In this week’s “Extra” episode, Warren discusses the history of McLean Bible Church and the tenure of David Platt. Does he deserve the criticism he has received? Warren’s answer: Platt is not perfect, but the “conflict entrepreneurs” at his church have produced more heat than light.

A few links mentioned in today’s program:

Stories about McLean Bible Church or David Platt.

In the past week, the church released a 35-page report telling its side of the story.

I have read the entire report, and I strongly recommend that anyone with an interest in this matter should do the same. If reading the entire report is more than you want, MinistryWatch has a summary here.

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

The mission of MinistryWatch is to help Christian donors become more faithful stewards of the resources God has entrusted to them.

With a mission like that, it’s easy to see why Dana and Bill Wichterman’s new book got my attention. The book is Stewards Not Owners: The Joy of Aligning Your Money With Your Faith. Over the years, I’ve read a lot of books about this topic, from Randy Alcorn’s Money, Possessions and Eternity to Jay Richards’ Money, Greed, and God. Other books I often recommend on the topic of stewardship include When Helping Hurts by Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett, and Marvin Olasky’s The Tragedy of American Compassion. These books are classics of the genre. But I honestly think that Dana and Bill’s new book is the book I would recommend  to someone who wants to read just one book on the topic. Their new book is relatively short and highly readable, but it doesn’t “dumb down” the deep biblical principles involved. Also, it includes lots of stories of men and women who have lived out the principles they espouse. Those stories make the book come alive, and make the abstract principles seem credible and achievable.

Bill Wichterman has spent his career in law and politics, including as Special Assistant to the President in the White House. Bill is the author of the book Dying to Live: Finding Joy In Giving Yourself to God, and the influential essay “The Culture: Upstream from Politics.” He is co-founder of Wedgwood Circle and board president of Faith and Law. Bill holds an M.A. in Political Theory from The Catholic University of America.

Dana works for Impact Foundation (Impactfoundation.org), a donor-advised fund specializing in helping Christians align their charitable capital with their unique calling to partner with Kingdom-oriented for-profit companies.

Their new book is Stewards Not Owners: The Joy of Aligning Your Money With Your Faith.

And, as I promised earlier, we have a way for you to get your own copy of this book. Bill and Dana have donated nearly 200 books to MinistryWatch, and we are going to make them available to you for a gift of any size during the month of July. So, if you would like your own copy of this book, just go to MinistryWatch.com and hit the donate button at the top of the page. We’ll get your book in the mail immediately.

The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. I’m your host Warren Smith. Until next time, may God bless you.

Here at MinistryWatch, we have become all too familiar with the allure and the dangers of celebrity preachers. One of the things you will here me say often is that we humans are not meant to be celebrities. We’re not wired for it. Celebrityhood is a condition that wars against the health of our soul.

And yet…we Americans, and American evangelicals in particular, have an addiction to celebrities. To use the words from the Joni Mitchell song, our star-making machinery keeps spitting them out. And when these celebrities burn out, or meltdown, we brush them aside and make more. Jim Bakker, Ted Haggard, Ravi Zacharias, Mark Driscoll, Jimmy Swaggart, Bill Hybels. How much time do you have, because this list could go on and on.

All of this is why Molly Worthen’s new book caught my attention. It’s called Spellbound: How Charisma Shaped American History from the Puritans to Donald Trump. Molly is one of those rare academics – she’s a professor at the University of North Carolina – who writes in readable, compelling ways. And her discussion of what she calls charisma, which she says differs from celebrity or charm, is fascinating and has opened up my eyes to new ways of seeing some of the characteristics of the modern evangelical church.

If Molly Worthen’s name sounds familiar to you, it could be because I’ve cited her often in my own work. Her book Apostles of Reason: The Crisis of Authority in American Evangelicalism, was helpful to me when it was published ten years ago. I should also add that since the publication of that first book, Molly Worthen herself has had a conversion experience and now counts herself as a born-again Christian. I ask her about that near the end of this conversation, and I would invite you to stick around to the end to hear her interesting and – to my way of thinking – encouraging personal story.

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

On today’s program, Brady Boyd resigns from New Life Church. Boyd was on staff at Gateway during Robert Morris’ tenure, and Elders now believe he misled the congregation about his knowledge of Morris’s alleged abuse. We’ll have details.

