The Church Leadership Pulse

Ministry Week in Review — July 11, 2026 Ted Rhoades hosts this week's Saturday deep-dive on what mattered most in church leadership. This week's coverage: Gloo Holdings' $438M Crisis — What it means for churches that built outreach infrastructure on faith-tech platforms. Read more Mark Dever Returns to the Pulpit — Six weeks after a near-fatal cardiac episode on Memorial Day, Dever...

Today's episode covers three stories worth your attention: Gloo's $438M in cumulative losses — The faith-tech platform is attempting a stock sale to stay afloat. If your church uses Gloo for digital outreach, this is worth watching. Religion News Service The Amiable Autocrat — Church Answers names a leadership pattern quietly wrecking staff teams: the warm, well-liked pastor who leads al...

Today on Church Leadership Radar: Mark Dever back in the pulpit — Six weeks after a near-fatal cardiac event on Memorial Day, the senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church returned to preach a full 45-minute sermon on July 5th — and turned the whole thing into gospel witness. Barna research on AI in churches — New data reveals how church leaders are using AI, but the real headline is what'...

Wednesday's episode covers three stories worth your attention: Craig Hagin & Rhema Bible Church — Felony animal cruelty charges reduced to a misdemeanor after a plea. A reminder that leadership character extends beyond the platform. Dan Reiland on Leadership's #1 Blind Spot — "If you need people more than you feed people, you will soon be leading from empty." The drift from...

Today on Church Leadership Radar: A hiring practice that may be filtering out your best candidates; the FIFA World Cup and a real pastoral question about allegiance; and why your congregation's AI anxiety is actually a pastoral care moment. Plus a bright spot on disability ministry — Hope Heals Camp and Joni and Friends doing beautiful, quiet work. Stories Referenced: Are churches screening o...

Church leadership news and insights for Monday, July 6, 2026. Today's Stories: Ezra Jin Mingri Released: The founder of Zion Church, one of China's largest underground congregations, has been freed after 266 days in detention and has arrived in the United States. Eight other Zion Church members remain in custody. Seminary Degree Requirements & Compensation Gap: A growing conversation...

It's America's 250th birthday, and Ted Rhoades is holding down the fort while Todd celebrates the Fourth with family. This Saturday edition covers the biggest stories in church leadership from the week — including a historic SBC vote, a striking counseling gap among pastors, a growing seminary debt crisis, and what it looks like to lead a patriotic worship service without crossing into n...

Ted Rhoades sits in for Todd on this pre-holiday Friday edition. Three stories worth your attention: Leadership Integrity in Action: David Hyoo-ee, lead pastor of Guy-er Springs First Baptist Church in Little Rock, AR, voluntarily stepped down after his wife filed for divorce — before any board policy required it. A rare example of a leader choosing the mission over the chair. Operation Holy Rolle...

Today on Church Leadership Radar, Ted covers three key stories for church leaders: SBC Constitutional Amendment: The Southern Baptist Convention presses forward with an amendment restricting who can serve as pastor. Rick Warren sat down with Russell Moore to share the theological convictions behind his position. Whatever your church's polity, this moment will shape thousands of churches for d...

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 J...

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...

Monday, June 29, 2026 — Your daily catch-up on what matters in church leadership. Today's episode covers: Fake Emergency Mode — The culture where everything is urgent, every Sunday feels like a five-alarm fire, and your best people are burning out before you see it coming. Child Safety Beyond the Policy Binder — Four Christian schools with well-written safety policies that still failed to pro...

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 towar...

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 unde...

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 — S...

Your daily 5-minute briefing on what matters in church leadership — from pastoral accountability to compensation strategy. In today's episode: Heritage Baptist Church Votes on Reinstatement — A Texas congregation faced a hard decision: does a family member's serious failure, and how the pastor responded, justify permanent disqualification? The vote on reinstating lead pastor Eric Crawfor...

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 Chu...

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 —...

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&a...

Your daily catch-up on what matters in church leadership. Today's episode covers: Survey: Half of U.S. Churches Plan to Celebrate America's 250th — New data shows roughly half of U.S. churches plan to incorporate national themes into summer worship, revealing a gap between stated theology and Sunday morning practice. A Fellowship That Pays $85,000 to Help Nonprofits Use AI — A fully-fund...

Today on Church Leadership Radar: A major conference postponed after a sudden health crisis. Why some churches seem permanently wired for conflict. And five conversations every church leadership team should be having about artificial intelligence. In this episode: Sarah Jakes Roberts postpones her flagship Woman Evolve conference after revealing a near-paralyzing spinal injury — and what it reveal...

Today on Church Leadership Radar, Ted covers three important stories for church leaders: Trey's Law: A federal bill to void non-disclosure agreements in child sexual abuse settlements has passed the U.S. Senate unanimously. Named after Trey Carlock, who experienced abuse at a Christian summer camp, was silenced by an NDA, and later died by suicide. Three more states passed their own versions...

Today on Church Leadership Radar: a pastor's public apology that's turning heads, a staffing situation every church needs a plan for, and a reframe on summer ministry that might change how you lead through July. Stories Covered Greg Locke's Public Apology — Pastor Greg Locke of Global Vision Bible Church issued a public apology to pastor Daniel Adams, sharing how the recent death of...

Your daily catch-up on what matters in church leadership — hosted by Ted Rhoades (Todd's AI twin brother). In today's episode: 🏕️ Virginia Tent Collapse Tragedy: A church in Moneta, VA was celebrating its 20th anniversary with an outdoor tent service when a severe storm caused the tent to collapse — one person died, dozens injured. The pastor's public response is a model for leading...

It's Saturday, and Ted Rhoades is filling in for Todd with a look back at everything that mattered in church leadership this week. This week's stories: The SBC Annual Meeting in Orlando: Willy Rice elected new SBC president, and messengers pass a constitutional amendment restricting the title of pastor to men (74.66% margin) — with a second vote required at the 2027 meeting Barna Group r...