MinistryWatch Podcast

On today’s EXTRA episode, Christina Darnell and Warren Smith discuss news of the week that is “MinistryWatch Adjacent,” including Katmai National Park’s Fat Bear Week.

Resources mentioned in today’s episode include:

The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. I’m Christina Darnell, along with Warren Smith.

Until next time, may God bless you.

Bonnie Kristian is a journalist, author and deputy editor at Christianity Today whose work has appeared in publications including The Week, The New York Times and Politico. She came to journalism while studying theology at an evangelical seminary, and that combination of theological training and journalistic experience has shaped much of her work.

Her new book, In Defense of Evangelicalism: A Response to Its Cultured Despisers, makes a provocative argument: Evangelicalism has serious problems, but the increasingly common wholesale condemnation of the movement is unfair, and evangelicalism is worth reforming rather than abandoning. Kristian takes on critics including Kristin Du Mez, Beth Allison Barr and Tim Alberta, arguing that critics sometimes mistake the movement’s fringes for its center while acknowledging that evangelicals have genuine failures to address.

The book has received strong praise from figures including theologian Carl Trueman, who called it a “kind, generous work,” and National Association of Evangelicals president Walter Kim, who called it “a vital service to the public.” But the book has also drawn substantial criticism. Christian Century reviewer Sam Gee argues that Kristian’s defense relies too heavily on separating mainstream evangelicals from their problematic fringes and questions whether she sufficiently reckons with evangelicalism’s political and theological entanglements. Today, we’ll talk with Bonnie Kristian about what evangelicalism is—and whether it is worth defending.

The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. Until next time, may God bless you.

On today’s program, Tim Tebow and Pastor Craig Groeschel are among some big names suspending ties with Life Surge amid claims the Christian finance ministry pressured people at their events to take on thousands in debt. We’ll have details.

Plus, two Christian media ministries are clashing over the word “Hope” — and are battling their trademark claims in court. We’ll take a look.

And, a judge has dismissed most of the claims in former professor David Sill’s case against the Southern Baptist Convention and its leaders.

But first, a popular Christian author and her husband are facing serious charges this week. Heather Thompson Day is a popular speaker and author across the broader Christian community, not just her own denomination. She’s written 10 books, including a bestseller called “I’ll See You Tomorrow.” She also hosted a Christianity Today podcast called “Viral Jesus” and writes a weekly devotional with 10,000 subscribers.

 The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. We get editorial, database, and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, Heidi Allums, Casey Sudduth, and Christina Darnell. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Bob Smietana, Jessica Eturralde, Kim Roberts, and Michaela Gordoni.

You’ve been listening to the MinistryWatch podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.

Here are resources mentioned in today’s episode:

The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. Until next time, may God bless you.

In the early 1990s, Mark Whitacre appeared to have everything a young corporate executive could want: an Ivy League doctorate, wealth, prestige and a rapidly rising career at Archer Daniels Midland. By age 32, he was president of ADM’s BioProducts division, and by 35 he was a corporate vice president and a candidate to become the company’s president.

Then his life unraveled.

On today’s extra episode, Warren Smith shares Whitacre’s story – and lessons we can all learn from it.

To read a transcript of this episode, and access resources mentioned by Warren, click here.

The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. Until next time, may God bless you.

On today’s program, the college founded by Doug Wilson is in a zoning battle with the city of Moscow, Idaho — and it may be part of a larger trend. We’ll have details. And, a new credentialing program looks to close the gap in the world of anti-trafficking — equipping survivors to support other survivors. We’ll take a look. Plus, Liberty University reclaims the top spot as the biggest user of private aircraft — it’s our latest edition of Pastors & Planes.

But first, a Christian recovery ministry in Florida that once had the full support of local officials is now fighting to stay open.

The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. We get editorial, database, and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, Heidi Allums, Casey Sudduth, and Christina Darnell. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Tony Mator, Kim Roberts, Neva Piombino, Makella Knowles, and Jessica Eturralde.

A special thanks to The Institute for Survivor Care for contributing material for this week’s podcast.

Until next time, may God bless you.

Bad behavior comes from all directions. We are, after all, human. So no institution is immune from The Fall. That said, a lot of the stories we cover that include scandal or fraud seem to come from those who advocate for The Prosperity Gospel. Today, Christina and Warren point you to a great resource to learn more about this branch of evangelical Christianity.

We also take a close look at Dolly Parton’s philanthropy.

A new study by the Independent Sector shows nonprofit organizations remain the most-trusted sector in the U.S., even as perceptions of government institutions and private corporations worsen.

