MinistryWatch Podcast

On today’s program, Christian music artist Michael Tait admits to living a “double life” after accusations surfaced that he had sexually groomed and assaulted multiple young men over the course of a decade. We’ll take a look. And, Southern Baptist abuse survivor died last week after a brief illness, sending shock waves through the community of abuse reform advocates. Before her death, she took part in a deposition, publicly revealing details of her abuse by an SBC leader. We’ll have details. Plus, pro-Israel evangelical Johnnie Moore is named chair of a Gaza aid group. But first, the trustees of Truett McConnell University have called for an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse against a former professor—and placed its president on leave under suspicions that he had helped cover it up. Truett McConnell University President Emir Caner has been placed on administrative leave following a special called meeting of TMU trustees Friday (June 6). The school, affiliated with Georgia Baptists, has been embroiled in controversy following allegations of sexual abuse against a former professor. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Laura Erlanson, Kathryn Post, Tony Mator, Kim Roberts, Bob Smietana, Yonat Shimron, Shannon Cuthrell, Brittany Smith, and Christina Darnell. A special thanks to Baptist Press for contributing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.   MANUSCRIPT:    FIRST SEGMENT Warren: Hello everybody. I’m Warren Smith, coming to you from Charlotte, North Carolina. Natasha: And I’m Natasha Cowden, coming to you from Denver, Colorado, and we’d like to welcome you to the MinistryWatch podcast. Warren: On today’s program, Christian music artist Michael Tait admits to living a “double life” after accusations surfaced that he had sexually groomed and assaulted multiple young men over the course of a decade. We’ll take a look. And, Southern Baptist abuse survivor died last week after a brief illness, sending shock waves through the community of abuse reform advocates. Before her death, she took part in a deposition, publicly revealing details of her abuse by an SBC leader. We’ll have details. Plus, pro-Israel evangelical Johnnie Moore is named chair of a Gaza aid group. Natasha: But first, the trustees of Truett McConnell University have called for an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse against a former professor—and placed its president on leave under suspicions that he had helped cover it up. Warren: Truett McConnell University President Emir Caner has been placed on administrative leave following a special called meeting of TMU trustees Friday (June 6). The school, affiliated with Georgia Baptists, has been embroiled in controversy following allegations of sexual abuse against a former professor. Natasha: The school also launched a third-party investigation. Warren: The school hired Richard Hyde with Phoenix Research, and it has installed John Yarbrough, TMU’s director of alumni and public policy, as acting president. Natasha: TMU alumna Hayle Swinson went forward last week with allegations that former TMU professor Bradley Reynolds groomed her and sexually abused her while she was a student athlete. Warren: Reynolds was employed at the school until February 2024 after Swinson went to police. Reynolds allegedly sent hundreds of emails and text messages to Swinson over a long period of time, some of them sexually explicit. It is unclear whether school administrators knew about Reynolds’ behavior before 2024. Natasha: Next, breaking news from the Christian Music world. Warren: Days after an investigation revealed allegations of sexual assault against Christian musician Michael Tait, the former Newsboys frontman publicly admitted to abusing cocaine and alcohol and touching men “in an unwanted sensual way.” Last week, The Roys Report reported that three men Tait met in the Christian music industry between 2004 and 2014 accused him of substance abuse and sexual assault. Natasha: Known for performing on Christian music hits such as DC Talk’s “Jesus Freak” (1996) and Newsboys’ “God’s Not Dead” (2011), Tait has been a mainstay of the contemporary Christian music world since the 1990s. He was a founding member of the Grammy Award-winning Christian rock trio DC Talk and later became the lead singer of Christian rock band Newsboys in 2009, before abruptly leaving in January. Warren: Tait admitted in his Instagram post that he was largely “living two distinctly different lives” and said he left Newsboys because he was “tired of leading a double life.” He said he is now sober after spending six weeks at a treatment center in Utah. He wrote, “I accept the consequences of my sin and am committed to continuing the hard work of repentance and healing-work I will do quietly and privately, away from the stage and spotlight,” Natasha: After the allegations against Tait, current Newsboys members Jody Davis, Duncan Phillips, Jeff Frankenstein and Adam Agee said in a statement they were “devastated” by the implications. Warren: When he left the band in January, Michael confessed to the band and management that he ‘had been living a double life,’ but bandmates said they never imagined that it could be this bad. America’s largest Christian radio network, K-LOVE, has since pulled DC Talk and Newsboys from its music rotation for the time being. Natasha: Next, Focus on the Family has joined a long list of conservative Christian ministries to receive a “hate group” designation by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). Warren: Specifically, the SPLC has labeled the Colorado Springs-based ministry an “anti-LGBTQ+ hate group” for its “biblical worldview strategy” that opposes same-sex marriage and affirms biological sexual identity. Natasha: But as the SPLC wrestles with mounting accusations that its hate lists are mere political hit lists, Focus on the Family is swinging back. Warren: In a statement reported by Colorado Politics, Focus on the Family president Jim Daly called the hate label “slander.” “It really is a faux hate list—just because Christians believe there’s a natural order to marriage and creating families and gender doesn’t make you homophobic or intolerant,” Daly said. “It’s common-sense beliefs that have stood the test of time for millennia.” Natasha: Released in May, the 2024 hate list includes 1,371 groups. Among those listed as anti-LGBTQ+ are numerous Christian ministries such as the Family Research Council, Alliance Defending Freedom, and D. James Kennedy Ministries. Warren: Daly suggested that the SPLC’s hate list has become just “a fundraising gimmick” that has “incited violence against innocent believers and fanned the very behaviors they claim they wish to combat.” Natasha: The latter claim seems to reference a 2012 incident in which a man shot a Family Research Council security guard while attempting a mass killing inspired by the SPLC hate group list. Warren: More recently, the Family Research Council has drafted a petition calling on the Department of Justice “to immediately sever all ties with the Southern Poverty Law Center and formally renounce its influence on federal law enforcement and public policy decisions.” Natasha: Warren, let’s look at one more story before our break. Warren: The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), a global ecumenical movement that works to unify evangelicals across geographical and denominational lines, has responded to a “whistleblower report” that criticized its leadership and governance. The whistleblower report raised concerns about the WEA ranging from its “increasing engagement with Roman Catholic institutions and broader ecumenical bodies” to the theological positions of some of its leaders. The report also claims the WEA lacks accountability because the chairman of the board also serves as the group’s chief executive officer. Natasha: The report did not identify the whistleblower, but it was published on April 29 by the Christian Council of Korea, which was previously part of the WEA. Warren: The WEA’s lengthy statement responds to the theological and governance concerns raised by the whistleblower document, noting that the upcoming General Assembly is slated for October 27-31 in Seoul. Natasha: Do we know the source of these accusations? Warren: No. The details of the whistleblower account were published in both Christianity Daily and Christian Daily International, publications that are part of a group of brands founded by Korean pastor David Jang. MinistryWatch attempted multiple times to reach Christian Daily International and Christianity Daily to ask about the source but received no reply. World Evangelical Alliance has 5 stars and an A transparency grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a donor confidence score of 93. Natasha: Warren, let’s take a quick break. When we return, abuse survivor and former Lifeway executive Jennifer Lyell died last week after a brief illness. But before she passed, she revealed details about her alleged abuse by former seminary professor David Sills. I’m Natasha Cowden, along with my co-host Warren Smith, and we’ll have that story and much more, after this short break.   BREAK   SECOND SEGMENT Natasha: Welcome back.  I’m Natasha Cowden, along with my co-host Warren Smith, and you’re listening to the MinistryWatch podcast. Next, the story we promised before the break. Warren: In early April, Jennifer Lyell, a former Christian publishing executive, sat for a deposition in a defamation lawsuit filed by her once mentor and professor David Sills. There she detailed alleged sexual and spiritual abuse by Sills in graphic detail — and insisted he had coerced her into sexual acts without her consent and then asked her to join him at family meals afterward. Lyell died Saturday (June 7) after suffering a series of strokes. She was 47. A few weeks before she died, her lawyer filed excerpts of her deposition in a federal court as part of a legal battle over discovery in the defamation lawsuit. Natasha: Lyell, a former vice president of Lifeway, a Southern Baptist publishing arm, was also named in the lawsuit. In 2019, she went public with her allegations against Sills. But few details of the abuse had been revealed until the May 20 court filing. Natasha: Along with abuse, Lyell also described spiritual manipulation by Sills — a longtime missionary and seminary professor — saying she was made to feel as if she had somehow tempted Sills into sexual activity. Natasha: Can you briefly provide a little more background to Lyell. Warren: For much of her adult life, Jennifer Lyell had been a Southern Baptist success story. She came to faith at 20 at a Billy Graham crusade, went to seminary, dreamed of becoming a missionary, taught the Bible to young women and children and became a vice president at Lifeway, the Southern Baptist Convention’s publishing arm. There she worked on about a dozen New York Times bestsellers, according to a biography from her time at Lifeway. Natasha: By 2019, she was one of the highest-ranking women leaders in the nation’s largest Protestant denomination. Warren: While at seminary in 2004, the 26-year-old Lyell met David Sills, a professor in his late 40s who became her mentor and a surrogate father figure, welcoming her into his family. Sills was also president of Reaching & Teaching