Held Evans, and others -- to more journalistic accounts, such as Sarah McCammon’s “The Ex-Vangelicals.”But is the…

The 2024 Summer Olympics are about to begin in Paris, and that event should be of interest even to those who don’t much care about sports. For one thing, it’s the 100th anniversary of the 1924 Olympics, also held in Paris, in which Christian missionary Eric Liddell won a gold medal. That story was famously recounted in the Academy Award winning mov…

On today’s program, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission—the public policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention—fired its president Brent Leatherwood this week…then less than 12 hours later reversed course and said he was NOT fired. We’ll have details.Also, Life Surge wealth conferences draw big audiences with its celebrity speaker lineup an…

Carlos Campo has one of the most interesting biographies I know about. His parents were entertainers who had hit records and a national profile in the 1940s and 50s. Carlos Campo’s mother was Betty Clooney, who with her sister Rosemary rose to the top of the music industry. That also makes Carlos Campo a part of a family that some consider entertai…

On today’s program, Village Church Pastor Matt Chandler is under fire after his church hired a man who, in the past, was convicted of child sexual abuse. That man was his father. We’ll take a look.Also, Robert Morris—the Gateway Church pastor accused of abusing a young girl starting when she was 12 years old—is having his radio and tv programs canc…

For the past 100 years, radio has proven to be a persistent medium. Television, podcasts, and other digital media have taken their slices of the market, but radio has not gone away. In some ways it is as strong today as ever. About eight in 10 Americans over the age of 12 listen to terrestrial radio in a given week.And as long as there has been rad…

On today’s program, a South Carolina church is facing fallout after it became known that its pastor is a registered sex offender for abusing a minor. Leaders knew when they hired him, but didn’t alert members. We’ll have details.And, years ago a handful of Dallas-area churches that started as multi-site campuses of The Village Church transitioned t…

We live in a polarized time. People with whom we disagree are not just wrong, but evil – or so we (and they) often think.John Inazu thinks that posture towards those with whom we disagree is neither helpful nor biblical. He thinks empathy, curiosity, and love – both loving our neighbors but also loving our enemies – is both a biblical approach, and…

The book, "Jesus Calling," has sold more than 45 million copies, but it has been the object of criticism from its first publication date in 2004 until now. The Presbyterian Church in America’s decision to do an in-depth study of the book is a gift to the broader Christian church, presenting the opportunity to settle controversies about the book onc…

On today’s program, the Christian Reformed Church synod have voted to suspend leaders within the denomination who approve of LGBTQ lifestyles…their message: repent or disaffiliate. We’ll have details.Also, ministries continue to distance themselves from megachurch pastor Robert Morris after a woman claimed he abused her starting when she was 12 yea…

Christian colleges and universities are in a tough spot. Spiraling costs and shrinking demographics, plus technological and other cultural concerns, are putting unprecedented pressure on them. We’ve reported on the closures of many Christian colleges here at MinistryWatch, and our reporting has barely touched the magnitude of the problem. According…