The Church Leadership Pulse

Today on Church Leadership Radar: Northview Church fires senior pastor CJ Johnson after a law firm investigation and unanimous elder board action, an update on the SBC women pastors constitutional amendment vote, and a timely resource on elder board micromanagement from Chemistry Staffing. Stories & Links: Northview Church Fires Senior Pastor CJ Johnson After Leadership Culture Investigation —...

Your daily catch-up on what matters in church leadership — Thursday, June 11, 2026. In today's episode: 1 in 3 Americans trust AI as much as a pastor — New Barna research reveals a major trust signal about spiritual guidance, technology, and what people are really searching for. Church fined $1,000/day for sheltering homeless people — A church in Ocean City, Maryland is fighting zoning violat...

SBC Makes History, Church Accountability Done Right, and AI Ethics Every Church Needs to Hear Today's episode covers three stories that every church leader should be tracking: SBC Annual Meeting in Orlando: Willy Rice elected as new SBC president — and a historic floor vote on women serving on church staffs. Whatever your position, the governance process itself is a story for the whole church...

Today on Church Leadership Radar, Ted Rhoades fills in for Todd with three stories shaping church leadership right now: SBC Annual Meeting in Orlando: Former SBC president Jack Graham calls the denomination's sexual abuse crisis a "reckless hoax" — survivors and advocates respond. What this moment reveals about how large evangelical institutions handle accountability. Mark Driscoll...

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 whi...

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....

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...

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 replic...

Today on Church Leadership Radar, host Ted Rhoades covers three significant stories for church leaders: 📰 Stories Covered: Eli Lilly vs. COGIC Leaders: Drug manufacturer Eli Lilly has filed a federal lawsuit against a Church of God in Christ general board member, his son, and his daughter — alleging a $200M+ fraud through a sham prescription cost-share program. Financial integrity is foundational...

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&...

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 ho...

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. This Week's Stories Sports Gambling as a Pastoral Crisis — MinistryWatch reports that sports betting addiction is surging among church members, and mos...

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 gett...

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 G...

Your daily catch-up on what matters in church leadership — Wednesday, May 27, 2026. Today's Stories: Salem Communications acquisition: The major Christian radio network (100+ stations) is being acquired by a Colorado Springs-based nonprofit — what does this mean for Christian media and local churches? Viral revival or real transformation? A 22-year-old evangelist with 7 million followers is d...

Your daily catch-up on what matters in church leadership. Today's Topics: Protecting Worship Services: Multiple state legislatures are moving to toughen legal penalties for disrupting church services, following a protest at a Minnesota church. Is your church prepared legally? Daystar Family Rift: The memorial service for Joni Lamb drew significant tributes — but her son Jonathan's absenc...

Happy Memorial Day! On today's episode, Ted Rhoades covers three pieces worth your time on a reflective Monday. Today's Stories: Self-Control as the Backstop — Dan Reiland writes that self-control isn't the caboose of the Fruit of the Spirit — it's the backstop. Without it, every other leadership virtue has a leak. What I'd Do Less Of — Chuck Lawless shares 12 things he&ap...

This week on the Church Leadership Radar Ministry Week in Review , Ted Rhoades covers the stories and trends that matter most for church leaders heading into the weekend. This week's stories: Pastor Ezra Jin & Zion Church (Beijing): A Wall Street Journal front-page profile on the pastor who refused to let authorities install surveillance cameras in his congregation — and was arrested for...

Today on Church Leadership Radar: A church governance lawsuit involving McLean Bible Church and David Platt gets a second life after a Virginia appeals court revives the case. New research finds roughly half of US Christians turn to AI for spiritual guidance — and what that means for the local church. A veteran ministry professor's honest look back at 14 years of pastoral ministry and what he...

Thursday's radar covers three stories worth your attention today: SBC Abuse Prevention Leader Calls for Cross-Denominational Collaboration — Jeff Dalrymple, chair of the SBC's Abuse Reform and Implementation Task Force, is urging churches to work together ahead of the Annual Meeting in Orlando. Whether or not you're Southern Baptist, this signals a broader shift in how accountabilit...

On today's Church Leadership Radar: A pastor imprisoned in China for refusing government surveillance, a missionary doctor who contracted Ebola serving in the DRC, a sobering Gallup survey on pastoral trust, and a church in Indianapolis doing something inspiring with a closed university campus. Stories covered: Pastor Ezra Jin — Beijing pastor imprisoned for refusing government surveillance c...

Your daily catch-up on what matters in church leadership — hosted by Ted Rhoades, in for Todd today. In this episode: Cracked Financial Ground: Baby Boomers now average just 1.4 services/month, and $124 trillion in wealth is transferring to the next generation. What does this mean for your church model — and what Gen Z data offers real hope? AI & Bible Study: Christians are turning to AI chatb...

Today on Church Leadership Radar: James Robison passes at 82 — The founder of Life Outreach International leaves behind a legacy of humanitarian service: feeding millions, drilling water wells, and pointing his platform toward people others overlooked. Life Outreach International now faces a significant leadership transition. Youth Pastor Compensation Shifts Fast — The 9th Annual Youth Pastor Comp...

Your Ministry Week in Review for Saturday, May 16, 2026 — hosted by Ted Rhoades. This week in church leadership: four stories that deserve more than a headline, plus a bright spot that will make you sit up straighter. The Pastor Pipeline Crisis: Seminary enrollment for ministry degrees has dropped 14% in five years, and four in ten clergy have seriously considered leaving ministry. A new federal r...

Your daily catch-up on what matters in church leadership. Hosted by Ted Rhoades. In today's episode: Wellness Culture's Cracks — New research shows the experiment of replacing transcendence and community with self-optimization is coming up short. What this means for the Church right now. Brian Houston Account Hack — A high-profile social media compromise and the digital security lesson e...