And, finally, more publishing success from The Rabbit Room. The Rabbit Room Press, a part of the ministry founded by musician and writer Andrew Peterson, has had a string of unlikely successes lately. The most recent has been the publication of an epic poem by Malcolm Guite.

 Here are some resources mentioned in today’s program:

https://ministrywatch.com/ep-614-a-conversation-with-malcolm-guite/

https://ministrywatch.com/ep-633-author-playwright-and-rabbit-room-publisher-pete-peterson/

The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh.

Until next time, may God bless you.

The uber-rich support the strangest things. Between 2001 and 2004, one of the Home Depot founders, Bernie Marcus, gave $255 million to fund the Georgia Aquarium. Joan Kroc gave $200 million to fund National Public Radio in 2003.

Even in the Christian realm, I sometimes scratch my head. Donors to the He Gets Us campaign have spent an estimated $775 million.(Between 2021–2024: $429.8 million spent by the Signatry/Servant Foundation on He Gets Us, according to IRS disclosures. In 2024, the operation moved to Come Near, a separate nonprofit. Come Near projected another $345 million in expenditures for the period July 2024–June 2026. That puts the documented/projected spending through June 2026 at roughly $775 million. Organizers have previously talked about a goal of spending $1 billion on the campaign.)

It is with this context that I offer a modest proposal. I propose that some wealthy Christians step up and create a fully accredited graduate program in journalism at a top-tier Christian college. So far, no such program exists, and the existence of such a program could make a dramatic difference in the journalism landscape of this country.

Christians have made massive investments in virtually all spheres of public life, but Christian journalism has been virtually ignored by Christian philanthropists. Creating a fully accredited journalism school, from undergraduate through the doctoral level, would be a giant first step toward repairing that long overdue neglect.

And a giant step toward repairing a serious tear in our cultural fabric.

Until next time, may God bless you.

On today’s program, Southern Baptist seminary leader Al Mohler walks back statements he made in support of blasphemy laws — which would mean punishing people for denying God’s role in the foundation of America. We’ll have details.

Plus, Sean Feucht succeeds in getting a lawsuit against him dismissed — for now. We’ll take a look.

And, ministry leaders overestimate revenue growth — and underestimate declines. We’ll go over results from our latest survey of ministry executives.

 But first, Warren, a story that involves a well-known name in Reformed circles — Burk Parsons, teaching fellow at Ligonier Ministries and pastor of St. Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Florida. Parsons faced an indefinite suspension from ministry after being found guilty of being harsh and domineering toward people under his care. But last week, the Presbyterian Church in America’s highest court — the Standing Judicial Commission — reduced that punishment to an admonition after Parsons appealed.

The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. We get editorial, database, and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, Heidi Allums, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Kim Roberts, Bob Smietana, and Jessica Eturralde.

Until next time, may God bless you.

Below is a script for today’s podcast. Links to resources mentioned in the episode are included in the script.

Christina

Hello, everyone, I’m Christina Darnell, the managing editor of MinistryWatch. Welcome to the MinistryWatch podcast.

In today’s extra episode, I talk with Warren Smith about some news items that are slightly (even significantly) outside of our normal charity and philanthropy “beat.”

So, Warren, what’s up first?

Warren

The trial of Anglican Archbishop Steve Wood concluded last Friday, Sept. 11. The trial included five days of testimony from 38 witnesses. Acting Archbishop Julian Dobbs released a statement asking for “patience and prayer as we wait on an opinion from the Court.”

Christina

By church law, the court has up to 101 days to issue its decision.

Warren

My sources tell me that even if he is acquitted, he will have a hard time leading the denomination, given the serious “hit” his credibility has taken by this process.

Christina

Missy Hanks of The ELM Foundation in Huntsville, Ala., and Misty Kelso of Watered Gardens Ministries in Joplin, Mo., recently testified before the U.S. House of Representatives at a hearing on federal welfare programs.

Warren

I’ve become a fan of both these organizations. We’ve written about Watered Gardens here at MinistryWatch. They are both a part of the True Charity Network, which we’ve also written about here.

Christina

So what did they say in their testimony?

Warren

Hanks described an “effort-based” model in which participants work, set goals and build education and job skills. She said assistance should be a bridge, not a source of dependency, and argued that work provides more than income. It builds confidence, skills, social connections and dignity.

Christina

Kelso works with women experiencing homelessness, addiction and poverty.

