Wednesday, July 1, 2026 — Ted Rhoades fills in for Todd on today's episode, covering three key stories in church leadership:

• Judah Smith & Justin Bieber — Smith says he's learned more about Jesus from Bieber than he's taught him — a rare, counter-cultural statement about reciprocal discipleship.
• Phil Johnson retiring from Grace to You — After 30+ years as executive director of John MacArthur's flagship broadcast ministry, Phil Johnson steps down today. A significant leadership transition worth watching.
• July 4th & The Church — Practical framework and language for pastors and worship leaders navigating national identity in Sunday services this weekend as America celebrates its 250th birthday.

The Bright Spot: Churches in Mexico are turning FIFA World Cup watch parties into Gospel opportunities — halftime sermons, yellow card gospel tracts with QR codes, and TikTok evangelism built around soccer culture.

Source Links:

• Church Leadership
• Grace to You
• Christian Post

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🎙️ Healthy Church Staff Podcast

Your daily catch-up on what matters in church leadership.

In today's episode:

• A devastating flood destroys the Million Bible Church building in Richmond, KY — and how Pastor Garland Batchelor's response revealed what great leadership looks like in crisis
• A new legally-informed guide on AI adoption for churches: what you need in place before rolling it out (data privacy, copyright, staff policies, hidden costs)
• Ryan Burge and Thom Rainer dig into the data: Are non-denominational churches just Southern Baptists in disguise?
• A social media tarot card reader publicly announces that Jesus Christ saved their life — a remarkable story of the gospel reaching unexpected places

Source Links:

• Pastor Garland Batchelor's Facebook post on the flooding
• AI adoption guide for churches (Ministry Today)
• Thom Rainer & Ryan Burge podcast on non-denominational churches

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Monday, June 29, 2026 — Your daily catch-up on what matters in church leadership.

Today's episode covers:

Source Links:

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This week on the Ministry Week in Review Saturday edition, Ted Rhoades covers:

• SBC Annual Meeting 2026 — Willy Rice elected as new SBC president, a constitutional amendment advances, and controversy erupts over comments on the sexual abuse crisis within hours of his election.
• Glenn Packiam on FrontStage BackStage — A powerful observation about the drift from presence, prayer, and shepherding toward performance, platform, and productivity in ministry.
• The Unstuck Group Q2 2026 Church Staffing Report — Budget constraints are the #1 staffing challenge for the third consecutive year, and Worship Arts roles are now the hardest positions to fill in any church.
• Gateway Church Lawsuit Dismissed — A federal judge in Texas rules the First Amendment shields a church's internal decisions on tithe fund allocation (ecclesiastical abstention doctrine).
• Bright Spot: Trinity Church Aberdeen, Scotland — A 250-person congregation in the most secular city in Scotland spent 7 years and millions of dollars restoring a crumbling 1905 granite church building — and reopened it in March 2026 with addiction recovery ministry, VBS, and community outreach already launched.

Source Links:

• Willy Rice Elected SBC President — Baptist Press
• FrontStage BackStage Podcast with Jason Daye
• The Unstuck Group Church Staffing Report Q2 2026
• Gateway Church Lawsuit — Ministry Watch
• Trinity Church Aberdeen

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Today on Church Leadership Radar: AI pioneer Anthropic offers free embedded AI specialists to nonprofits (churches qualify) — but only 9% of churches have any AI policy while 78% of staff use these tools daily. New SBC President Willy Rice faces backlash after describing the denomination's abuse crisis response as "weaponized" against the SBC. And why church leaders unknowingly undermine their own creative and media teams — a control vs. trust problem worth addressing before your next check-in. Plus: a bright spot from Aberdeen, Scotland, where a 250-person church restored a 1905 granite building after 7 years and immediately launched recovery ministry and community outreach.

Stories covered:

• Anthropic AI Fellow Program for Nonprofits
• Willy Rice elected SBC President
• Why Church Leaders Undermine Their Creative Teams
• Aberdeen Church Restoration: 7 Years, Big Faith

Stay Connected:

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• Healthy Church Staff Podcast

Today on Church Leadership Radar: The SBC wraps up its 2026 annual meeting in Orlando — Willy Rice elected as the new SBC president. The Supreme Court issues a RLUIPA ruling that every church leader needs to understand. And author Glenn Packiam on the slow drift from shepherding to performing — and how to name it before it defines you.