Also, a court ruled that a lawsuit filed against Dave Ramsey can move forward. A former employee who was fired for being pregnant while unmarried is suing Ramsey for religious discrimination. We’ll take a look.

And, the sale of St. Louis FM radio station resulted in a standoff between two giants in Christian radio—K-LOVE and Joy FM Radio—and an almost $9 million price tag.

But first, Christian YouTuber Kris ‘Kdub’ Williams responds to rebuke following revelations of an affair.

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 Jessica Eturralde, Kim Roberts, Bob Smietana, Kristen Parker, Shannon Cuthrell, Paul Clolery,  Brittany Smith, and Christina Darnell.

A special thanks to The Banner and 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 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, Brady Boyd resigns from New Life Church. Boyd was on staff at Gateway during Robert Morris’ tenure, and Elders now believe he misled the congregation about his knowledge of Morris’s alleged abuse. We’ll have details.

Also, a court ruled that a lawsuit filed against Dave Ramsey can move forward. A former employee who was fired for being pregnant while unmarried is suing Ramsey for religious discrimination. We’ll take a look.

And, the sale of St. Louis FM radio station resulted in a standoff between two giants in Christian radio—K-LOVE and Joy FM Radio—and an almost $9 million price tag.

Natasha:

But first, Christian YouTuber Kris ‘Kdub’ Williams responds to rebuke following revelations of an affair.

Warren:

Williams, a Christian YouTuber who once reached 90K+ subscribers, runs the "All Things Theology" channel under the handle @Kdubtru. His content spans topics like Christian hip hop, church culture insights, and in-depth sermon critiques.

Natasha:

In May, Heritage Grace Community Church in Frisco, Texas, announced that it was disciplining Williams, stating he no longer has their endorsement due to his alleged engagement in an adulterous online relationship, which has caused him to seek a divorce from his wife.

Warren:

Williams has responded to the public criticisms in a video titled "Let's talk about it…" In the video, he admitted to having an emotional affair and expressed remorse and repentance. He denied rumors of leaving his marriage and adopted son (Micah) to pursue a romantic relationship with another woman.

Natasha:

Moving on,

Brady Boyd, senior pastor of megachurch New Life Church in Colorado Springs, resigned his position last week after it became clear he misled the congregation regarding his knowledge of former Gateway Pastor Robert Morris’s alleged abuse of Cindy Clemishire.

Warren:

Boyd, who served at Gateway Church in the Dallas-Fort Worth area as an associate pastor and elder from 2001 to 2007, said as recently as June 8 that, until last year, he was unaware that Clemishire was 12 when the abuse began.

“I worked alongside him. I had no reason to believe he had any kind of character issues,” Boyd told the congregation, according to ChurchLeaders. “He did confide in me he’d had a moral failure when he was 20 years old. That’s really all the details he shared.”

Natasha:

New Life elder Scott Palmer told the congregation on Sunday, June 22, they believe Boyd’s insistence that he didn’t know Clemishire’s age was untrue. He said it is the primary reason the elders asked Boyd to step down.

Warren:

“Brady had nothing to do with Pastor Morris’ past abuse,” Palmer said, according to The Gazette. “Still, we believe that trust is the currency of leadership. When Brady recently told our congregation, inaccurately, that he was unaware of certain details regarding Morris’ past abuse, trust was broken, and the elders asked Brady to resign.”

Boyd had been pastor of New Life since 2007. The elders acknowledged the leadership and service Boyd has given the church, including eliminating millions of dollars in debt and starting initiatives to serve the Colorado Springs community.

Associate Senior Pastor Daniel Grothe will be Boyd’s successor, a transition church officials say has been in the works for more than a year.

Natasha:

Next, Gateway is one of two large, well-known churches in the U.S. are facing budget shortfalls and financial cuts.

Gateway Church and Grace Community Church have been missing their long-time preachers, with one facing scandal and the other health challenges.

Gateway Church, a megachurch in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, has now warned staff that more layoffs are coming.

According to an email sent to Gateway congregants, tithing income is down significantly.

Warren:

Elders wrote in the email, that an evaluation of the church’s finances revealed “it has become clear that restructuring our staffing is necessary, requiring the tough but necessary step of staff reduction.”

The email did not include details about staffing reductions or church finances, but it did associate its challenges with the church’s former pastor, Robert Morris.

In November 2024, a leaked video revealed that Gateway giving was down by between 35-40%.