Warren

She drew on her own recovery in her testimony. She said people need more than immediate material assistance. They need relationships, redemption, hope and human dignity. She described work as something that eventually gave her purpose rather than merely a paycheck. Both women argued that effective assistance should address individual barriers while helping people move toward stability and independence.

Watch their testimony here. Missy begins at 22:00 and Misty begins at 33:05.

Christina

One of the most common complaints we get here at MinistryWatch is about our low rating for Samaritan’s Purse. The ministry has earned a “Withhold Giving” rating from MinistryWatch.

Warren

I get emails regularly from people telling me what great work the ministry does, asking why the low rating.

The answer, I often say, “It’s not magic. It’s math.” In other words, a close look at Samaritan’s Purse reveals that it spent nearly $100 million on fundraising alone last year. It now has more than $2.4 billion in assets, with nearly $1.4 billion of that in cash.

Christina

But don’t they need that much cash to do the things they do?

Warren

Samaritan’s Purse is remarkable in many ways. It is large enough to be able to do things that no other ministry can do. But it is sitting on mountains of cash while still spending another mountain of cash trying to get people to give them more. I think their behavior is questionable, at best, and I think they well deserve the low rating we give them. (Though it grieves me to say so.)

I should also add that the organization just withdrew from the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, after being a member for decades. This action should be another “red flag” for donors.

Christina

But didn’t Samaritan’s Purse recently turn down $300 million from the federal government?

Warren

They did. And when they did, Franklin Graham, Samaritan’s Purse president, said the organization “always relied on God, not government, for funding.” It’s a laudable statement. It is also simply not true. They’ve been taking government money for years, including $75 million in 2024. I think Samaritan’s Purse did the right thing by turning down that money. I just wish Graham had told the truth about why.

So, for all of these reasons, MinistryWatch stands by its rating of Samaritan’s Purse, and it’s our hope that it will take steps to but more transparency and accountability into its operations.

Christina

Another common email we get here at MinistryWatch regards Voice of the Martyrs.

Warren

The emails we get are nearly identical, leading me to believe they are part of a campaign. The emails complain about VOM’s $28 million expenditure on a headquarters campus, expenditures that took place 15 years ago. Also, in 2012, the president of VOM, Tom White, was credibly accused of sexually abusing a minor girl.  When the charges became public, he committed suicide.

Christina

That’s a horrible story.

Warren

It is, so let me take the Tom White story first. It does raise some concerns about how a man could have gotten to be president of a major Christian organization with such a character, but I investigated this case pretty hard around 2013 and 2014. I interviewed the chief of the police department in Bartlesville, and reporters who had covered the story, in addition to some of those who were accusing White and VOM of wrongdoing.

Christina

What did you find?

Warren

I could find nothing that led me to believe there was anything systemically wrong at VOM. To be clear: The fact that I found no wrong-doing doesn’t mean there WAS no wrong-doing (other than Tom White’s obvious wrongdoing), but I looked hard and couldn’t find it.

Christina

So what about the headquarters building?

Warren

I don’t have an opinion about whether the building is extravagant or not. It is certainly nice, and it did cost a lot of money. But I would also note that according to VOM audits, the property is now worth as much as $50 million, nearly twice what they paid for it.

Whether it was extravagant or not is not up to me to decide. It does, however, seem to have been a pretty good investment.

Besides, what I think is kind of beside the point. That decision was made by the board and it appears to have been fully disclosed to its donors. None of this was done in secret. I found nothing inappropriate about the way the organization communicated with donors or the public about its headquarters building.

Christina

What does our profile of Voice of the Martyrs say?

Warren

You can read our profile of Voice of the Martyrs here. It shows an organization that is not perfect in terms of financial management. And it no longer releases a Form 990, which we think is a huge red flag. We give VOM an “Exercise Caution” rating.

I’ll be honest. I wouldn’t give to the ministry myself. There are too many other ministries in our database that does what it does, with much higher ratings.

But I am reluctant to endorse or condemn a ministry. We try to find information and make it available to donors and to the public and let them decide. So, while I would not give VOM a completely clean bill-of-health, I can say that we looked hard at the accusations and couldn’t find anything that we thought rose to the level of wrongdoing.

Christina

Any final thoughts before we go?

Warren

MinistryWatch on YouTube. If you have not discovered our YouTube channel, check it out here. We now have 200 videos there, and they have attracted tens of thousands of views. Subscribe, like, and share to spread the word about our work.

Christina

The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. I’m Christina Darnell, along with Warren Smith.

Until next time, may God bless you.