International Ministries, a missionary nonprofit. In 2018, Lyell told her bosses that Sills had allegedly used force and his spiritual influence to coerce her into nonconsensual sexual acts over the course of 12 years. Sills admitted to misconduct and resigned from his seminary post and as president of the nonprofit, but no details were made public. But when Sills found a new job with another Christian ministry the next year, Lyell went public with her allegations of abuse, telling her story to Baptist Press, an SBC news outlet. Rather than portraying her claims as abuse, the Baptist Press article said Lyell had had “a morally inappropriate relationship” with a seminary professor. That story was later retracted and Baptist Press apologized. Natasha: But the damage was done. Lyell was labeled a temptress and adulteress who led a Christian leader astray. Warren: She was showered with hate, with pastors and churches calling for her to be fired. Lyell eventually left her job at Lifeway amid the turmoil. Natasha: Sills sued the SBC and its leaders after the Guidepost report appeared, saying they had conspired to make him a scapegoat and that he was “repentant and obedient.” Warren: He also sued Lyell. Lyell never backed down from her account. Earlier this year, in a deposition, she detailed the alleged abuse and how the Bible had been used to silence her for years. Lyell is the second prominent SBC abuse survivor to die in recent months. In May, Gareld Duane Rollins, whose allegations of abuse against Texas judge and Southern Baptist leader Paul Pressler helped spark a major reckoning with abuse in the SBC, died after years of illness. Natasha: Speaking of the SBC, what’s the latest from their annual meeting? Warren: For the second year in a row, a move to bar churches with women pastors from the nation’s largest Protestant denomination failed. A proposed amendment to the Southern Baptist Convention’s constitution, which would have kept any church that affirms, appoints or employs a woman “as a pastor of any kind” from belonging to the SBC, got 60.74% of the vote Wednesday (June 11), just shy of the two-thirds majority needed to move forward. A similar proposal failed last year on a second vote. Natasha: A vote to abolish the SBC’s public policy arm, known as the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, also failed. It was the fourth failed attempt to shut down or defund the ERLC during the Trump era. Leaders of the ERLC have clashed with supporters of President Donald Trump over issues such as immigration, and the agency has been accused of causing division in the denomination. Warren: Messengers approved a $190 million budget, which included a $3 million priority allocation to pay the denomination’s legal bills. Messengers also approved a new business and financial plan but rejected a call for more financial transparency from the SBC’s entities. Natasha: What’s our next story? Warren: American evangelicals, driven by a biblical vision to protect Israel, have long been integral to U.S. diplomacy in the Holy Land. And now they have another player on the team. Johnnie Moore, the evangelical public relations executive with deep ties in the Middle East, was appointed chairman of the embattled Gaza Humanitarian Foundation last week. Natasha: The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, created within the past year, is a private group, formed with Israel’s blessing after it sought to circumvent the aid relief previously provided by the United Nations. Israel has long accused the U.N. of anti-Israeli bias and has alleged that aid from the U.N. ultimately falls into the hands of Hamas, the militant group. Warren: Moore, 41, stepped into the role of chairman of the GHF after its previous head, Jake Wood, resigned hours before the initiative was set to begin late last month. Wood cited concerns over the GHF’s ability to adhere to the “humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence.” Moore was co-chairman of Donald Trump’s evangelical advisory board during Trump’s first campaign for president in 2016. The following year, Moore and other evangelicals pressed Trump to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. Trump later appointed Moore to serve as a commissioner on the United States Commission for International Religious Freedom. Natasha: Warren, we’re going to take another break. When we return, our lightning round of ministry news of the week. I’m Natasha Cowden, with my co-host Warren Smith. More in a moment.   BREAK   THIRD SEGMENT Natasha: Welcome back.  I’m Natasha Cowden, with my co-host Warren Smith and you’re listening to the MinistryWatch Podcast. Warren, we like to use this last segment as a sort of lightning round of shorter news briefs. What’s up first? Warren: Walter Brueggemann, one of the most widely respected Bible scholars of the past century, died Thursday (June 5) at his home in Michigan. He was 92. The author of more than 100 books of theology and biblical criticism, Brueggemann was professor emeritus of Old Testament studies at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, until his retirement in 2003. Brueggemann’s books were broadly influential, especially in mainline Protestant circles. His 1978 “The Prophetic Imagination” sold more than a million copies and remains a classic that is still frequently assigned in mainline seminaries. In the book, he showed how the biblical prophets, called to imagine a different world, disrupted politics and the dominant culture and its assumptions. Brueggemann himself was critical of American consumerism, militarism and nationalism. He is survived by his wife, Tia, and by his sons James and John and their families. Natasha: What’s next? Warren: As part of our annual tradition at MinistryWatch, we’re diving into the Internal Revenue Service’s latest Data Book, a detailed account of the agency’s operations between October 2023 and September 2024. While most of the U.S. tax base consists of individuals and businesses, the report offers a broad statistical snapshot of the nonprofit world, including religious ministries, charities, and other tax-exempt organizations. The IRS recognized 2 million organizations as tax-exempt in 2024, including new determinations, and received over 1.8 million tax-exempt returns. Natasha: And we’ve got our May update from our pastors and planes list. Warren: MinistryWatch, in collaboration with the Trinity Foundation, each month publishes a list of the private planes belonging to pastors and Christian ministries. The Trinity Foundation currently tracks 62 planes owned by more than 40 ministries. During May, these planes made a total of 375 flights. This was a decrease from April’s 403 flights, but a minor increase from March’s 368 flights. Operating costs were approximately $1.82 million for the month, down from $1.98 million in April, but up from $1.6 million in March. These costs do not include the cost of the plane itself. Liberty University remained the biggest user of private aircraft ($228,900), followed by Jesse Duplantis Ministries ($199,800). Assemblies of God—including Assemblies of God Financial Services Group—came in third at $177,820. Natasha: Who did Brittany look at in this week’s Ministry Spotlight? Warren: LeaderSource, a leadership development ministry, has moved into the top 20% for financial efficiency in the Leadership Training sector, earning it some of the highest ratings in the MinistryWatch database, including a 5-Star financial efficiency rating. According to its website, “there are at least 5 million church leaders in the world today, [but] it is estimated that only 5% of them have been trained.” This is where LeaderSource comes in. The organization is based in Elkhart, Indiana, but works internationally in Africa, India, and Asia. According to its website “LeaderSource directly trains over 100,000 leaders each year from dozens of nations.” It partners with church planting networks and ministries around the world to offer coaching, consulting, training and mentorship. The organization, which has a Donor Confidence Score of 97, makes both its audited financial statements and Form 990s available to the public. From 2020 to 2024, LeaderSource’s revenue grew from $3 million to $4.4 million, and expenses grew from $2.4 million to $4.5 million. Natasha: And who did Christina highlight in Ministries Making a Difference? Warren: Nazarene Compassionate Ministries is working to help victims rebuild their lives after a massive earthquake leveled parts of Myanmar in March. Last month, an NCM team completed its fourth round of relief efforts, including trauma debriefing for children. The team opened a prayer clinic for parents and adults to partner in mental and physical healing. The Shelter, a ministry of First Assembly Honolulu in Hawaii, has been providing shelter and recovery support for unhoused mothers and their children since 2018. Now, it is adding a second site about 30 miles away that will house an additional 35 single moms with their children. The 3-acre campus will also include a transitional housing area for women over 55 who are able to work. The Shelter provides shelter, transitional housing, life skills training, and faith-based training, such as Bible studies, chapel services, and discipleship. Founders Seminary last week named Voddie Baucham as its founding president. Founders Seminary, located on the campus of Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, Florida, will open its doors August 11. Natasha: Warren, any final thoughts before we go? Warren: Warren Ad-Lib JUNE 48 of 70 raised. Recurring Donor Appeal. Like, share on podcast app and social media. Natasha: The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Laura Erlanson, Kathryn Post, Tony Mator, Kim Roberts, Bob Smietana, Yonat Shimron, Shannon Cuthrell, Brittany Smith, and Christina Darnell. A special thanks to Baptist Press for contributing material for this week’s podcast. I’m Natasha Cowden, coming to you from Denver, Colorado. Warren: And I’m Warren Smith, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Natasha: You’ve been listening to the MinistryWatch podcast.  Until next time, may God bless you.

A couple of months ago I attended the True Charity conference in Huntsville, Alabama. One of the speakers there was my guest today, Megan Rose, the founder and CEO of a Florida-based ministry called Better Together. Megan got my attention almost right away because of her personal story. I’m not going to give it away here except to say that you have to trust me on this. You want to keep listening if for no other reason than to hear that. But the robust policy and practical content of her message also arrested me. My wife and I have been foster parents here in the state of North Carolina, and Megan said out loud what we had learned, and that is that the foster care system in this country is broken, and it is broken in ways that merely having more Christian foster parents won’t fix. Megan articulated that reality in ways that made sense to me. That’s why I’m excited to have her on the program today. She had this conversation with me via zoom from her home in Naples, Florida. You can learn more about Better together by clicking here. Jeff McIntosh produced today’s program. Heidi Allums provided graphic and technical support. Until next time, may God bless you.