Natasha:

Grace Community Church, led by John MacArthur, is also facing reduced giving and the need to reduce its budget.

Warren:

“[F]or the first time in more than a decade, we have faced the effects of a financial recession in our giving this past fiscal year. By God’s grace, he has provided for our needs through some large donations to bring us through the last two years,” MacArthur wrote in a note read to the congregation on Sunday (June 15). “But as we look ahead to the coming fiscal year, starting July 1, our elders recognize the need to reduce our budget at the church by about 20%.”

MacArthur, 85, has struggled with health issues over the past year, with a recent lung procedure once again delaying his return to the pulpit.

Natasha:

Next, McLean Bible Church details plot to oust David Platt.

Warren:

Following the dismissal of the last of several lawsuits filed against McLean Bible Church (MBC) and its lead pastor David Platt, the D.C. megachurch has released a detailed internal report chronicling years of bitter infighting and political polarization.

The report, written by Executive Pastor Wade Burnett and endorsed by the church’s board of elders, outlines how a small but vocal group of dissident members and outside supporters reportedly launched a sustained, coordinated effort to remove Platt and other senior leaders, accusing them of pushing the historically conservative church toward what they called “liberal” or “woke” theology.

Natasha:

According to the report, members Jeremiah and Laura Burke led a group that used a mix of conspiracy theories, social media campaigns, and repeated lawsuits to disrupt church operations and sow distrust among members.

Warren:

Among the group’s claims were that the church planned to sell its flagship Tysons campus to build a mosque and that leaders were secretly funneling money and influence to the Southern Baptist Convention, which the church had partnered with for mission work long before Platt’s tenure (Platt joined as pastor in 2017).

Natasha:

The report includes excerpts from recent emails, the dissent’s stated goal of “taking back the church,” and an online manual on how to “oust” a pastor.

Warren:

In the report, the church alleges the group circulated internal instructions via emails and blogs on how to exploit the church’s constitution to block elder appointments and stage confrontations during church business meetings. According to the report, the group sometimes recorded disruptive scenes that were later posted online as supposed evidence of wrongdoing.

Natasha:

Over four years, the group filed nearly a dozen lawsuits and appeals against the church, its board of elders, and its pastors, seeking to nullify elections and control church membership rolls.

Warren:

Courts repeatedly dismissed the claims or ruled in the church’s favor, and the final lawsuit was thrown out in December 2024. The church’s leadership says the drawn-out litigation consumed thousands of hours in legal fees and staff time that could have supported the church’s ministries.

Despite the turmoil, the report notes that church membership has grown by over 1,400 people since 2020, financial giving remains robust, and votes on leadership appointments have consistently reflected broad support for Platt and other elders, sometimes by margins of over 90%.

Natasha:

Warren, let’s take a quick break. When we return, a lawsuit against Dave Ramsey can move forward.

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:

A federal appeals court ruled that a lawsuit against Christian financial guru Dave Ramsey by a former employee who was fired for being pregnant while unmarried can go forward.

Caitlin O’Connor sued the Lampo Group, Ramsey’s Franklin, Tennessee-based company, alleging religious discrimination....

Sometimes, in the midst of the nuance, complexity, and confusion of everyday life, it’s good to return to first principles.

That’s exactly what Glenn Packiam has done with his new book What Is A Christian, Anyway? The title of this book poses a simple and obvious question that the modern (post-modern? Post-postmodern?) church sometimes forgets. Packiam reminds us that this question is an old one, and that it has a clear and beautiful answer: The Nicene Creed. This book gently walks the reader through the Nicene Creed, explaining it line by line. In the church I attend, the Anglican Church, we recite the Nicene Creed most Sundays in our service, so I’ve recited it thousands of times, and I’ve even studied it. But I found Glenn’s new book both intellectually and spiritually nourishing, and I’m glad to have him on the program to discuss it.

By the way, this is not the first time I have interviewed Glenn Packiam. To read or listen to my 2019 interview with Packiam, click here.

Glenn Packiam is a pastor, author, and practical theologian, who currently serves as the lead pastor of RockHarbor Church, in Costa Mesa, California. Prior to taking on this role, he served as associate senior pastor at New Life Church (newlifechurch.org) in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and as the lead pastor of New Life Downtown, a congregation of New Life 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, sexual abuse victim Cindy Clemishire has filed a civil lawsuit against Gateway Church and its founding pastor Robert Morris. She claims church leaders knew she was 12 years old when Morris began abusing her, and defamed her when they tried to cover it up. We’ll have details.

