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,...

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.

...

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 i

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.

On today’s program, Calvin Robinson was dismissed by the Anglican Catholic Church earlier this year after making a nazi-like salute at a pro-life summit. This week, another denomination has restored him to service…but not without pushback. We’ll have details.

The Episcopal Church is ending its partnership with the U.S. after refusing to settle refugees from South Africa. We’ll take a look.

Plus, long-time Carolina University President Charles Petitt passed away last week. His two-decade tenure transformed the small North Carolina school.

First, influential Calvinist pastor has been suspended from his church over multiple fake social media accounts he ran where he criticized pastors and elders in his inner circle.

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, Kathryn Post, Tony Mator, Jack Jenkins, Bruce Barron, Kim Roberts,  Shannon Cuthrell, and Christina Darnell.

A special thanks to Illinois Baptist and Bruce Barron 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, Calvin Robinson was dismissed by the Anglican Catholic Church earlier this year after making a nazi-like salute at a pro-life summit. This week, another denomination has restored him to service…but not without pushback. We’ll have details.

And, the Episcopal Church is ending its partnership with the U.S. after refusing to settle refugees from South Africa. We’ll take a look.

Plus, long-time Carolina University President Charles Petitt passed away last week. His two-decade tenure transformed the small North Carolina school.

Natasha:

But first, influential Calvinist pastor has been suspended from his church over multiple fake social media accounts he ran where he criticized pastors and elders in his inner circle.

Warren:

Josh Buice, founder of the G3 Conference and pastor of Pray’s Mill Baptist Church in Douglasville, Georgia, was placed on indefinite leave last week after church leaders “uncovered irrefutable evidence that Dr. Buice has, for the past three years, operated at least four anonymous social media accounts, two anonymous email addresses, and two Substack platforms.”

According to a statement from the church. “These accounts were used to publicly and anonymously slander numerous Christian leaders, including faithful pastors (some of whom have spoken at G3 conferences), several PMBC elders, and others,”

“These actions were not only sinful in nature but deeply divisive, causing unnecessary suspicion and strife within the body of Christ, and particularly within the eldership of PMBC.”

Natasha:

Buice has also resigned as president of G3, which was founded in 2019 and brought in $2.3 million in revenue for the 2023 calendar year, according to its public IRS financial disclosures.

The group grew out of a conference started by Buice in 2013 — the name G3 stands for “Gospel, Grace, Glory.” The group claimed its annual conference drew 6,500 people in 2021, according to the G3 website.

Warren:

The board of G3 has canceled the group’s annual conference, which had been planned for September, and promised full refunds.

Natasha:

So who was he criticizing?

Warren:

Buice especially criticized former Southern Baptist ethicist Russell Moore and Bible teacher Beth Moore (not related) for allegedly promoting liberal ideas in the church, as well as former SBC President Ed Litton for alleged sermon plagiarism.

He has also apparently been running anonymous social media accounts that criticized other pastors from his own movement and elders at Pray’s Mill Church, according to the statement from the church. The church did not give any details about those accounts in their statement.

Buice had previously criticized such anonymous accounts.

Natasha:

How was he discovered?

Warren:

The church said in its statement, “Dr. Buice had been asked on multiple occasions over the past two years whether he had any connection to these anonymous accounts. In each case, he denied any knowledge of them.”

Eventually he did admitted his involvement.

“Since then, Josh has acknowledged his sin, expressed sorrow, and asked for forgiveness,” according to the church’s statement. “His desire is to personally ask forgiveness of every person he has slandered or lied to.”

G3 released an updated statement Tuesday saying they would be removing all of Josh Buice’s content from their platforms…“This will take sometime…Due to the public and egregious nature of the sin, we believe Josh Buice has stained the mission and character of G3 Ministries.”

Natasha:

Next, Calvin Robinson has been restored to ministry.

Warren:

Less than four months after a Nazi-like salute cost him his license in the Anglican Catholic Church, the Rev. Calvin Robinson, a priest and British transplant living in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has been granted a temporary license to act as a priest from another small Anglican jurisdiction.