On today’s program, ministry leader Sean Feucht is being accused of moral, ethical, and financial failure by former leaders of his various nonprofits. The accusers issued a formal statement this week detailing their accusations and are calling for an independent investigation. And, with the construction of a new school campus, Pastor Doug Wilson’s empire continues to grow in Idaho. We’ll take a look. Plus, Tim Dalrymple is leaving his role at Christianity Today to take the helm of the John Templeton Foundation. But first, Robert Morris is pushing back on Gateway Church’s claims that they didn’t know the details of his sexual abuse of Cindy Clemishire. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Kim Roberts, Yonat Shimron, Jack Jenkins, Tracy Simmons, Bob Smietana, Brittany Smith, and Christina Darnell. Until next time, may God bless you.   MANUSCRIPT:    FIRST SEGMENT Warren: Hello everybody. I’m Warren Smith, coming to you from Charlotte, North Carolina. Natasha: And I’m Natasha Cowden, coming to you from Denver, Colorado, and we’d like to welcome you to the MinistryWatch podcast. Warren: On today’s program, ministry leader Sean Feucht is being accused of moral, ethical, and financial failure by former leaders of his various nonprofits. The accusers issued a formal statement this week detailing their accusations and are calling for an independent investigation. And, with the construction of a new school campus, Pastor Doug Wilson’s empire continues to grow in Idaho. We’ll take a look. Plus, Tim Dalrymple is leaving his role at Christianity Today to take the helm of the John Templeton Foundation. Natasha: But first, Robert Morris is pushing back on Gateway Church’s claims that they didn’t know the details of his sexual abuse of Cindy Clemishire. Warren: According to court documents filed by Morris in Tarrant County, Morris asserted that Gateway elders “knew the facts pertaining to Pastor Morris’s admittedly highly inappropriate relationship with [Clemishire] as early as 2005 and most certainly by August of 2007.” The court documents are part of his effort to seek Christian arbitration in settling the dispute over his retirement benefits. Natasha: One of the issues of contention between Gateway and Morris has been whether they knew Clemishire was just 12 years old when Morris began abusing her. Warren: Morris pointed to a demand letter written by Clemishire’s attorney, now Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, in 2007 that referred to the sexual assaults beginning when Clemishire was just 12 years old. He said the board of elders received a copy of the letter at the time it was written. Drummond secured an indictment against Morris in Oklahoma for five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child. Natasha: So why is Morris bringing all of this up now? Warren: In his court filings, Morris said he was bringing this documentation of Gateway’s knowledge to light due to the church’s “repeatedly and misleadingly accusing Pastor Morris of lacking transparency” and “public blame shifting.” In his most recent court filing, Morris says he still stands ready to mediate and sent such an offer on May 19, stating, “Morris will agree to mediate the case in Tarrant County provided that such mediation take place with all due haste.” He asked the court to order the parties to mediation and to grant his request to compel the parties to arbitration before the Institute for Christian Conciliation. Natasha: Next, a musician and ministry leader has been accused by former employees. Warren: Five former leaders of groups associated with Sean Feucht have issued a formal statement bringing to light what they call “longstanding and serious moral, ethical, financial, organizational and governance failures” by Feucht and calling for an independent investigation into possible fraud and embezzlement. The statement also urges the removal of Feucht from leadership and financial stewardship positions. The signers were associated in various capacities with Burn 24/7, a group Feucht started in 2006 that hosts regular prayer and worship gatherings in cities around the world. Natasha: What are they alleging? Warren: The allegations claim Feucht has a longstanding pattern of moral and ethical misconduct, including manipulation, exaggeration, control, lying, gaslighting, and spiritual and emotional abuse. Even though they claim he has been confronted about these issues over the years, it has resulted in very little meaningful change or repentance. The signers also claim Feucht has misrepresented his ministry activities, which have allegedly included “ceaseless financial solicitation intermingled with his grandiose visions, which has led to untold financial gain and a steady stream of unpaid labor from volunteers.” Natasha: The former leaders also allege financial impropriety by Feucht. For example, the accusers claim Feucht repeatedly used business credit cards for personal expenses, that he diverted donations to personal accounts, that he inflated prices paid to vendors, and that he used ministry funds to rent his own cabin in Montana for a ministry board meeting. Warren: Liam Bernard, who was a leader with Burn 24/7 in Oklahoma City and regionally, said he was forced to cover many of the costs of Burn events out of his own pocket. When he confronted Feucht about financial transparency and accountability, Bernard said he was called names like “fascist” and “communist,” after which he left the ministry. Sean Feucht Ministries earns an “F” transparency grade, no stars for financial efficiency, and a donor confidence score of 19 out of 100, meaning donors should withhold giving. Natasha: Next, The Rev. William J. Barber II’s ex-wife has asked a judge to look into allegations that the civil rights and anti-poverty leader has been paying her alimony from the finances of his nonprofit. Warren: Barber, who has been leading “Moral Mondays at the Capitol” to oppose the federal budget bill and was arrested as part of those demonstrations last month, is president of Repairers of the Breach, a nonprofit social change organization based in North Carolina. In a court filing in in Durham County, North Carolina, Rebecca Barber, the preacher’s ex-wife, alleges that since November 2023, Repairers of the Breach has issued William Barber monthly checks for $7,000 to a joint personal bank account shared by Barber and his ex-wife, “under the guise of alimony or financial support.” Natasha: Barber divorced his wife of 37 years in November 2024 after separating in 2022. The couple went through mediation to settle parts of the divorce, including alimony, in a process called equitable distribution. But the mediation failed. Warren: Barber may be best known for reviving the Poor People’s Campaign, an anti-poverty effort bearing the name and the goals of the movement launched by Martin Luther King Jr. shortly before his assassination. Barber has preached at several Democratic National Conventions and delivered the homily at President Joe Biden’s inauguration prayer service in 2021. Natasha: On May 3, he married the Rev. Della Owens in Wilmington, North Carolina. Warren: Repairers of the Breach paid Barber more than $224,000 in salary in 2023, according to the most recent Form 990. That year, the organization had $8.2 million in net assets. Natasha: Let’s look at one more story before we take a break, what do you have? Warren: Bryan Chappell has announced that he plans to retire as stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) following pushback from his recent appearance on the Gospelbound podcast with Collin Hansen. According to a statement published in byFaith, the denominational publication of the PCA,  Chappell said he plans to ask the Administrative Committee to approve his retirement at its meeting next week. During the podcast with Hansen, Chappell said he held up a small piece of paper that was a “list of social media ‘scandalizers’ who later experienced personal consequences from their commentary habits.” Chappell told Hansen, “I’m going to show this to you quickly. And every name on that list has either left his family, left the faith, or taken his life. Every name on that list.” Natasha: Who’s on the list? Warren: Screenshots of the enlarged list circulated on social media revealing some of the names, including Dr. Carl Trueman, Aimee Byrd, Tim Bayly, Michelle Higgins, Andy Webb, Dr. Wes White, and Dr. Peter Leithart. The podcast video was removed from the Gospel Coalition website and replaced by statements from Chappell and Hansen. Chappell said, “With deep regret for harm done to others, I am issuing a public apology for not taking proper care to protect the reputation of others.” “This podcast has been removed. I couldn’t read the names over video and did not check during editing to review the list. I apologize for neglecting that review,” Hansen wrote. Natasha: After criticism, Chappell issued the additional statement published in byFaith. Warren: Chappell said in his latest statement. “I brought unwarranted disrepute upon persons identified in the screenshot. For this wrongdoing I repent to my Lord and I apologize to the individuals, their families, and the church I serve. I have begun, and will continue, personally to ask forgiveness from those I harmed. I also confess the seriousness of these errors and sin,” Chappell was elected as the stated clerk of the PCA in 2021, served as the president of the PCA’s Covenant Seminary in St. Louis from 1994 to 2012, and is a founding council member of The Gospel Coalition. Natasha: Warren, let’s take a quick break. When we return, the construction of a new school is the latest in Doug Wilson’s decades long effort to transform the town of Moscow, Idaho, into a conservative Christian redoubt. I’m Natasha Cowden, along with my co-host Warren Smith, and we’ll have that story and much more, after this short break.   BREAK   SECOND SEGMENT Natasha: Welcome back.  I’m Natasha Cowden, along with my co-host Warren Smith, and you’re listening to the MinistryWatch podcast. Next, the story we promised before the break. Warren: On 30 acres at the edge of Moscow, Idaho, construction crews are erecting a Jeffersonian set of classical buildings arranged around a central quad, resembling a miniature University of Virginia. It’s the new campus for Logos School, part of the influential pastor Doug Wilson’s decades long effort to transform this college town into a conservative Christian redoubt. The expansion reflects the rapid growth of Wilson’s Christ Church, which he has led for nearly 50 years. Driven by families with four to six children on average and emigration (“people were chased here by blue state governors,” Wilson said), the church has doubled in size since 2019 to about 3,000 people — roughly 10% of the population of this university town in Idaho’s northern panhandle. Natasha: Doug Wilson has been featured on conservative talk shows, including Tucker Carlson’s. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attends a church in Wilson’s denomination and has praised Wilson’s writings. Warren: In July, Wilson will open a new congregation in Washington, D.C., aimed at ”strategic opportunities with numerous evangelicals who will be present both in and around the Trump administration.” Christ Church now has five churches in all. The growth goes beyond Sunday services. Wilson’s network includes New Saint Andrews College, with about 300 students; Canon Press publishing house; and the growing Logos School system. Natasha: Nationally, Christ Church is part of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, which has approximately 150 congregations all across the country. Warren: The new campus and continued church planting, Wilson said, are necessary to serve a growing population. With 40% of his congregation under age 14, he anticipates practical needs ahead. “All those kids are going to have to go to school somewhere,” he said. “All of them are going to have to marry somebody.” Natasha: Now this story has a lot to it that we can’t get into here, but can you briefly describe his model? Warren: Wilson’s approach emphasizes what he calls “entrepreneurial” Christianity. Church members operate multiple businesses throughout Moscow’s downtown. Wilson describes this as “dominion” — influencing society through service rather than coercion. “We don’t direct them, but we do teach our people that they should be entrepreneurial. They should be service oriented. They should do good work,” Wilson explained. The church’s business network helps fund its expansion. Wilson said individual members, not the church itself, own the downtown businesses. Natasha: Let’s move to Texas where, For much of the past decade, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Warren: Once the nation’s largest seminary, and one of six Southern Baptist seminaries, the school has been a center of controversy since the 2018 firing of its former president, Paige Patterson, for mishandling a claim of sexual abuse by a female student at a previous job. Since then, the school has ousted a second president, who then sued the school, admitted to overspending its budget by $140 million, fought in court with ex-employees over a foundation that supported the school,  dealt with a Department of Justice investigation, and experienced internal board conflict over declining enrollment and fiscal crisis. Natasha: By the time David Dockery, a soft-spoken but well-respected Baptist leader, was named the school’s interim president in the fall of 2022, the school was out of cash. in fact, in September of 2022 they had $4.2 million of short-term debt with the credit line maxed out. Warren: Today, the school is in a place of “genuine stability,” according to Dockery, 72, who dropped the interim from his title in 2023. Enrollment is up, the school has paid off its short-term debt and has $10 million in cash on hand. More importantly, perhaps, the trustees and school administration are on the same page. “The spirit on campus is positive, and people are encouraged about the direction of the seminary,” Dockery said. Before coming to