The Church Leadership Pulse

Today on Church Leadership Radar, Ted Rhoades covers three important topics for church leaders: Lonely teenagers turning to AI chatbots for friendship — What happens when young people substitute AI companions for real relationships? The church has something no algorithm can replicate: actual human presence. If your youth or kids' ministry hasn't addressed the loneliness underneath the sc...

It's Monday, September 14th, and Ted Rhoades is filling in for Todd. Today's episode covers a major lawsuit rocking the AME Church, new data on whether revival is actually happening, and a word for anyone who manages church staff. Stories in Today's Episode: AME Church Lawsuit — A former Allen University trustee has filed a 400-page lawsuit against AME Church leaders, alleging finan...

It's the Saturday Ministry Week in Review with Ted Rhoades — a look at the stories that shaped church leadership conversation this week. This Week's Stories: Protestant Accountability Database Launches — Survivors built a searchable database of 2,700+ Protestant church leaders accused of sexual misconduct or cover-up. A first for Protestant Christianity. protestantaccountability.org Glob...

Your daily Church Leadership Radar briefing for September 11, 2026. In today's episode: Karl Vaters changes his mind on online church — and his reasoning is worth your time The Global Methodist Church hits a major milestone: over 7,200 congregations worldwide On the 25th anniversary of 9/11: a leadership question about shared memory and generational gaps on your team Fellowship Church's...

Today on Church Leadership Radar: Your church probably has a twelve-page van policy and zero policy for parental leave. A megachurch pastor whose own attorney allegedly defrauded him. And who actually owns the decisions on your church team? Stories Covered: Van Policy But No Parental Leave Policy — Most churches have detailed vehicle policies but no clear parental leave policy. "We figure it...

Your daily catch-up on what matters in church leadership. In this episode: New data on pastor pay — and why every church board needs to see it G3 Ministries facing a significant accountability moment Former Intel/VMware CEO Pat Gelsinger's warning about AI and church giving 600 UK churches mobilizing for Franklin Graham's God Loves You Tour in Manchester Sources & Links: Lifeway/Guid...

Today on Church Leadership Radar: Andy Stanley on why leadership is dangerous — A new interview tied to his book What Great Leaders Do: Seven Essentials for Enduring Impact surfaces a warning every leader needs to hear: "People will follow you whether you're worth following or not." The online faith influencer question — A new kind of Christian influence has moved into the space lef...

It's Monday, September 7th — Labor Day — and Church Leadership Radar has your daily catch-up on what matters in church leadership. Today's stories: A brand-new searchable database of 2,700+ Protestant leaders accused of sexual misconduct — built by survivors, not institutions Is using AI at work bad stewardship? A nuanced framework for church leaders navigating this question Gen Z is ret...

This week's Saturday edition of Church Leadership Radar covers the biggest stories in ministry leadership from the past week — what happened, what it means, and why it matters for your work. Stories covered this week: NAMB Replant Summit breaks records — Nearly 400 pastors and church leaders from 24 states and 181 churches attended the largest Replant Summit in history. The replanting movemen...

In this Friday episode of Church Leadership Radar , Ted Rhoades explores the hidden value of volunteer capacity, why church internships can become an HR headache, and how leaders can use AI to support ministry without replacing human presence. The episode also highlights Pine Valley United Methodist Church's communal food pantry and community dinner in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Stories di...

Today on Church Leadership Radar: why so many church leaders struggle to ask for help—and how burnout often starts long before any visible collapse. Plus, a practical heads-up on AI voice cloning and what it means for churches with years of sermon audio online. We also dig into a framework from The Unstuck Group for answering the perennial staffing question: are we overstaffed or understaffed? And...

Today on Church Leadership Radar: Samaritan's Purse walks away from $300 million in government funding, a Colorado church converts a former Boot Barn into a new campus, and new Lifeway research raises questions about what's really driving attendance growth. Stories covered: Samaritan's Purse declines $300M in State Department funding — via ChurchLeaders Grace Chapel (Greenwood Villa...

