MinistryWatch Podcast

On today’s program, St. Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Florida, has refused to reveal the salaries of its pastors—even to its own board of elders. But a new whistleblower report shows that at least three of its pastors receive compensation that’s raising eyebrows. We’ll take a look. Plus, the use of celebrities to promote causes is not new—but ministries are increasingly turning to social media influ...

Justin Murff is one of those guys I turn to when I want to sort out what is going on in the world. He has been, or is currently, an Anglican priest, a media executive, and advocate for religious freedom, a former Southern Baptist pastor, and a whole lot more. His innovative work has reshaped how faith communities engage unreached or poorly reached people groups in the digital age.   Currently...

Christian ministries, especially Christian broadcasters, should pay attention to the Jimmy Kimmel situation. What’s happening to Kimmel now could be happening to Greg Laurie, David Jeremiah, Alistair Begg, Erwin Lutzer, or dozens of other broadcasters in a future administration. The Wall Street Journal I reference in this episode can be found here. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh...

On today’s program, an anti-trafficking group based in North Carolina is being accused of exploiting the very women it is supposed to be helping. We’ll take a look. And, World Vision’s CEO discusses humanitarian work in a post USAID world. We’ll have details. Plus, factors that are forcing pastors to quit the ministry. But first, eight leaders at the House of Prayer Christian Church in Georgia hav...

The death of Charlie Kirk has caused a lot of soul searching by those on the left and the right, as it should. Al Mohler,  writing for WORLD,  said, “Every generation has its own formative moments. Yesterday is now one of those days.” Charlie Kirk changed over the years. His near-permanent scowl, perhaps a young man’s attempt to be taken seriously, was replaced with a nearly perpetual smile, and r...

On today’s program, a Texas court is considering sanctions against the South Texas Assemblies of God for refusing to provide documents in a case related to its Chi Alpha college ministry. The denomination has been accused of allowing a convicted sexual predator to continue serving with college students. We’ll have details. Plus, anti-trafficking group Unlikely Heroes has been accused of misusing a...

On today’s program, Warren Smith has one of his periodic “lightning round” talks with Michael Reneau of The Dispatch. This time, they dig into celebrity Christians, including Jen Hatmaker, Doug Wilson, Chip and Joanna Gaines, and others. They also discuss how Tim Keller is sort of an antidote to that, the “anti-celebrity celebrity. They also discuss recent articles at The Dispatch regarding artifi...

Here at MinistryWatch, our mission is to help Christian donors become true stewards. We provide resources to help you become more faithful stewards of the resources God has entrusted to you. If you’ve been around MinistryWatch for a while, that means we help you to give wisely and faithfully. But for most Christians, even generous Christians, the amount of money they give away is just a fraction o...

On today’s program, the Assemblies of God South Texas Ministry Network has discovered financial misconduct among its ranks. This is the same Assemblies of God network plagued by Chi Alpha sexual abuse scandals. We’ll have details. And, a ministry helping Christians escape ‘high control’ churches…the group encourages believers to rebuild—not deconstruct—their faith. Plus, the American Bible Society...

Catchisms are, quite simply, question-and-answer summaries of the faith. For centuries Christians have catechisms to teach the fundamentals of the faith, and to disciple new believers. The Westminster Catechism, the Heidelberg Catechism, Luther’s Catechism, and others have been used by Christians since the Reformation. But some so-called “low church” traditions – Baptists, non-denominational evang...

On today’s program, David E. Taylor—the self-appointed apostle of Kingdom of God Global Church and head of Joshua Media Ministries—was arrested this week for forced labor and money laundering. If convicted, he could face more than 20 years in prison. We’ll have details. And, a Kentucky church has encouraged their members to check books out of their local library, and not return them—ever. The book...

James C. Dobson, a psychologist, political activist, and author who championed Christian pro-family values on his popular radio shows and in his bestselling books, died Thursday. He was 89. Here are a few links I mention in today’s EXTRA episode. In 2022, I wrote an appreciation of Dr. Dobson for MinistryWatch, when he announced his retirement from full time work. Paul Batura, who worked with Dr....