Southwestern, Dockery was president of Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School outside Chicago. And besides a reputation as a solid scholar, according to Hankins, he had a history of effective leadership, including dealing with crisis. Fixing the school’s finances also meant selling off some of the seminary’s property. In 2023, the school sold a 20-acre property for about $14 million, which helped eliminate its debt. Natasha: Now that the school is stable, the next task is to make sure the school has a plan for a sustainable and healthy future. Warren: “We have ongoing work to do to be in a place of what I would say is institutional health and flourishing, and so we’re working toward those ends,” Dockery said. Natasha: Next, a ministry trainee sues the Atlanta Dream Center Warren: A woman, identified as Jane Doe, has filed a lawsuit accusing the Atlanta Dream Center, also known as Frontline Response International, along with the Assemblies of God, of a “sophisticated human trafficking and forced labor operation disguised as a religious ministry.” The lawsuit filed in federal court in April claims the ministry recruited young people under the auspices of missionary training, who were then forced to engage in “unpaid labor” at events and gatherings across the country. Natasha: The “devout Pentecostal teenagers and young adults” were recruited with promises of housing, food, and training for the ministry. Warren: Instead, the court documents claim, the students “were subjected to abhorrent living conditions, including being crammed into overcrowded rooms and forced to sleep on cold floors or in vans in dangerous, crime-ridden areas of Atlanta and other major cities. They were often forced to perform chores at the church or other designated locations for 12 to 14 hours a day, typically six days a week, with minimal time scheduled for their promised ministerial education.” Natasha: The plaintiff raises claims under the Trafficking and Victims Reauthorization Act. Warren: Frontline Response, located in Atlanta, says it works on the front lines “every day rescuing men and women out of homelessness and sex trafficking, while preventing children and vulnerable individuals from falling victim.” It claims to have helped over 3,000 men, women, and children since its founding in 2006. The Atlanta Dream Center church is affiliated with the Assemblies of God denomination. Natasha: Warren, we’re going to take another break. When we return, our lightning round of ministry news of the week. I’m Natasha Cowden, with my co-host Warren Smith. More in a moment.   BREAK   THIRD SEGMENT Natasha: Welcome back.  I’m Natasha Cowden, with my co-host Warren Smith and you’re listening to the MinistryWatch Podcast. Warren, we like to use this last segment as a sort of lightning round of shorter news briefs. What’s up first? Warren: Tim Dalrymple, currently the CEO and president of Christianity Today magazine, will become the third president of the Templeton Foundation, based in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, at the end of July. The foundation, which controls more than $3 billion in assets and distributes more than $130 million in grants each year, funds “interdisciplinary research and catalyzes conversations that enable people to pursue lives of meaning and purpose.” Dalrymple, who holds graduate degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary and Harvard, will succeed Heather Templeton Dill, granddaughter of the foundation’s founder, who is ending her 10-year term as its president. For the past six years, Dalrymple led Christianity Today — an influential evangelical magazine and media ministry founded by the famed evangelical preacher Billy Graham. During Dalrymple’s tenure, Christianity Today’s revenue grew from $9.7 million in 2019 to $18.3 million in 2023, according to the ministry’s IRS disclosures. Net assets grew from $6 million to $9.9 million over the same period. The publication also expanded its international content and launched a capital campaign that has raised close to $28 million. Natasha: What’s next? Warren: About 27% of Christian ministry leaders told MinistryWatch they believe the Trump administration’s policies will have a negative impact on the organization they lead or the work they do. This is an increase from 19% who gave the same answer in our January survey. In January, nearly 55% of respondents were optimistic that the new administration’s policies would have a positive impact. That has dropped to 38% in this month’s survey. About 27% of respondents say they don’t know what impact the new administration will have. MinistryWatch has been conducting its quarterly survey of the leaders of the nation’s 1,000 largest Christian ministries since October 2022. Natasha: Next, we’ve got a list of the largest advocacy groups in our MinistryWatch 1000 database Warren: The organizations on this list are those whose primary work is in advocacy, not direct aid. This includes the arena of public policy, which may focus on life, marriage, and religious liberty. While the top five largest groups remained the same as last year, there was movement in the top 10. Natasha: Global Christian Relief moved down the list five spots, from 6th to 11th place. Giving Children Hope moved from 8th to 20th on the list. Warren: This list should not be interpreted as a list of recommended ministries. They are ranked by revenue, and not by ministry effectiveness, financial efficiency, or any other measure.  That said, the Financial Efficiency rating, Transparency Grade, and Donor Confidence Score of each ministry is listed. A few ministries on the list have a donor confidence score exceeding 90: Safe Families for Children, Kingdom Advisors, Christian Alliance for Orphans, and National Religious Broadcasters. To see the complete list, go to MinistryWatch.com Natasha: Who did Brittany look at in this week’s Ministry Spotlight? Warren: This week, TCM International Institute’s Transparency Grade fell from a C to a D. The organization does not file a Form 990 or make its audited financials available on its website. According to TCM’s Guidestar profile, its IRS classification is “a church.” The organization’s website states that TCM exists to develop “Christian leaders for significant service through higher learning.”  Its strategy is to come “alongside Christians who are leading in their own countries and have a passion for reaching their people for Christ. Through our institute we can develop a Christian leader for a fraction of the cost it would take to send a U.S. missionary to that same country.” According to its 2024 Audited Financial Statement, the organization had a revenue of $3.95 million, and expenses were $3.96 million. It also has $9 million in net assets. Natasha: And who did Christina highlight in Ministries Making a Difference? Warren: Through the work of Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), nearly 30 million children worldwide were exposed to the gospel in 2024—an increase of 2.2 million children from the year prior. CEF also trained more than 534,000 teachers. The ministry’s primary discipleship programs are its Good News Clubs and Christmas Party Clubs, but it has also expanded its digital U-Nite platform, which includes TV, radio, and games. MidAmerica Nazarene University (MNU) in Olathe, Kansas, has elected Dr. Jon North as its 6th president. North, who will take the helm July 1, is an MNU alum and has worked at the university for 15 years. He led the “university’s most extensive fundraising campaign, raising over $90 million for scholarships, academic initiatives, and capital development.” Before his tenure at MNU, he was CEO at Heart to Heart International. Natasha: Warren, any final thoughts before we go? Warren: Warren Ad-Lib JUNE Recurring Donor Appeal. Reader Survey. Like, share on podcast app and social media. Natasha: The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Kim Roberts, Yonat Shimron, Jack Jenkins, Tracy Simmons, Bob Smietana, Brittany Smith, and Christina Darnell. I’m Natasha Cowden, coming to you from Denver, Colorado. Warren: And I’m Warren Smith, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Natasha: You’ve been listening to the MinistryWatch podcast.  Until next time, may God bless you.

Warren Hello, everyone. I’m Warren Smith and I’d like to welcome you to the MinistryWatch podcast. On today’s episode, I’m pleased to have Kim Roberts on the program. If you are a regular reader of MinistryWatch, you know Kim’s name. She is MinistryWatch’s most prolific contributor, and – more to the point today – she is also the manager of MinistryWatch’s quarterly survey of Christian ministry executives. Kim, welcome to the program, and let’s begin with some basic mechanics about the survey. Kim We have more than 1000 ministries in our database, and we send our survey mostly to the CEOs of those organizations. How that we’ve been at this a while, we typically get more than 100 responses, which we feel like is enough to give us a flavor for what these ministry executives are thinking. We’ve been conducting this quarterly survey since October 2022, so nearly three years. Warren We ask a lot of the same questions quarter after quarter, so we can see if sentiment is changing on issues like the state of the economy and the financial health of their own organizations. But we also usually ask one or two new questions each quarter. One of the questions we’ve been asking for the past quarter or two has been about Donald Trump. We asked the ministry executives if they thought President Trump’s policies would have a positive or negative impact on their work. What did you learn? Kim About 27% of Christian ministry leaders told MinistryWatch they believe the Trump administration’s policies will have a negative impact on the organization they lead or the work they do. This is an increase from 19% who gave the same answer in our January survey. Warren OK, so that’s an 8 percent increase. Significant, but not huge. Kim Not huge, but you get a more complete picture when you look at the percentage of executives who are optimistic about Trump’s policies. In January, nearly 55% of respondents were optimistic that the new administration’s policies would have a positive impact. That has dropped to 38% in this month’s survey. That’s a 17 percent drop, which is much more significant. Warren One of the questions we ask every quarter is one about revenue. Any changes? Kim According to the survey respondents, revenue has not increased over the last 12 months as much as it had previously. Only about 16% saw an increase of at least 10% or more in revenue — down from about 21% of respondents in January. Warren About 21% saw their revenue remain flat in that same period. That result is similar to the survey results from July. Kim We also asked a related question about whether ministry leaders believe a recession is on the horizon for the U.S. economy. Leaders are not as optimistic about the state of the nation’s economy as they were in January, with 49% responding that they do not think the U.S. will enter a recession in the next year, down from 62% in January. A majority of leaders — 51% — believe the economy is already in a recession or will enter one in the next six months to a year. Warren Despite their predictions of a recession, ministry leaders are optimistic their revenue will grow over the next 12 months. Kim That’s right. A majority — 51.4% — believe their revenue will grow between 1% and 10% over the next year, and a healthy 19% believe it will grow by more than 10%. About 21% believe their revenue will remain flat. Warren OK, so ministry leaders are optimistic, but they still cite fundraising as the primary challenge they face in leading their ministry. As in January, about 50% of ministry executives cited fundraising as their biggest challenge. Kim When we first began the survey in October 2022, finding and keeping qualified staff was a persistently challenging situation faced by ministry leaders. While it remains a challenge cited by about 25% of respondents in this quarter’s survey, it is down from over 40% when the survey began. Warren A couple of questions that we’ve been asking for a while showed some significant change. It appears to me that these changes could indicate something of a “changing of the guard” among the largest Christian ministries. Kim That’s possible. What is true is that the number of leaders who have been in their position for 10 years or more has been steadily decreasing, even though it is still the largest portion of the survey respondents at 37%.  At the opposite end of the spectrum, 45% of survey respondents said they’ve been in their ministry leadership position for five years or less. That may indicate turnover at the top leadership positions where older leaders are retiring. Warren And the changing age of leaders might further support this “changing of the guard” theory. Kim For the first time in the survey’s history, the number of ministry executive respondents between 51 and 60 years of age  — 41% — exceeded the number of respondents between 61 and 70 — 40%. Warren But some things haven’t changed. Ministry leaders are still overwhelmingly male. Kim The vast majority of leaders who respond to our survey — 81% — are male. Just about 19% of respondents are women. And that number hasn’t really changed that much in the three years we’ve been doing this survey. That said, 19 percent is still a significant number. As we’ve reported in the past, more women are at the helm of Christian ministries than those leading secular businesses. According to Fortune, in 2024 women led only 10.4% of Fortune 500 companies. Warren Kim, thanks for sharing these data with us today. I should add that there’s a good bit more information, questions we haven’t discussed today, plus a lot of charts that make these numbers come alive, in the print version. If you haven’t taken a close look at the survey I recommend that you do so. Thanks to Heidi Allums for preparing the charts we used in the print version. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh.