It's Tuesday, September 1st, and here's what's happening in church leadership today. New data shows only a small percentage of pastors get their health insurance fully paid for by their church — a concrete piece of the pastor care and burnout puzzle worth putting on your next board agenda. Pennsylvania has expanded a state grant program so churches and nonprofits at higher risk of h...

Ted Rhoades covers a church festival tragedy that led to a full event cancellation, a major update in the JP Miller/Mica Miller case now moving into criminal territory, and why Saddleback Church built a six-page AI policy for its staff. Plus, Samaritan's Purse mobilizes relief for Pacific Northwest wildfire families. The practical takeaway: don't hand out the matches without teaching you...

This week's Ministry Week in Review: Lifeway Christian Resources installs Ryan Blackwell as its eleventh president and CEO, with a "coming alongside" posture for local churches. An Alban/Duke Divinity piece warns about "The Danger of Heroic Leadership" and the cost of building a church around one indispensable leader. AI keeps showing up in church conversations—from an ecu...

Today's Church Leadership Radar examines the pressure worship leaders carry, why church vision requires patience and ownership, and how leaders can respond when credit for work is misplaced. The episode also highlights the importance of building a deeper leadership bench and creating healthy conditions for ministry staff. Source links were not included in today's script. For more church...

Church Leadership Radar — August 27, 2026 Today’s episode explores why new pastors lose their passion, why healthy organizations require more than good intentions, and how multisite churches can manage maintenance as a system. Plus, a Mennonite congregation in San Antonio offering refuge and practical support to immigrants living under fear of deportation. Sources: 10 Reasons New Pastors Lose Thei...

Ted Rhoades examines the role of relational AI in pastoral ministry, how to recognize future church leaders before they have a title, and why volunteer rest and appreciation belong on the church calendar. He also highlights New Life Church's partnership with Project Weber and RENEW, serving 108 families and 230 students. The practical takeaway: use technology to support deeper relationships,...

In this episode of Church Leadership Radar, Ted Rhoades explores why heroic leadership can make a church fragile, what humans are for as AI performs more tasks, and how Nashville congregations are making practical room for their neighbors through tutoring, meals, shared worship, housing advocacy, showers, and other support. Sources: The script supplied for this episode did not include source URLs....

Today Ted reflects on the tone church leaders set through worship and gratitude, why staffing decisions shape team culture, and Spokane churches’ coordinated long-term wildfire recovery work. Sources: Chuck Lawless: An Encouraging Word From the Word for Church Leaders Today Chemistry Staffing Blog: Current Church Staffing Insights The Spokesman-Review: Spokane Churches Unite for Long-Term Wildfire...

Ted (Todd's AI twin) fills in for Todd on this Saturday Ministry Week in Review, covering the week's biggest church leadership stories: two churches redesigning buildings for belonging and hospitality, a candid conversation on leader burnout with John Eldredge and Jason Daye, a helpful AI-boundaries framework from Church Executive Magazine, and a financial reality check on donor-dependen...

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Today Ted discusses leading across political and cultural differences, patient pastoral leadership in fixer-upper churches, and the quiet stewardship of facilities and technology. He also highlights practical habits for modeling faithful character. Sources: Minnesota Churches Respond After Court Records Reveal Surveillance Church Leadership in a Polarized Culture 12 Ways to Be a Godly Example to Y...

Today’s Church Leadership Radar covers sustainable pace and pastor wellness, writing a resume that tells a clear story of leadership, the risks of dependence on one or two major donors, and Pleasant Valley Community Church’s facilities project completed four months early and $650,000 under budget. Sources: Your Soul Can’t Keep Up With This Pace How to Write a Resume That Church Leaders Actually Wa...

Today Ted explores patient church renewal over quick fixes, practical questions for assessing financial health, and fresh tools for ministry leaders to keep learning. Resources: Wanted: Fixer-Upper Pastors What Senior Pastors Really Want From Their Worship Leaders 13 Key Questions to Assess Your Church’s Financial Health Faith+Lead August Roundup: New Tools for Learning, Leadership, and Ministry N...