Today on Church Leadership Radar, Ted covers three big stories and a dose of good news:

• SBC Annual Meeting in Orlando — Thousands of Southern Baptist leaders gathered, with the opening session calling leaders to holiness, unity, and forgiveness. One standout line: credibility is built in the thousand moments nobody sees.
• Bethel Church Governance Update — Bill Johnson formally enters sabbatical while Bethel announces governance reforms in the wake of recent ministry leader separations. A model for institutional accountability worth watching.
• 93% of Pastors Are Using AI — A new survey shows AI use is nearly universal in ministry. The real question isn't who's using it — it's who's using it well.
• Crossover Orlando — 50+ churches across racial and denominational lines joined for six days of outreach and evangelism. Hundreds of professions of faith reported.

Sources:

• SBC Annual Meeting Coverage — Baptist Press
• Bethel Church
• Crossover Orlando — North American Mission Board

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🎙️ Healthy Church Staff Podcast

Ted Rhoades fills in for Todd with the Ministry Week in Review — Saturday Edition. This week: the SBC Annual Meeting preview (June 9–10 in Orlando), Bethel Church's public accountability move, the Kairos vs. Chronos leadership framework from X-Pastor.org, a sobering survey showing 1 in 3 Americans trust AI as much as a pastor, and a big bright spot from ARC's 25th anniversary milestone.

Stories Covered:

Resources Mentioned:

Stay connected:

Your daily briefing on what matters in church leadership — hosted by Ted Rhoades, filling in for Todd.

In today's episode:

• Life.Church Lawsuit: Former employee Lee-Ann Holmberg files disability and age discrimination claim — and what it signals for every church about how you treat your people, especially on the way out.
• Barna Survey: 1 in 3 Americans now trusts AI guidance at the same level as a pastor. What this means for pastoral presence, trust, and what makes your role irreplaceable.
• Resource Pick: Carey Nieuwhof's conversation with Nicole Martin, President & CEO of Christianity Today — one of the most candid leadership conversations out there right now.
• Good News: National Donut Day story — The Salvation Army's donut stand in Hoonah, Alaska raised $130,000 for local food assistance.

Source Links:

• Life.Church discrimination lawsuit coverage - Christianity Today
• Barna Research: AI Trust Survey
• Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast: Nicole Martin interview
• Salvation Army Donut Day story

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🎙️ Healthy Church Staff Podcast

Today's episode covers three big stories for church leaders — plus a shot of good news to close.

In this episode:

• 1 in 3 Americans now trust AI spiritual guidance as much as a pastor — A new survey surfaces a number that should stop every church leader cold. The better question isn't "should we be threatened?" — it's what people come to you for that no algorithm can replicate.
• Biola/Talbot acquiring Phoenix Seminary — The Wayne Grudem-founded seminary joins Biola University and Talbot School of Theology this August. Ed Stetzer is reportedly involved. What institutional consolidations in theological education mean for where your future staff come from.
• "When Your Church Has Two GPS Systems" — A resource that may describe a problem already quietly derailing your team: two people who both believe they hold ultimate authority. Founding pastor vs. new hire. Board vs. senior leader. Worth a read and an honest conversation.
• Samaritan's Purse deploys Ebola response in the DRC — A 50-bed treatment unit and 23 medical specialists airlifted to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Up to 60 volunteers responding to an outbreak with 240+ suspected deaths. What it looks like for the Church to be the hands and feet of Jesus in 2026.

Links & Resources:

• Samaritan's Purse – Ebola Response

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🎙️ Healthy Church Staff Podcast — with Todd Rhoades

Today on Church Leadership Radar, host Ted Rhoades covers three significant stories for church leaders:

📰 Stories Covered:

✨ The Bright Spot: ARC (Association of Related Churches) celebrated its 25th anniversary — having helped launch over 1,200 churches worldwide. Long-term faithfulness in action.

💡 Takeaway: Does your team know who steps in if your key leader can't be there tomorrow? If the answer is "we'd figure it out," that's your sign.

📚 Sources & Resources:

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

Today's Stories:

• Liberty University Lawsuit — Trey Falwell III sues for $1.75M in unpaid compensation, raising universal governance questions about multi-year contracts and family staff.
• Emergency Succession Planning — The Unstuck Group's practical guide: "In a crisis, you won't rise to the level of your intentions. You'll fall to the level of your preparation."
• AI and the Church — Pope Leo XIV warns on AI ethics; Christian theologians from multiple traditions weigh in on what it means to be human in an age of machines.
• Bright Spot — 12,600 people gathered for a Festival of Hope in Madrid; 900 evangelical churches from 15 denominations worked together for 18 months prior.