On today’s program, a former employee sues Liberty University, claiming she was given heavier work loads, less pay, and was passed over for promotions. In the end, she claims she was fired for being a whistleblower. We’ll have details. Plus, email scams are targeting churches…in some cases, scammers pose as pastors seeking donations. How can churches and members protect themselves? We take a look....

When the Soviet Union collapsed, Frances Fukuyama famously declared that we had reached the “end of history.” He meant that the big arguments, the major ideological struggles, were now all in the past, and that liberal democracy would prevail from then on. The rest would be just cordial arguments about policy. That peaceful kingdom has obviously not come to pass. Some might argue that Fukuyama’s c...

On today’s EXTRA Episode, Warren Smith discusses new research from Ryan Burge on “exvangelicals.” Burge’s conclusion: The movement is “way overblown.” To read a transcript of today’s episode, click here. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. Until next time, may God bless you.

Here at MinistryWatch we measure a lot of things. We measure financial efficiency. Simply explained, that’s the amount of money that goes to ministry vs. the amount of money. We grade ministries based on their transparency. Our Donor Confidence Score takes into account more than a dozen factors before providing an overall score designed to help you decide whether to give to a ministry or not. One...

The producers of the new season of “Shiny Happy People” have taken a page out of the Geraldo Rivera School of Journalism. To read a transcript of today’s podcast, click here. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. Until next time, may God bless you.

On today’s program, a third prosecutor has been appointed in the trial of Anglican Church in North America Bishop Stewart Ruch after the first two resigned. The Bishop is on trial with the denomination for welcoming abusers into the church, and minimizing the needs of abuse survivors. A North Carolina church was the victim of an online scam that stole nearly $800 thousand from their new building f...

If you are a regular reader of MinistryWatch, and you appreciate our approach to the news, you should know about Bob Case. In fact, if you read WORLD Magazine, or Christianity Today, or The Dispatch, or any of dozens of other news outlets, you have – whether you know it or not – been influenced by Bob Case. Robert Allen Case II is one of the unsung heroes in the development of Christian news outle...

On today’s program, conservative leader Jason Yates, who was the former CEO of My Faith Votes, has pleaded guilty to the possession of child sexual abuse material. We’ll have details. President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill…school choice advocates welcome a provision in the bill that includes a private school tax credit…but the impact on Christian education remains uncertain. We’ll take a look. P...

On today’s program, St. Andrew’s Chapel, the church founded by RC Sproul and now led by controversial pastor Burke Parsons, delays its long-awaited vote on leaving the Presbyterian Church in America. We’ll have details. The murders of two women at a Kentucky church this month point to a troubling trend—and churches are seeking help to prevent more violence. We’ll take a look. Plus, two years ago,...

In a recent  court filing,  the IRS said the-so called Johnson Amendment, which bars all nonprofits from being involved in political campaigns, should not apply to political speech during religious services. The IRS decision still awaits a judge’s approval, but – if it comes – it will be a major victory for the Trump Administration and the fulfillment of a promise to at least one segment of his po...

Have you noticed that we live in contentious times? I certainly have. Our politics is polarized. Even our church life is too often contentious and ideological, with positions being driven as much by tribalism as by Scripture or a principled theology. Why is there so much conflict today, and is there a way out of it? Amanda Ripley thinks there is. She’s an investigative journalist who has written f...

On today’s program, St. Andrew’s Chapel is facing questions over its lack of financial transparency. Members say church leaders refuse to share budget details. Now, the local presbytery is involved. We’ll have details. And, the I-R-S now says churches CAN endorse politicians—this, despite the so-called Johnson Amendment…a law that threatens to remove a ministry’s non-profit status if it makes poli...

If you are listening to this podcast, I’m guessing religion plays an important role in your life. It certainly does in mine. That’s why I was a little put off by the title of Christian Smith’s new book Why Religion Went Obsolete: The Demise of Traditional Faith in America . Religion is certainly not obsolete in my life. But I must say: After reading the book, and after having the conversation with...