In 1985, Neil Postman published Amusing Ourselves to Death. That means this year is the 40th birthday of this landmark book. And in that 40 years, Postman’s troubling prophesies have mostly come true. Screens have reshaped our minds, our relationships, and our culture. Ivan Mesa and Brett McCracken say that “social media and smartphones have brought an appetite for distraction, an epidemic of loneliness, and increased rates of mental health challenges. Their new book, Scrolling Ourselves to Death, is a collection of essays by them and many others who have studied not only Neil Postman’s book, but also the culture – examining both through a Christian worldview lens. Both Postman’s original book, and this new book celebrating Postman, have much to offer Christians today, and I’m delighted to have both Brett and Ivan on the podcast. Brett McCracken is a senior editor for The Gospel Coalition and the author of many excellent books, including one of my recent favorites, The Wisdom Pyramid: Feeding Your Soul in a Post-Truth World. Ivan Mesa ha a PhD from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is the editorial director for The Gospel Coalition. He is the author of Before You Lose Your Faith: Deconstructing Doubt in the Church. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. I’m your host Warren Smith. Until next time, may God bless you.

On today’s program, Gateway Church has named a new senior pastor. The appointment comes a year after child sexual abuse accusations surfaced against founding pastor Robert Morris. We’ll have details. And, the Department of Justice is suing a city in Idaho for discriminating against Christ the Redeemer Church—a church plant of Doug Wilson’s Christ Church. The church has been seeking a permit to meet in an old bank building—a request the city has denied. We’ll take a look. Plus, Gereld Duane Rollins—who sued SBC legend Paul Pressler for sexual abuse—has died. His lawsuit sparked a Southern Baptist abuse reckoning. But first, Fuller Seminary reaffirms its stance on biblical sexuality. The board of Fuller, a leading evangelical seminary voted to affirm its long-standing stance on biblical marriage and human sexuality during its May meeting. But an email to supporters May 22 caused confusion. The email defined the biblical and historical understanding of biblical sexuality as “a union between a man and a woman and sexual intimacy within the context of that union.” But in the same email, the seminary’s president also acknowledged that some “faithful” Christian denominations “have come to affirm other covenantal forms of relationship,” an unusual stance for an evangelical seminary. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Bob Smietana, Kim Roberts, and Laura Erlanson. A special thanks to Baptist Press for contributing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.     MANUSCRIPT:    FIRST SEGMENT Warren: Hello everybody. I’m Warren Smith, coming to you this week from Charlotte, North Carolina. Natasha: And I’m Natasha Cowden, coming to you from Denver, Colorado, and we’d like to welcome you to the MinistryWatch podcast. Warren: On today’s program, Gateway Church has named a new senior pastor. The appointment comes a year after child sexual abuse accusations surfaced against founding pastor Robert Morris. We’ll have details. And, the Department of Justice is suing a city in Idaho for discriminating against Christ the Redeemer Church—a church plant of Doug Wilson’s Christ Church. The church has been seeking a permit to meet in an old bank building—a request the city has denied. We’ll take a look. Plus, Gereld Duane Rollins—who sued SBC legend Paul Pressler for sexual abuse—has died. His lawsuit sparked a Southern Baptist abuse reckoning. Natasha: But first, Fuller Seminary reaffirms its stance on biblical sexuality. Warren: The board of Fuller, a leading evangelical seminary voted to affirm its long-standing stance on biblical marriage and human sexuality during its May meeting. In an email to supporters May 22, Fuller caused confusion. The email defined the biblical and historical understanding of biblical sexuality as “a union between a man and a woman and sexual intimacy within the context of that union.” But in the same email, the seminary’s president also acknowledged that some “faithful” Christian denominations “have come to affirm other covenantal forms of relationship,” an unusual stance for an evangelical seminary. Natasha: The acknowledgment that denominations can disagree on the issue and remain faithful led to an online firestorm about whether married gay students who belong to so-called “affirming” denominations might be allowed at the school. Or what will happen to faculty who affirm same-sex marriage. Warren: When asked how the comments about affirming Christians might affect the seminary’s ban on LBGTQ relationships for students, a spokesperson confirmed there was no official change to policy. “The board has made no changes to Fuller’s Community Standards, which all students commit to adhere to upon enrollment, and which states Fuller’s belief that ‘sexual union must be reserved for marriage, which is the covenant union between one man and one woman,” the school’s media contact wrote in an email to RNS. The school’s current community standards – which apply to students, faculty and staff — also state that “sexual abstinence is required for the unmarried.” “The seminary believes premarital, extramarital, and homosexual forms of explicit sexual conduct to be inconsistent with the teaching of Scripture,” according to the community standards. In the email update, Goatley wrote that he would be “working with the Board of Trustees, the administration, and the faculty to develop guidelines to continue living out our commitments.” Natasha: Next, Gateway Church Names a New Senior Pastor. Warren: The appointment comes after the resignation of founding pastor Robert Morris, who resigned last summer after Cindy Clemishire came forward with allegations that he had sexually abused her in the late 1980s when she was 12 years old. Morris has since been indicted by a grand jury in Oklahoma. Morris and Gateway are also currently engaged in a legal battle over retirement benefits. Natasha: So who will take the lead? Warren: The congregation was informed on Sunday, May 25 that the new pastors are Daniel and Tammie Floyd. They founded Lifepoint Church in Fredericksburg, Virginia, 20 years ago, and it has grown to include five campuses across the state. The Floyds said they plan to be at Gateway this coming weekend — May 31 and June 1. Daniel Floyd has a doctorate in ministry from Southeastern University and two master’s degrees from Liberty Theological Seminary. His wife, Tammie, has a bachelor’s in education from Liberty University. Natasha: Next, news from the Vineyard denomination. Warren: Vineyard USA has threatened that it will disassociate with the Duluth Vineyard congregation if certain matters between the two are not resolved by August 15. In a letter dated April 23, Super Regional Leader of Vineyard USA John Elmer expressed his concern with a “breakdown of trust and communication” between the national group and the local congregation. Natasha: What happened? Warren: The letter cites an inquiry into leadership behavior that is being conducted by Duluth Vineyard. According to an update on the Duluth Vineyard website, an independent investigation of interim pastor John Kliewer was conducted after the national group raised concerns that his actions were “unilateral, authoritarian, controlling, unreasonable, intimidating, and seething/burning with anger.” The church said Kliewer took a leave of absence during the investigation in order to “ensure transparency.” The investigation cleared Kliewer of the misconduct allegations, but did acknowledge that he might benefit from “thoughtful discussions and coaching.” Kliewer plans to take an extended leave because of the toll this fight has had on him. Natasha: In February, Kliewer publicly criticized Vineyard USA for its handling of accusations against former Duluth Vineyard leaders Michael and Brenda Gatlin, who resigned in 2023 amidst accusations that they had known about the alleged sexual abuse and leadership misconduct by their son, a former pastoral assistant at the church, but chose not to act. Warren: In November 2024, the Gatlins’ son, Jackson, entered into a plea agreement for the charges under which he will serve 13 years in prison, the Duluth News Tribune reported. Kliewer created a list of 20 actions he believes Vineyard USA must take to address abuse, including public and private apologies, establishing clear consequences for covering up abuse, and structural reforms to the Vineyard USA governance. Natasha: A January 27 letter by Duluth Vineyard in Ann Arbor, Mich., declared the church board “unanimously voted to immediately suspend all financial support to Vineyard USA through the 3% contribution required by the trademark agreement.” Warren: The letter goes on to demand the resignation of the Vineyard USA national director, disbanding of the current board of directors, and implementation of GRACE and Guidepost recommendations. The Duluth church voted to support those same demands in February. Natasha: Warren, let’s take a quick break. When we return, recent Trump administration proposals could have a chilling effect on private foundations and charitable organizations. MinistryWatch reached out to several private foundations and donor-advised funds that support Christian causes to see if they plan to increase their giving to make up for lost federal funding. I’m Natasha Cowden, along with my co-host Warren Smith, and we’ll have that story and much more, after this short break.   BREAK   SECOND SEGMENT Natasha: Welcome back.  