Source Links:

• Liberty University Lawsuit — Christian Post
• Emergency Succession Planning Guide — The Unstuck Group
• Theologians on AI — Christianity Today

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Also check out the Healthy Church Staff Podcast with Todd Rhoades.

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

Today's stories:

• A PCA pastor suspended indefinitely by his presbytery over a pattern of "unwholesome speech" online — and the bigger governance question it raises about church leaders in digital spaces.
• The "two GPS systems" problem: what happens when your lead pastor and board point in different directions, and how unclear authority costs you good people.
• A June 1 reset from Thom Rainer: what separates churches that ask "what's possible?" from those who ask "what does God want to do through us, regardless of limitations?"
• Bright Spot: Grace Evangelical Church in Galloway, Ohio — one congregation that has shipped 335+ containers of supplies and served 1,500+ refugee families for Ukraine.

Source Links:

• Thom Rainer — ThomRainer.com

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Also check out the Healthy Church Staff Podcast.

It's the Saturday edition of Church Leadership Radar — your weekly zoom-out on what matters most for ministry leaders. Ted Rhoades (Todd's AI twin brother) covers this week's top stories and closes with an inspiring Bright Spot.

• Sports Gambling as a Pastoral Crisis — MinistryWatch reports that sports betting addiction is surging among church members, and most pastoral care teams aren't ready. (ministrywatch.com)
• "Boomers Can't Save Us Forever" — Thom Rainer and Ryan Burge discuss the demographic data that every church leadership team needs to hear. (Church Answers Podcast)
• World Cup Missional Opportunity — Carey Nieuwhof makes the case for why the FIFA World Cup coming to North America this summer is a missional window churches shouldn't miss. (careyniewuhof.com)
• The Danger of Loner Leadership — The Pastors Center episode with Dr. Brian Autry on how leaders quietly drift into isolation — especially heading into summer. (thepastorscenter.com)

The story of Rachelle Starr — who started by fasting and praying in a strip club parking lot — and how her obedience grew into Scarlet Hope, a ministry now operating in 10 states that has helped more than 10,000 women exit the sex industry.

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🎙️ Healthy Church Staff Podcast

Today on Church Leadership Radar, Ted Rhoades sits in for Todd with three stories worth your attention as you head into the weekend:

• Sports Gambling as a Pastoral Crisis — Legal sports betting is now in most states and quietly spreading through congregations. Gambling addiction stays invisible longer than other addictions, and most church pastoral care systems weren't built for it. Worth getting your team ready before it lands in your lap.
• Carey Nieuwhof on 20 Years After Burnout — Part two of an important series. Hard-won perspective on building a sustainable life and ministry. Especially timely heading into summer.
• Ministry FOMO — The comparison trap doesn't just hit senior leaders. It hits worship directors, children's directors, executive pastors. The comparison trap is an equal-opportunity thief — and the antidote is leaning hard into your specific, God-given lane.

The Bright Spot: Churches launching micro-enterprise programs that help low-income community members start their own businesses — hundreds of graduates, millions in new small business activity. Mission you can measure.

Today's Takeaway: What do you already have that you haven't fully invested in?

Source Links:

• Sports Gambling & Pastoral Care — National Council on Problem Gambling (Churches)
• Carey Nieuwhof — Burnout Series
• Ministry FOMO — Carey Nieuwhof

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Also check out the Healthy Church Staff Podcast with Todd Rhoades.

Today on Church Leadership Radar, Ted Rhoades covers three stories that matter for ministry leaders:

• Layton Ford Ministries & the Next Generation: Billy Graham's grandson joins the board — what it signals about building for longevity, not just legacy. The question for your team: How are you actively involving the next generation in leadership decisions?
• Five Compensation Issues Churches Get Wrong: A practical look at housing allowances, payroll tax exemptions, and compliance questions that trip up even well-run churches. Essential reading for executive pastors, operations directors, and finance teams.
• Saying No to Good Things: Staff burnout and mission drift rarely happen because someone said yes to something bad. It happens when leaders say yes to too many good things. The inability to say no is sometimes mistaken for faithfulness — it's not. It's a capacity problem wearing a spiritual costume.

Bright Spot: 291 Texas Baptist students commissioned as summer missionaries heading across the U.S. and around the world. The next generation is still saying yes.

Takeaway: Inspired by Carey Nieuwhof: "Stop running from the hard conversation. That conversation you've been avoiding is the one that will change everything." Is there a conversation on your team that's been waiting too long?

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🎙️ Healthy Church Staff Podcast