And cuts to federal funding are sending some nonprofits into a tailspin…some see the cuts as an attack. Others see opportunity. We spoke with ministry experts who weigh in.

Plus, Trinity Broadcasting is set to open a $134-million senior living facility in Orlando, Florida.

But first, the Burk Parsons has been suspended as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America after a church commission found him guilty on several charges. Burk Parsons, senior pastor of St. Andrew’s Chapel and chief editorial officer and teaching fellow for Ligonier Ministries, has been found guilty by a church judicial commission on three charges and indefinitely suspended from his role as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).

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, Jessica Eturralde, Adelle Banks, Clemente Lisi, and Brittany Smith.

A special thanks to Religion UnPlugged 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, sexual abuse victim Cindy Clemishire has filed a civil lawsuit against Gateway Church and its founding pastor Robert Morris. She claims church leaders knew she was 12 years old when Morris began abusing her, and defamed her when they tried to cover it up. We’ll have details.

And cuts to federal funding are sending some nonprofits into a tailspin…some see the cuts as an attack. Others see opportunity. We spoke with ministry experts who weigh in.

Plus, Trinity Broadcasting is set to open a $134-million senior living facility in Orlando, Florida.

Natasha:

But first, the Burk Parsons has been suspended as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America after a church commission found him guilty on several charges.

Warren:

Burk Parsons, senior pastor of St. Andrew’s Chapel and chief editorial officer and teaching fellow for Ligonier Ministries, has been found guilty by a church judicial commission on three charges and indefinitely suspended from his role as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).

At a public meeting on June 12, the judicial commission of the Central Florida Presbytery announced the decision. The defense told the commission it plans to appeal.

Natasha:

What was he convicted of?

Warren:

Specifically, Parsons was unanimously found guilty on three charges of “being harsh, ungentle, and unkind to those under his care or with whom he interacts”; “not being a humble servant leader but instead ‘lording it over others’ (i.e, autocratic) and being domineering, contentious, and quarrelsome/pugnacious in his leadership so that those in his care and in his ‘leadership orbit’ were intimidated, bullied, and/or afraid”; and “slandering and/or demeaning other servants and churches of our Lord.”

He was found not guilty on two other charges, which were not specifically listed in the report.

Natasha:

According to the judicial commission’s report, Parsons’ trial was held between May 12 and 28 and included over 55 witnesses and 45 hours of proceedings.

Warren:

Parsons is indefinitely suspended from his duties as a teaching elder, including preaching, teaching, administering the sacraments, and participating in church courts. He is not suspended from receiving the sacraments.

Natasha:

Next, more news from the Dallas megachurch Gateway, and its former pastor Robert Morris, who resigned after admitting to having an inappropriate sexual relationship with an underage girl.

Warren:

That girl is Cindy Clemishire. Now, she and her father Jerry filed suit last week in Dallas County, Texas, against Gateway Church and its elders, plus founding pastor Robert Morris and his wife Deborah, for defamation, conspiracy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Clemishire claims that when Morris declared he’d been “involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady” and claimed the Clemishire family had “graciously forgiven [him],” that he was making false and defamatory statements that had a tendency to harm or lower her reputation.

Natasha:

The lawsuit asserts that the Gateway defendants have benefited financially from Morris’s moral failures, having “made millions of dollars…preaching about sexual immorality and redemption all while concealing the true facts.”

Warren:

Much of the lawsuit surrounds allegations of when the Gateway leadership knew the specifics of Morris’s actions, including Clemishire’s age. She was 12 and Morris was 22 when the abuse began.

Warren:

In 2000, Morris founded Gateway Church.

In 2005, Clemishire emailed Morris to confront him about his abuse. She said she received a response from then-elder Tom Lane. In it, Lane says that Morris “has been completely open with the Elders of Gateway Church about his past and specifically about his indiscretion with you.”

In February 2007, Morris’s attorney Shelby Sharpe, who represented him in response to Clemishire’s communications, sent an email to Clemishire’s attorney that blamed Clemishire, at least in part, for the abuse.

Natasha:

These communications are important because they plainly show that church leaders knew of Morris’s behavior. Some of the elders of the church at that time are now claiming they did not know.

