By Julie Roys
Reporting the Truth. Restoring the Church.
Guest Bios Show Transcript https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JS6dZodsfA The church should be a place of healing and comfort. But for far too many, it’s a place of abuse and harm. As a child, Ryan George was profoundly hurt in a fundamentalist church, pastored by...
Guest Bios Show Transcript https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBdqZj2_gHA Can a church that’s had a history of being toxic transform its culture and become truly healthy? Or, are churches like this doomed to repeat their history, despite efforts to change? This edition of The Roys...
Guest Bios Show Transcript https://youtu.be/uaYHJrgdwhAWhat does it take to disqualify someone from ministry? An affair? Spiritual abuse? Sexual abuse? Abuse of power? Or, as some have claimed, can just about anyone be restored to ministry because “God is gracious” and “His call...
Guest Bios Show Transcript https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjJP8vDgoBAA bombshell report on the alleged “affair” between popular worship leaders Kevin Prosch and Misty Edwards published by The Roys Report sent shock waves through the charismatic Christian community. How could two people, who ushered so many into...
Guest Bios Show Transcript https://youtu.be/3TQsIWujVnI Once you’ve experienced trauma, how do you heal? What should you look for in a counselor? What kind of therapy is right for you? And how do you take care of yourself as you begin...
Guest Bios Show Transcript Everything rises or falls on leadership. Ever heard that line? Think about what it means when applied to a pastor’s role in a church. What about the priesthood of all believers? And where is Jesus in that equation? In...
Guest Bios Show Transcript https://youtu.be/RF-3TbX8fXAAs a Christian in Iran, Naghmeh Panahi was arrested numerous times—and once even had a gun pointed at her head. But as awful as that was, Naghmeh says she endured something far worse when she began speaking out...
Guest Bios Show Transcript https://youtu.be/eX7GZjdC4DE Why can’t people get over talking about race? Ever heard that line? Or, how about: We live in a post-racial world. We’ve even had a black president! If racism doesn’t exist, then we don’t have to deal...
Guest Bios Show Transcript https://youtu.be/hteO426dZ6c Men need sex. And it’s their wives’ job to give it to them—unconditionally, whenever they want it, or these husbands will come under Satanic attack. Stunningly, that’s the message contained in many Christian marriage books. Yet,...
Guest Bios Show Transcript America is experiencing the largest and fastest religious shift in its history—greater than the First and the Second Great Awakening and every revival in the U.S. combined. But instead of a massive shift into the...
Guest Bios Show Transcript https://youtu.be/WuE4Gfre8b8 Why is church after church succumbing to corruption and false doctrine? Yes, it’s the result of greed, immorality, and a lust for power. But we’ve had those vices forever. So, why is there an epidemic...
Guest Bios Show Transcript https://youtu.be/QiNJvzlFadw When faced with a scandal, organizations have a choice. They can engage in impression management strategies, designed to obscure the truth, and save their image. Or, they can take the road less traveled. They can...
Guest Bios Show Transcript How did loving your enemies—a command of Jesus—suddenly become a sign that you’re “woke”? And why is “owning the libs” now the answer to “What would Jesus do?” On this edition of The Roys Report, bestselling...
Guest Bios Show Transcript https://youtu.be/CaDhqixI0js Exposing abuse and corruption can be a thankless job. Powerful figures doing wrong often deny and attack those exposing them. And their supporters often join suit—attacking the messenger, rather than holding their leader accountable. This edition...
Guest Bios Show Transcript https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNHswz5yZ-M Clergy sexual abuse is one of the most devastating forms of abuse, impacting almost every area of life. After surviving abuse like that, how do you recover? And after being preyed upon by a powerful...
Guest Bios Show Transcript Third-party investigations have become increasingly common as churches and Christian institutions continue to be rocked by scandal. But how can you tell if an investigation is truly independent—or just another attempt to cover up? In this edition of The...
Guest Bios Show Transcript https://youtu.be/kfW97erZjYA What do you do when the man you looked up to as your spiritual hero is exposed as a fraud? How do you recover from the disillusionment and betrayal? And how do you find hope...
Guest Bios Show Transcript How can you transform a toxic church culture into a healthy one? And what’s the best way to initiate change? In this podcast, theologian Scot McKnight and his daughter, Laura Barringer, join me to discuss their...
Guest Bios Show Transcript https://youtu.be/xfqTi7vFjhw What are the telltale signs of spiritual abuse? And once you’ve been subjected to it, how do you heal? On this edition of The Roys Report, we’re rolling out the first of 11 talks from this...
Guest Bios Show Transcript Part 2 of our eye-opening podcast on bullying, featuring the woman who blew the whistle on author and pastor, Dane Ortlund, is out! If you missed part one, you can find it here. In this podcast,...
Guest Bios Show Transcript What do you do when you’re being bullied by your Christian employer? Do you take it and simply turn the other cheek? Or, do you confront it, hoping for repentance and justice? Unfortunately, workplace bullying has...
Guest Bios Show Transcript How is it that evangelicals, who have long extolled the virtues of the First and Second Great Awakenings, now think being “awakened” or “woke” is a bad thing? And how did we evolve from valuing...
Guest Bios Show Transcript Victims of adult clergy sexual abuse often report that their first wound—the abuse itself—was awful. But it wasn't as bad as the second wound: the response by the church to their abuse. This is precisely what...
Guest Bios Show Transcript In 2020, Moriah Smothers thought her emotional and physical relationship with her pastor, Patrick Garcia, was an affair. She blamed herself and was ostracized by many in her church. Yet now, Moriah realizes she was...
Guest Bios Show Transcript What do you do when you feel called to start a ministry, but your pastor tells you not to? He says you’re not ready. You need to be under his authority. And your ministry must...