I’m Natasha Cowden, along with my co-host Warren Smith, and you’re listening to the MinistryWatch podcast. Next, the story we promised before the break. Warren: In 2023, foundation giving totaled over $103.5 billion, according to the National Philanthropic Trust, making them critical to the charitable work happening in the United States and around the world. Several recent Trump administration and Congressional policies and proposals could have a chilling effect on private foundations and charitable organizations. The House budget reconciliation bill—dubbed the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill”—that passed in the House last week and now moves to the Senate includes a proposed tax increase on the investment income earned by private foundations. Natasha: According to the bill, the tax rate would range from 1.39% for foundations with assets below $50 million to 10% for foundations with $5 billion or more in assets. Warren: Section 110011 of the bill would also put new limits on the charitable contributions of high-income taxpayers and corporations, thus disincentivizing charitable giving. The National Council of Nonprofits opposes the legislation, saying some of the bill’s provisions “divert scarce resources away from essential services, undermine the ability of charitable nonprofit organizations to meet needs in their communities, and put greater strain on government.” Natasha: The Trump administration is also considering an executive order that would ban charitable organizations from issuing grants to groups in foreign countries. Warren: This would likely have a significant impact on religious groups and foundations that send money overseas for disaster relief and development efforts. For example, World Vision International sent more than $70 million in grants to Ukraine, $11 million to Mexico, and $25 million to Colombia in 2023. Natasha: If the bill is passed, how will that impact foundations & charities? Warren: James Whitford, CEO of True Charity, believes private foundations and charities should step in and meet the needs where the government is reducing its giving. Research has shown that government funding of work that charities do crowds out private foundation funding, Whitford said. Additionally, government funding also comes with strings attached that impede the ability to conduct effective compassionate ministry and can lead to a cycle of dependency, he said. While government involvement has grown every year, Whitford welcomes the opportunity for local citizens, foundations, and ministries to take the reins of charitable work and fill gaps that may be left when government leaves the arena. Natasha: MinistryWatch reached out to several private foundations and donor-advised funds that support Christian causes to see if they plan to increase their giving to make up for lost federal funding. Warren: That’s right. Our reporter Kim Roberts reached out to the Tyndale House Foundation, a part of Tyndale House Ministries, is planning to increase its giving to some of its charitable partners. According to its most recent Form 990, Tyndale House Ministries gave about $4.5 million in grants in its Fiscal Year 2023 and about $5.8 million the prior year. The Lilly Endowment didn’t reveal whether it has plans to increase giving to charitable causes that may have lost federal funding. The Lilly Endowment has over $45 billion in assets and gave about $1.55 billion in grants in 2023. The Christian Community Foundation, also known as Waterstone, is not an endowed private foundation, but is a donor-advised fund whose managed assets have grown from about $1.3 billion in 2024 to about $2 billion this year. Waterstone’s Senior Gift Strategist Stephanie Hoff told MinistryWatch that donors who have funds with them don’t hold on to their funds. She said that funds are being donated at a rate of about 70-80% with about $3 million being distributed weekly — an increase from about $2 million per week in 2024. Natasha: MinistryWatch calculated the distributions of other Christian foundations in 2023 by dividing the qualifying distributions by the noncharitable-use assets listed on the foundations Form 990-PF. Warren: The Arthur DeMoss Foundation distributed the largest percentage — 21% — or nearly $8.5 million of its $40.5 million in assets. First Fruit, a foundation to support “leaders and organizations working among the poorest countries of the Majority World,” gave 17% — $3.6 million — of its assets in grants in 2023. The Maclellan Foundation in Chattanooga had the third highest distribution rate of the foundations we analyzed, giving about 10% — $27.4 million — of its assets in 2023. The Stewardship Foundation and Crowell Trust hovered right around the required 5% distribution requirement. Natasha: Next, another municipality is being accused of discriminating against a church who wanted to locate its services in a downtown area. Warren: The U.S. Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against the City of Troy, Idaho, — a small town with a population of about 1,000 — seeking injunctive relief to keep the city from discriminating against a church plant of Christ Church – that’s the church Doug Wilson founded. The DOJ says the city is in violation of the Religions Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). RLUIPA is a federal law meant to guard religious institutions from “unduly burdensome, unequal, or discriminatory land use regulations.” It’s unusual for the Department of Justice to intervene in such local cases, so we’ll keep an eye on this story and bring you updates as they occur. Natasha: We’ve got another church and city related story Warren: The future of a proposed homeless shelter at a New Jersey church — and the future of the church itself — remains unclear after a zoning board meeting ended without a vote. Since October, Christ Episcopal Church in Toms River, New Jersey, has sought permission from the town’s zoning board to open a 17-bed shelter in a building on the congregation’s property. But the project has been met with resistance from both neighbors and the mayor, and it remains stalled after months of public comment. Natasha: The dispute over the shelter made national headlines last month after the Toms River Township Council passed a first vote on a motion to take the church’s property — and several other properties — by eminent domain. Township designs show plans to build a park on the site, including pickleball courts. Warren: The township council was scheduled to take a second vote on the eminent domain proposal next week, but that vote was rescheduled until the end of July. Mayor Daniel Rodrick told Religion News Service in April that he hopes to purchase the church property, rather than taking the property by eminent domain in court. More than 7,500 people have signed a change.org petition opposing the eminent domain motion. A GoFundMe campaign for the church’s legal fees has raised over $18,000 so far. Established in 1865, Christ Church draws about 150 people to services and hosts a variety of community outreaches, including a program run by the Affordable Housing Alliance nonprofit. The church and the alliance are working together on the proposed shelter. Natasha: Warren, we’re going to take another break. When we return, our lightning round of ministry news of the week. I’m Natasha Cowden, with my co-host Warren Smith. More in a moment.   BREAK   THIRD SEGMENT Natasha: Welcome back.  I’m Natasha Cowden, with my co-host Warren Smith and you’re listening to the MinistryWatch Podcast. Warren, we like to use this last segment as a sort of lightning round of shorter news briefs. This week, we’re hitting on news in the SBC. What’s up first? Warren: Gareld Duane Rollins, whose lawsuit accusing a legendary Southern Baptist leader of abuse sparked a crisis in the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, died Friday (May 23). News of Rollins’ death was first made public by journalist Robert Downen, who had covered Rollins’ lawsuit against Texas judge Paul Pressler, an influential Southern Baptist Convention lay leader, for years. Natasha: Downen, a senior writer for Texas Monthly, said Rollins, who had long suffered from health issues and was in his late 50s, had been in hospice care the last time the two had talked. Still, his death came as a shock. Warren: Downen said Rollins was a person of deep faith, which sustained his long battle to recover from abuse. His story was also complicated — Rollins had dealt with addiction for years and had served time in prison, and few people believed his story of abuse at the hands of a powerful faith leader. Rollins’ lawsuit inspired Downen and other reporters from the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News to launch “Abuse of Faith,” an investigation that found hundreds of cases of abuse in the SBC and opened the door for the denomination’s 2022 Guidepost report, which found that SBC leaders had tried to downplay the severity of abuse in the SBC for years — and had mistreated survivors who came forward. That report led to a series of reforms meant to address abuse in the SBC, and to SBC leaders apologizing to abuse survivors. Natasha: Next,  A group of 10 former Southern Baptist Convention presidents have weighed in on a debate over the denomination’s controversial ethics and public policy arm. Warren: In an open letter, the 10 former presidents — some of whom have been critics of the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission — acknowledged the agency has been controversial and can do better. But, they said, that’s no reason to shut the ERLC down. “Every entity — including the ERLC — should be open to critique and committed to improvement,” the presidents wrote. “But there is a difference between refinement and eradication. A sledgehammer is not the tool for adjusting a mirror.” Natasha: Critics of the ERLC — who say the ERLC is out of touch with the beliefs of local church members and lacks close ties to the Trump administration — have engaged in an online public relations war over the agency’s reputation and effectiveness. Warren: The online rhetoric over the ERLC has heated up as the 2025 SBC annual meeting — set for June 8-11 in Dallas — draws nearer. In their letter, the ex-presidents say they have listened to the ERLC’s critics — and, while some of the former presidents share their concerns, they do not believe those concerns warrant shutting down the agency. The SBC presidents argued that reforming the ERLC is a better outcome than abolishing it. “If the goal is reform, then we urge Southern Baptists to use the means already available — electing presidents, speaking with trustees, and working through the process in good faith,” wrote the SBC presidents. Natasha: Next an overview on giving. Warren: There may be more than one reason Generation X is dubbed the Forgotten Generation. According to a Giving USA survey, they are being surpassed by their younger counterparts—Millennials—when it comes to charitable giving. However, Baby Boomers surpass everyone. While Millennial donors had already surpassed Gen X in terms of giving by 2021, the margin has continued to grow. In 2024, millennial donors gave $1,616 annually on average while Gen X gave just $1,371. The oldest generation included in the survey, Baby Boomers, contributed far more than the others—an annual average of $3,256, twice the rate of the second-place millennials. The youngest generation included in the workforce, Gen Z, donated an annual average of $867. Natasha: Warren, any final thoughts before we go? Warren: Warren Ad-Lib MAY Recurring Donor Appeal. Like, share on podcast app and social media. Natasha: The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Bob Smietana, Kim Roberts, and Laura Erlanson. A special thanks to Baptist Press for contributing material for this week’s podcast. I’m Natasha Cowden, coming to you from Denver, Colorado. Warren: And I’m Warren Smith, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Natasha: You’ve been listening to the MinistryWatch podcast.  Until next time, may God bless you.