Warren:

Clemishire asserts that no later than 2011, the Gateway elders knew that she was a child when Morris began sexually abusing her.

Clemishire’s lawsuit seeks damages for loss of her reputation, for mental anguish and psychological pain, and for exemplary damages because she claims the defendants acted with malice.

MinistryWatch reached out to Gateway, but a spokesperson declined to comment.

Natasha:

Aside from her own case against Morris and Gateway, Clemishire also testified in favor of Trey’s Law—a bill that makes nondisclosure agreements unenforceable in child sexual abuse cases. Last week, Missouri signed that bill into law.

Warren:

Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe has signed a bill into law voiding nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) in child sexual abuse cases.

Trey’s Law, so titled for Trey Carlock who died by suicide after suffering sexual abuse at the hands of Peter Newman at Kanakuk Kamps, makes NDAs signed after August 28, 2025, unenforceable in childhood sexual abuse claims, the Springfield News-Leader reported.

The law was passed as an amendment to House Bill 737 in April.

Natasha:

Until now, Tennessee had been the only state to have passed a law — in 2018 — specifically prohibiting NDAs in civil child sexual abuse settlements, rendering them “void and unenforceable.”

Warren:

Senate Bill 835 by Sen. Angela Paxton also passed in Texas in late May and is awaiting the signature of Gov. Greg Abbott. It makes an NDA “void and unenforceable as against the public policy of the state” if it “prohibits a party from disclosing an act of sexual abuse or facts related to an act of sexual abuse to any other person.”

Natasha:

Next, authorities have cleared charges of sexual assault and indecent assault against a Texas pastor.

Warren:

Last July, MinistryWatch reported on the arrest of Rev. Ronnie Goines, lead pastor of Koinonia Christian Church, who turned himself in to authorities after police issued two warrants for his arrest.

Investigators filed two criminal charges against Goines — one for indecent assault and another for sexual assault. According to WFAA News 8 and court records, a woman who joined Goines' church in 2022 accused him of making repeated unwanted advances during two encounters at his apartment in March 2023—allegations he denies, though a recording reportedly captures him apologizing for making her uncomfortable.

Natasha:

This March, a grand jury no-billed Goines on the sexual assault charge, concluding insufficient evidence to justify proceeding with a formal indictment, confirming that he will not go to trial in a sex assault case.

Warren:

According to Tarrant County court records, the prosecutor dismissed the misdemeanor indecent assault charge in April.

However, although authorities have dropped all charges against Goines, he now faces a civil lawsuit.

Natasha:

Court records show the same woman who accused him of sexual assault filed a separate civil suit in Tarrant County in February.

Warren:

She is seeking $1 million in damages.

Goines announced in October that he was returning to the church after the interim lead pastor said he was asked to resign. In a statement earlier this year, Koinonia said that the church supports Goines and believes the accusations against him are motivated by financial reasons.

Natasha:

Warren, let’s take a quick break. When we return, What foundations are doing in the face of Federal funding cuts.

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 the wake of federal funding cuts affecting nonprofits,...

Michael Tait. Robert Morris. Mark Driscoll. Ravi Zacharias. Are you tired of celebrity preachers?

I am, and I think that’s why the story of John Dyer fascinates me. My guess is that you’ve never heard of him. But I have come to learn that he played a significant role in the spread of the Gospel in Colorado and throughout the Mountain West, and his life has some lessons for us today, especially in this age of celebrity.

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

The evangelical church is a mess. If you believe the surveys, more than forty million Americans have “de-churched” in the past 25 years. That is why it is a good thing Brad Edwards reminds us why the Body of Christ still matters. Trevin Wax, whose opinion I value in such matters, has called The Reason for Church “one of the most important books of the year.” I agree. It is a clear-eyed apologetic for the church, and it is also a love letter to the church, especially the local church, where the real “churching” takes place.

All of this is why I’m pleased to have Brad Edwards on the program today. Brad is a church planter and pastor of The Table Church in Lafayette, Colorado, where he lives with his wife Hannah and their two sons. He is a regular contributor to Mere Orthodoxy and The Gospel Coalition, two of my favorite publications. Brad spoke to me via zoom from his home in Colorado.

The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. Thanks to Amy Morris at Harper Collins for helping me arrange this interview.

Until next time, may God bless you.

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.

...

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.