Plus a Bright Spot: Noah Baptist Church in Centre, Alabama — Sunday School attendance in the thirties, faithfully meeting for 80+ years — just completed their very first mission trip, one thousand miles north to Michigan to support a church plant. That's the church at its best.

• SBC 2026 Annual Meeting / Willy Rice Elected President — Baptist Press
• Supreme Court RLUIPA Ruling — Christianity Today
• Glenn Packiam: "When Pastoring Starts to Feel Like Performing" — ChurchLeaders / PastorServe FrontStage BackStage Podcast
• Noah Baptist Church Mission Trip to Michigan — Baptist Press

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• Healthy Church Staff Podcast

Your daily 5-minute briefing on what matters in church leadership — from pastoral accountability to compensation strategy.

In today's episode:

Source Links:

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Today on Church Leadership Radar, your AI co-host Ted Rhoades covers three stories shaping church leadership this week:

• The AI Leadership Gap: 91% of church leaders support AI in ministry, 61% are already using it — but 73% have no AI policy in place. Kenny Jahng's new resource tackles the five questions church leaders whisper but won't ask publicly.
• Anglican Governance: The Anglican Church in North America sets an October trial date for former Archbishop Stephen Wood following misconduct allegations — a case study in structured, transparent accountability.
• Summer Mindset Shift: Stop apologizing for summer. The people showing up in July are your most committed, faithful core. Lead them like it.
• Good News: The US Men's Soccer Team kneels in prayer at the 2026 FIFA World Cup — public faith on the world's biggest stage.

Sources & Resources:

• Kenny Jahng's AI resource: kennyjahng.com
• Anglican Church in North America update: anglicanchurch.net
• Todd's post on summer leadership mindset: truenorthchurchgroup.com

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Today on Church Leadership Radar:

• Staffing & Attendance Data: The Unstuck Group's Q2 2026 Church Report shows that churches staffed at healthy levels almost never declined in attendance — data worth bringing to your next budget conversation.
• Anthropic AI Fellows Program: Anthropic is offering to embed a paid AI consultant inside nonprofits, including churches and ministry organizations — a rare opportunity most churches will never hear about.
• Staff as Social Media Influencers: What happens when a staff member's personal platform starts to rival your church's online presence? Content ownership, conflict of interest, and how to think through it before you need the answer.
• Good News: Pastor Ezra Jin and other detained believers in China have been permitted to have Bibles in their prison cells after a legal battle from inside prison.

Sources & Links:

• The Unstuck Group Q2 2026 Church Report
• Anthropic AI Fellowships for Nonprofits

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🎙️ Healthy Church Staff Podcast

It's Saturday morning — Father's Day weekend — and Ted Rhoades is here with the Ministry Week in Review for June 20, 2026.

This week's coverage:

• Barna Research on Pastors & AI — Only 13% of pastors don't use AI at all, yet 71% say they feel cautious about it. The instinct to use it for prep while protecting the human elements of ministry is exactly the right posture.
• Trey's Law — A federal bill voiding NDAs in child sexual abuse cases passed the U.S. Senate with unanimous support. Louisiana, Alabama, and Georgia also passed state versions. Church leaders must review their abuse reporting and settlement policies now.
• SF Giants Pitchers & Pride Night — Three pitchers referenced Genesis 9 on their Pride Night hats and received formal MLB warnings. A conversation-starter for how we equip congregants to express faith in their workplaces.
• Stop Apologizing for Summer Ministry — The people who show up in July are your most faithful. Honor them. Lead with gratitude for who's in the room.
• Carey Nieuwhof on AI & the Church — The bigger question isn't which tools to use — it's what AI is doing to the people we're trying to reach. The loneliness crisis and the AI moment are both pointing toward the Church.
• Bright Spot: Josh Hart & the Knicks Championship — Guard Josh Hart's first words after winning the NBA title: "First and foremost, glory to God." Salt and light in the biggest room basketball has.

Sources & further reading:

• Barna Group — Pastors & AI Research: barna.com
• Trey's Law — Senate passage coverage
• SF Giants / Pride Night — MLB reports
• Carey Nieuwhof — careynieuwhof.com

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