Guest Bios Show Transcript Fear and anxiety are gripping society today. A stunning 42.5 million Americans are diagnosed with anxiety disorders each year. Nearly 800,000 people worldwide die by suicide each year. Repeatedly, Jesus said fear not. But let’s...
Guest Bios Show Transcript Hillsong Church has been embroiled in a steady stream of scandals, exposing sexual and financial misconduct—and a toxic and exploitative leadership culture. So, should we still be singing their worship songs? Or should we re-think...
Guest Bios Show Transcript What comes to mind when you hear Hillsong? Elevation? Passion? Bethel? You may think megachurch. You may think controversy or scandal. But you also may think of music. And chances are, if you were in...
Guest Bios Show Transcript Is it true that men are visual in a way that women will never understand? Or that boys can’t help but lust if a girl is dressed like she’s inciting it? In this edition of The...
Guest Bios Show Transcript Is the church conditioning women to think less of themselves? And do the most common teachings girls hear in youth group make them more likely to marry an abuser? Less likely to understand consent? And...
Guest Bios Show Transcript American evangelicals love megachurches. Today, there are about 1,750 megachurches in the U.S. and 65% of them are evangelical in their theology. But are these megachurches truly helping the evangelical movement—or are they destroying it? In...
Guest Bios Show Transcript Evangelicalism was once known for its theological convictions, like the centrality of Scripture and the need for personal conversion. Now, it’s known for Trumpian politics, anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, megachurch scandals, and grift. Clearly, it’s a movement in...
Guest Bios Show Transcript Why are Christians drawn to abusive celebrity pastors? And why do appeals to love and serve often gain less traction than condemnation and harshness? In this edition of The Roys Report, Julie explores explore these questions...
Guest Bios Show Transcript Jesus Revolution—a new film recounting the Jesus Movement of the 1970s—has become a box office sensation with Christian moviegoers. But is the movie accurate? And does its focus on megachurch pastor Greg Laurie do justice...
Guest Bios Show Transcript Many times, those who have experienced spiritual abuse are retraumatized when they try to speak about what’s happened. They’re often labeled bitter, disgruntled, and gossips—and once again, wounded by Christians and the church. In part two...
Guest Bios Show Transcript Spiritual abuse has become an increasingly hot topic, as more and more stories of bully pastors and hyper-controlling churches have grabbed headlines. But how does spiritual abuse differ from mere emotional and psychological abuse? And...
Guest Bios Show Transcript After years spent in an abusive church, how do you heal? How do spot a safe pastor—and can you avoid repeating the same mistake? In this edition of The Roys Report, Pastor Ken Garrett, author of...
Guest Bios Show Transcript How do people get sucked into abusive churches? What are the tell-tale signs of an abusive church? And, after leaving one, how can you heal? In this edition of The Roys Report, Pastor Ken Garrett, author of...
Guest Bios Show Transcript https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O03fx4PX3Jk Celebrity culture has invaded the church. Pastors, who should be shepherds serving the flock, have become idols attracting adoring fans and commanding six- and even seven-figure salaries. What has happened to the church? How did we get here?...
Guest Bios Show Transcript https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J15p-DfWfjY How do you hold on to your faith after experiencing abuse in a church? And how can you find Christian community when so many aspects of church trigger painful memories? In this week’s podcast, Doug and...
Guest Bios Show Transcript https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9GDwRlUn5Q Is Mark Driscoll a victim of vindictive leaders? Or is he an unrepentant narcissist and liar, who refuses to take responsibility? In part two of this podcast with former Mars Hill Executive Elder Sutton Turner, we...
Guest Bios Show Transcript https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6trjiHLh-0c Since his abrupt resignation from Mars Hill Church in 2014, Mark Driscoll has claimed he was the victim of a vindictive plot. But last week, Driscoll dropped a bombshell. He claimed that Mars Hill leaders...
Guest Bios Show Transcript https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnFRUZwmjZE What is it like to be a person of color in a predominantly white evangelical church? Does fitting in require someone to change their behavior, appearance, and speech? And if so, what does that say...
Guest Bios Show Transcript What do you do when you realize you’ve been abused by your church? Do you appeal to the denomination? Do you speak up publicly to seek justice, even if you suspect the majority won’t listen? In...
Guest Bios Show Transcript What do you do when you’re wrongly fired by a megachurch—and denied any severance unless you sign an NDA? Then, years later, you realize what you experienced at that church was spiritual abuse? That's what Lori...
Guest Bios Show Transcript https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp0ljJr38FQ Is all sin equal? Can you call out wickedness in someone else—or is that judging? And what does it really mean to “err on the side of grace”? If you’ve heard some of these lines, and...
Guest Bios Show Transcript https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp0ljJr38FQPsalm 23 is a powerful psalm, reminding us that the Lord is our shepherd. Yet for those who have been hurt by their earthly shepherds—their pastors—the Psalm can sound trite or even off-putting. And sadly, this reality often...
Guest Bios Show Transcript https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSdvKw8aeqk In 2016, imprisoned Iranian-American Pastor Saeed Abedini became the focus of a worldwide #SaveSaeed movement. But according to his wife, Naghmeh Abedini, Saeed was a fraud and an abusive husband. Yet because the Christian world...
Guest Bios Show Transcript https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrLrIUkMsHo When you give to a church or nonprofit, how do you know your money is being well spent? How do you know if leadership is truly being held accountable? In this session from the recent Restore...
Guest Bios Show Transcript https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6SgkWJ9cmQ&mc_cid=5d513aee59&mc_eid=UNIQID Narcissism, power through fear, and false narratives. These are some of the qualities of toxic churches. But what about truly good—or, in the Hebrew, “tov”—churches? What do these churches look like? And how do you...