I was recently trying to remember the first time I met S.D. (Sam) Smith, the creator of the wildly popular Green Ember books. I think it was at a homeschool conference a decade ago, back when I was working at The Colson Center. I noticed that one of the booths in the exhibit hall was crowded with kids and their parents. It was Sam’s booth, and the kids were going just crazy in their enthusiasm for Sam’s “rabbits with swords,” the heroic and delightful characters who are the stars of the Green Ember books. Since then, Sam’s Green Ember books – plus other series that we’ll talk about today – have sold more than 1.5 million books. Sam’s brother Josiah is a key partner in the cottage industry that the Smiths have created, and his son – also named Josiah – is now a co-writer of the Jack Zulu books. I’m also pleased to say that Sam has become a good friend, so this conversation might get a little free-wheeling. We talk about writing the Green Ember and Jack Zulu books, a kickstarter campaign that has already raised more than $200,000 for a video game based on one of the characters in the Green Ember series, and why he has chosen to stay in West Virginia when conventional wisdom says he might have an easier time of it if he moved to Nashville, New York, or one of the other so-called “cultural centers” in the country. I think you’ll find Sam’s perspective both encouraging and challenging. We had this conversation via zoom. That brings to a close my conversation with S.D. (Sam) Smith. You can find out more about Sam and his work at www.sdsmith.com. By the way, since Sam and I spoke, his kickstarter campaign has significantly exceeded its $200,000 goal. Congratulations to Sam and his team on this milestone. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. I’m  your host Warren Smith. Until next time, may God bless you.

On today’s program, Liberty University reached a settlement with disgraced former President Jerry Falwell Jr. last year, but the terms of that settlement were only disclosed this week. We’ll have details. And, Bob Jones University names a new president just a month after its current leader announced he is stepping back. Many alumni aren’t happy with the choice. We’ll explain why. Plus, beloved Bible study author Kay Arthur has died at 91. We’ll look back at the ministry founder’s life. But first, police close its investigation into sexual abuse allegations against Daystar. The police department investigating accusations that sexual abuse was covered up by Daystar Television Network’s founding family, Joni and Marcus Lamb, has announced it is closing the investigation. According to the Colleyville Police Department in North Texas, the allegations were thoroughly investigated over the last year and a half, but no one will be charged in the matter. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Kim Roberts, Marci Seither, Kathryn Post, Bob Smietana, Brittany Smith, and Christina Darnell. A special thanks to The NonProfit Times for contributing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.   MANUSCRIPT:  FIRST SEGMENT Warren: Hello everybody. I’m Warren Smith, coming to you this week from Charlotte, North Carolina. Natasha: And I’m Natasha Cowden, coming to you from Denver, Colorado, and we’d like to welcome you to the MinistryWatch podcast. Warren: On today’s program, Liberty University reached a settlement with disgraced former President Jerry Falwell Jr. last year, but the terms of that settlement were only disclosed this week. We’ll have details. And, Bob Jones University names a new president just a month after its current leader announced he is stepping back. Many alumni aren’t happy with the choice. We’ll explain why. Plus, beloved Bible study author Kay Arthur has died at 91. We’ll look back at the ministry founder’s life. Natasha: But first, Police close its investigation into sexual abuse allegations against Daystar. Warren: The police department investigating accusations that sexual abuse was covered up by Daystar Television Network’s founding family, Joni and Marcus Lamb, has announced it is closing the investigation. According to the Colleyville Police Department in North Texas, the allegations were thoroughly investigated over the last year and a half, but no one will be charged in the matter. Dara Nelson, Colleyville Police Department’s public information officer, in a statement. “The case is closed with no charges filed. In Texas, there is no statute of limitations for sexual assault of a child. If any new evidence emerges in this case, it will be thoroughly investigated,” she added. Natasha: Warren, can you briefly give us a little more background to this story? Warren: Last fall, Jonathan Lamb, son of Daystar founders Marcus and Joni Lamb, and his wife, Suzy, publicly accused Daystar leaders of covering up abuse involving their daughter from several years prior. The couple accused a Lamb family member, identified as “Pete,” of the abuse. Pete submitted to two lie detector tests, and no evidence was ever produced implicating him in the abuse, according to a statement on Daystar’s website. Both “Pete” and Daystar denied any wrongdoing. Natasha: But the family isn’t convinced. Warren: In a post on X, Suzy Lamb called the investigation closure “a formality,” adding that victims of abuse often take years to speak up. She also said “Pete” was not exonerated of the alleged abuse. “When our child is ready to speak – she will and the case will be wide open again,” Suzy Lamb wrote. “Till then we rest and trust God to bring justice.” In response to the allegations last fall, Joni Lamb addressed her son’s allegations, saying he had been fired from the network for performance issues. “Rather than take any steps to improve his performance at Daystar, it seems clear now that Jonathan was focused on fabricating a smear campaign” because he was not named as the future president of Daystar following the death of his father Marcus Lamb in 2021. Warren ad-lib. Natasha: Next, Bob Jones University has a new President Warren: Bob Jones University (BJU) announced the appointment of Dr. Bruce McAllister as its new president, replacing Josh Crockett who has served just under a year. McAllister is a BJU alumnus and has served with the university in various roles for over 48 years. Most recently, he was vice president of ministry. In that role, he oversaw BJU’s ministry and outreach both on and off campus and was a liaison, speaker, and representative at conferences and seminars. McAllister graduated in 1977 during BJU’s 50th anniversary year, and he hopes to still be leading the university at its 100th anniversary in 2027. In his remarks to the faculty and staff of BJU on May 20, he said he is “very optimistic about the future of BJU primarily because we have a very great God.” Natasha: This was a pretty quick major decision on behalf of the school Warren: Yes The decision to name McAllister was made quickly, Dawson said, because he was already well-vetted as a finalist in last year’s search for a president. The board of trustees’ vote for McAllister was unanimous. In reaction to the announcement of McAllister’s appointment, Michael Pettit, a BJU alumnus and son of former president Steve Pettit, posted criticism on social media: “Bruce’s appointment is not leadership. It’s managed decline. This is Dr. Bob’s shadow government at work. There was a future. There was a path forward. But it was stripped from you by men clinging to power, legacy, and probable financial gain. This is a tragedy – make no mistake. And unless something changes, it likely ends in closure around the 100th.” Natasha: While we’re discussing universities, there’s a new development at Liberty. Warren: Liberty University has agreed to a $15-million settlement of a lawsuit with former president Jerry Falwell Jr., according to tax documents reviewed by USA Today. The documents reveal the university, located in Lynchburg, Virginia, will pay Falwell Jr. $5.5 million to settle litigation and $9.7 million for retirement. Falwell Jr. will pay Liberty $440,000 to settle “disputed expenses” between him and the academic institution. Falwell Jr. was “very pleased with the outcome of the settlement negotiations and with the final settlement,” according to USA Today. Liberty did not provide a statement to the outlet. Natasha: Can you remind us why this settlement was necessary? Warren: In March 2023, Falwell sued the university for $8.5 million in retirement benefits he claimed they owed him. In July 2023, Falwell Jr. sued the university, accusing it of misappropriating “for itself” the name and image of Falwell Sr., the conservative Christian evangelist who co-founded the evangelical university in 1971. The settlement agreement authorizes Liberty to use the name, image, and likeness of its founder, Jerry Falwell Sr. Natasha: And Gateway Church is still in the news. Warren: Gateway Church is seeking the intervention of a Tarrant County district court to stop an arbitration proceeding sought by its founding pastor, Robert Morris. Morris is demanding over $1 million from the church. On April 23, 2025, Morris sent a letter to the Institute for Christian Conciliation, a division of Ambassadors of Reconciliation, with a demand for arbitration between himself and Gateway Church seeking enforcement of the terms of a deferred defined benefit plan and the intellectual property rights to his books and other works. As of January 8, Morris claimed the church owed him $1,083,574 that it was refusing to pay. He also claimed he was terminated by the church even though the church has said he resigned. Natasha: Morris has been indicted by a grand jury in Oklahoma for five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child. He made his initial appearance in the criminal matter on May 9 with a preliminary hearing set for September 4. Warren: Not long after Morris resigned in June 2024, the church claims he sought a $1 million payment from Gateway, $800k per year until he reaches age 70, and $600k per year for the remainder of his or his wife’s life. Morris is currently 63 years old.  Warren: Gateway refused to pay the demands, citing contractual reasons and Morris’s “defiantly unapologetic posture” with respect to his actions. Finally, the church argues that because Morris is facing criminal charges for the conduct that led to his resignation, the outcome and testimony in the criminal trial will “likely be important evidence in the arbitration,” while his presence at the criminal trial will likely pose significant scheduling issues for the arbitration. Natasha: Warren, let’s take a quick break. When we return, the story of a couple who took their retirement savings and invested it into a ministry venture that serves their local community. I’m Natasha Cowden, along with my co-host Warren Smith, and we’ll have that story and much more, after this short break.   BREAK SECOND SEGMENT Natasha: Welcome back.  