In January, at the end of a speech at the National Pro-Life Summit, Robinson thumped his chest and saluted quickly to the right, arm extended, palm down. Viewers were quick to link the gesture with Elon Musk’s controversial salute during an Inauguration Day speech at Capitol One Arena, which was also compared to a Nazi salute.

Robinson was dismissed as a priest soon afterward by the Anglican Catholic Church. He had been serving since fall 2024 as rector of St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Natasha:

What changed?

Warren:

On Monday (May 12), the presiding bishop of the Reformed Episcopal Church, who also oversees its Diocese of Mid-America, the Most Rev. Ray Sutton, granted Robinson a one-year license to serve as a priest. The license will allow Robinson to resume work as rector of St. Paul’s.

The Reformed Episcopal Church is a distinct jurisdiction within the Anglican Church in North America, known as ACNA, which broke away from the Episcopal Church in 2009.

On May 4, St. Paul’s Anglican disaffiliated with the Anglican Catholic Church, and Sutton will provide oversight of St. Paul’s as it determines its future affiliation. “I have licensed their rector, Calvin, to continue to serve a parish that wants him to continue to be their pastor,” he wrote.

Natasha:

While Sutton made clear the arrangement doesn’t grant Robinson or his parish membership in the Reformed Episcopal Church (or, by extension, ACNA), it prompted concerns from ACNA Archbishop Steve Wood about Robinson’s public profile. The Reformed Episcopal Church is self-governing but operates under the umbrella of the Anglican Church in North America,

Warren:

“I have concerns about Rev. Robinson’s ability to uphold the full commitments of our Anglican tradition, and his ability to model the Christ-like virtues of peace, patience, gentleness, goodness and love I know all of our permanent licensed clergy abide by in the daily exercise of their priestly duties. I do not personally believe The Rev. Robinson is a good representative of the Anglican Church in North America.”

In response to Wood, Robinson said he’s spoken at several ACNA events and finds ACNA clergy and laity to be “faithful brethren in Christ.”

Robinson has criticized the Anglican Catholic Church’s handling of the incident, saying the revoking of his license happened “without conversation, without any disciplinary hearing, without any opportunity to apologize or to repent or explain.”

Natasha:

The Anglican Catholic Church insists Robinson’s license was not revoked because of a single act, or without warning. In a statement released by the Anglican Catholic Church in February, the ACC said Robinson was “warned repeatedly that his continued partisan political activity was inconsistent with his ministry” and was “told that his license was at risk because he was continuing to act as a political social media personality.” The ACC also cited Robinson’s alleged antisemitic statements as reason for his dismissal.

Warren:

“Priests are certainly called to support the Church’s teaching on the sanctity of life and on a range of other doctrinal issues; but they are not called to provoke, to troll, or to behave uncharitably toward their opponents,” The Anglican Catholic Church said in the statement.

Robinson initially characterized his gesture at the National Pro-Life Summit as an “attempt at dry wit, in that typical British way,” but has apologized since. “And would I do it again? Absolutely not. Do I apologize for it? Absolutely I do,” Robinson said in a video posted online on Monday.

Natasha:

Warren, let’s take a quick break. When we return, the Episcopal Church is refusing to help resettle white South Africans as refugees in the U.S.

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 a striking move that ends a nearly four-decades-old relationship between the federal government and the Episcopal Church, the denomination announced on Monday (May 12) that it is terminating its partnership with the government to resettle refugees, citing moral opposition to resettling white Afrikaners from South Africa who have been classified as refugees by President Donald Trump’s administration.

...

I went on a road trip this week from my home in Charlotte, N.C., through Nashville to Branson, Mo., where I spoke at the annual meeting of the Evangelical Press Association. From there I drove home through Terre Haute and Indianapolis, Ind., and Beckley, W.Va. In 72 hours, I put in more than 1800 miles.

It wasn’t all windshield time. I stopped for meetings all along the way, and I learned that real, life-changing and culture-changing work is happening in places that are not New York or Washington, or Los Angeles. Here’s what I learned….

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