I’m Natasha Cowden, along with my co-host Warren Smith, and you’re listening to the MinistryWatch podcast. Next, the story we promised before the break. Warren: When Jim and Dot Bennett met as Spanish majors at Penn State University, they had no idea how the Lord would open doors to minister in ways they never could have imagined. After a journey of faith, years of hard work, and prayer, they opened a 12,000-square-foot center for the growing Hispanic population who live in eastern Kentucky. Jim’s experience in the mining industry inspired him to start an international consulting practice for mining and gas companies. His company now works in over 120 countries. Natasha: During that time, Dot was working with the Hispanic community through the Kentucky Rivers Foothill Head Start program. She felt compassion for immigrants, thinking of her own family’s journey as immigrants seeking a better life and of the struggles they faced to get on their feet. Especially for those struggling to navigate the health and legal system without knowing the language. Warren: After seeing the growing needs in their community, They discussed building a center to provide medical counseling, education, faith-based services, and legal assistance, primarily serving the Hispanic community. “It was going to cost about 4 million bucks, pushing us to the end,” recounted Jim. “We would be giving up our retirement, all the resources we had to open the doors, and the time it takes to run a place like that. But God was testing our faith, and we knew we had to make it work, no matter how hard it was.” The couple moved forward and after five years of hard work, Centro de San Juan Diego became a reality in 2020. Their mission statement centered around Proverbs 3:27: “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.” By the way…Warren ad lib. Natasha: What’s our next story? Warren: During their annual meeting in Dallas next month, Southern Baptists will sing, bless missionaries, pass a budget, listen to sermons and engage in lively debate about a host of issues. Among those issues: what to do with the denomination’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. For nearly a decade, the ERLC has been a source of controversy as the nation’s largest Protestant denomination has navigated the cultural and political divides of the Trump era. Natasha: While Southern Baptists, like many evangelicals, have been strong supporters of President Donald Trump in the voting booth, some of the president’s policy decisions and personal conduct have clashed with Baptist ethics and beliefs. Warren: That’s left the ERLC, which speaks to ethical issues and public policy debates, occasionally at odds with the denomination’s 12.7 million members, leading to three attempts to disband or defund the agency over the past decade. Clint Pressley, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, suspects there will be a motion to close the agency at the denomination’s annual meeting in June, but Pressley said the future of the ERLC is not up to him. Even if he had concerns about it, he’s got no power to make a decision. Instead, that power rests with church representatives known as messengers. Pressley added that his role as chair of the SBC’s annual meeting means he cannot take sides in any debate over the ERLC. Natasha: In recent months, both the ERLC and its critics have engaged in an online public relations war over the agency’s reputation and future. The Center for Baptist Leadership, a startup activist group with ties to American Reformer magazine, has run a series of articles, podcast episodes and social media posts critical of the ERLC — primarily for its stances on immigration reform and lack of close ties to the Trump administration. Warren: The ERLC has promoted its ties to House Speaker Mike Johnson, a former ERLC trustee, and its support for defunding Planned Parenthood, as well as its opposition to gender transition procedures for minors and gender and sexuality ideology. There have been three votes to defund or disband the ERLC since Trump took office the first time — all of them have failed but between a quarter and a third of messengers at the 2024 annual meeting appeared to support closing the agency. The SBC’s rules require two votes in successive annual meetings to shut down an entity such as the ERLC. Natasha: The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has rescinded a $37.7-million fine assessed against Grand Canyon University (GCU) in 2023. Warren: The original fine was assessed for what the Department of Education said at the time was deception of more than 7,500 students about the cost of doctoral programs at GCU. Natasha: So what happened? Warren: The ED “dismissed the case with no findings, fines, liabilities or penalties of any kind, and confirmed it has not established that GCU violated any Title IV requirements, including the claim that GCU ‘substantially misrepresented’ the cost of its doctoral programs that was alleged by ED officials under the Biden Administration,” according to a press release by GCU. A private lawsuit in federal court about the doctoral program representations survived a motion to dismiss on May 6. A Federal Trade Commission lawsuit filed in December 2023 regarding the same issues is still pending. GCU is the largest Christian university in the country with nearly $1.9 billion in revenue according to its Form 990. In the MinistryWatch database, GCU has a five-star financial efficiency rating, a C transparency grade, and a donor confidence score of 72 out of 100. Natasha: Warren, we’re going to take another break. When we return, our lightning round of ministry news of the week. I’m Natasha Cowden, with my co-host Warren Smith. More in a moment.   BREAK   THIRD SEGMENT Natasha: Welcome back.  I’m Natasha Cowden, with my co-host Warren Smith and you’re listening to the MinistryWatch Podcast. Warren, we like to use this last segment as a sort of lightning round of shorter news briefs. What’s up first? Warren: Kay Arthur, a popular Christian speaker, author and longtime host of the “Precepts for Life” Bible teaching program that was broadcast around the world, has died. She was 91. A former missionary and registered nurse, Arthur was known for her inductive Bible studies — which involved teaching people to “observe, interpret, and apply the truth of Scripture” — Arthur would go on to write more than 100 books and Bible studies. The Precept Bible Study Method is used in 190 countries and has been translated into 110 languages. In 2011, Arthur, who hosted Precepts for Life from 1999 to 2019, was named to the National Religious Broadcasters Hall of Fame. The program was also named Best Bible Teaching Program by the NRB twice. Arthur also won four Gold Medallion awards from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack, who died in 2017 after 51 years of marriage. She is survived by three sons, nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Natasha: What’s next? Warren: The value of a volunteer’s time in the United States increased $1.30 an hour during 2024 to $34.79, an increase of 3.9% from 2023, when value is averaged across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Four areas cracked the $40 per hour mark, with the District of Columbia topping the list at $52.06 per hour, followed by Massachusetts at $42, Washington State at $41.70 and California hitting $40.14. Puerto Rico was the least expensive at $17.32, even with an increase of $1.50 per hour. Mississippi was the next least expensive at $27.01, with an increase of $1.59 per hour. Natasha: The data is from Independent Sector and the Do Good Institute at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy. Warren: Nathan Dietz, research director at the Do Good Institute, is the researcher responsible for calculating the estimates. “The estimated value of an hour of volunteer time, which reflects the value that volunteer labor adds to the capacity of nonprofit organizations, increased again in 2024. The increase of 3.9% is greater than the overall annual inflation rate (2.9%), which shows that the contributions of volunteers are more valuable today than ever before.” Natasha: Next, who is in our Ministry Spotlight? Warren: Dignity Freedom Network (DFN), a ministry working with women and families across India, recently saw a jump in its Donor Confidence Score from 37 to 52. That still places the organization in the “Exercise Caution” category, mostly due to it not making its Form 990s available to the public. A spokesperson for DFN told MinistryWatch the organization does not file a 990 “with the IRS, but we do prepare them every year and are happy to send them to donors.” DFN sent a copy of its latest 990 to MinistryWatch. In 2023, the organization had a revenue of $2.1 million, and its expenses were $2.7 million. It has $1.4 million in net assets. DFN is also a member of the ECFA, but has requested that its member profile be hidden. “We’re still a member, still in good standing, but we asked them to remove us from the website for safety issues,” the DFN spokesperson told MinistryWatch. Warren ad-lib. Natasha: This week, in Ministries Making a Difference, Christina Darnell rounded up churches that are building practical ministries based on the needs of their local neighbors. Warren: Warren ad-lib theme of local, practical ministries. Over the past few years, Lifehouse Church of Salem County in New Jersey has expanded its ministry to families with disabilities inside and outside the church. The congregation sponsors and coaches an elementary-age baseball team with Little League Challenger, a league for children with disabilities. It also hosted a special VBS two years ago that grew into a monthly VBS-type program for families with disabilities that includes Bible stories, crafts, and music. On Fridays in Austin, Texas, First United Methodist Church invites homeless women to a day of self-care—a safe haven, steaming coffee, scrumptious meal, hot shower, a new outfit, and a chance to wash laundry. Once a month, a hairstylist donates her time to cut hair. The ministry began as church leaders noticed it was mostly men who took advantage of their homeless services. They found out women were intimidated by the men, and so they prepared a separate day. Now, as many as 30-40 women show up at the church for help on any given Friday. Members of the Church of the Nazarene in Cerro Cama in Panama have initiated a host of practical ministries to its surrounding community. With the help of volunteers from other districts and missions teams from North America, they have hosted Vacation Bible Schools, medical mission teams, hot meal distributions, support for public schools and families in need, and support sessions for teenagers. The work has created a need for further accommodations, and in 2024, the church began building a new sanctuary, a children’s dining area, and a pastoral apartment. Natasha: Warren, any final thoughts before we go? Warren: Warren Ad-Lib MAY Recurring Donor Appeal. Like, share on podcast app and social media. Natasha: The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Kim Roberts, Marci Seither, Kathryn Post, Bob Smietana, Brittany Smith, and Christina Darnell. A special thanks to The NonProfit Times for contributing material for this week’s podcast. I’m Natasha Cowden, coming to you from Denver, Colorado. Warren: And I’m Warren Smith, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Natasha: You’ve been listening to the MinistryWatch podcast.  Until next time, may God bless you.

On today’s program, Warren Smith talks with Michael Reneau of The Dispatch about his new column “Dispatch Faith.” They also unpack the mission of The Dispatch, his role there, the state of American journalism, and a whole lot more. Before joining The Dispatch, Michael Reneau was the editor of WORLD Magazine. He also served as editor of the award-winning paper The Greenville Sun, based in Greenville, Tennessee. He is married and he and his wife have four children. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh.

If you are a conservative, Bible-believing Christian, there’s a lot to like about the Rev. Calvin Robinson. Raised in England, he stood up to the liberalism of the Church of England and, as a result, that church would not ordain him. He is a powerful communicator who puts his gifts in service of pro-life causes, the sanctity of marriage, and other important issues. Then there’s the “other” Calvin Robinson. If you’ve been following the news about Robinson this week, you probably know that Calvin Robinson, too. That Calvin Robinson is an agent provocateur. He made what appeared to be a Nazi-like salute at a pro-life event in January. He has been fired or suspended from media and ministry jobs. This Calvin Robinson is a guy who seems to be in love with the spotlight, but not at all in love with those in authority over him telling him what to do. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. The host is Warren Smith. Until next time, may God bless you.