The Church Leadership Pulse

Today on Church Leadership Radar: Gateway Church & Robert Morris Update: The founder compensation dispute moves to private Christian arbitration — not a settlement, just headed somewhere quieter. A lesson in governance, documentation, and formalizing founder arrangements. Gen Z's Theological Question: Younger people aren't wrestling with innocent suffering — they want to know when ev...

Your daily catch-up on what matters in church leadership. Today's Stories: Justin Peters' Career Pivot — The well-known apologist steps into pastoral ministry, announcing he's the founding senior pastor of a new church plant in Laurel, Montana. A meaningful shift from watchdog to shepherd. AI & Faith Questions — A new piece from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership identifies...

Your daily catch-up on what matters in church leadership. Today's Stories: The Pastor Pipeline Crisis: Seminary enrollment for ministry degrees has dropped 14% in five years, and nearly 4 in 10 clergy say they've seriously considered leaving the profession. Is this a recruiting problem—or a systemic one? Financial Aid at Risk: A new federal regulation would tie financial aid eligibility...

Your daily briefing on what matters in church leadership. Today's edition covers three important topics for ministry leaders: The Silent Exodus: What some are calling "quiet quitters" on church staffs — team members who are still showing up but mentally and emotionally checked out. Why this pattern is more damaging than dramatic departures, and what leaders should be watching for. M...

This week's Ministry Week in Review covers a mix of encouraging data and challenging questions for church leaders. This Week's Stories: SBC Baptisms Up for 5th Consecutive Year — LifeWay Research's 2025 Annual Church Profile shows 263,000 baptisms (up 5%) and weekly attendance up 4%, even as membership continues to decline. What does it mean when people meet Jesus but skip the membe...

Today's episode covers three stories from church leadership: Joni Lamb (1960–2026) — Co-founder and president of Daystar Television Network passed away at 65. She and husband Marcus built Daystar into one of the largest Christian TV networks in the world, reaching an estimated 100 million households. A genuine pioneer remembered for decades of faithful dedication. Wheaton College Investigatio...

Today on Church Leadership Radar: Kanakuk Kamps leadership transition: Joe White, the face of Kanakuk for 40+ years, steps down as CEO effective August 31 — and the real question is whether this long-troubled organization will build real accountability, or repeat old patterns. Pastor apologizes for UFO briefing claim: Alabama pastor Larry Ragland publicly admits he 'conflated' his opinio...

On today's episode, Ted Rhoades sits in for Todd with three stories worth your attention: Dane Ortlund & Naperville Presbyterian: An Illinois judge rules the church retaliated against a female operations director — and what that means for every church with staff and HR processes. Southern Baptist 2025 Data: Attendance up 4%, baptisms up 5% (5 straight years of gains) — but membership down...

Today's episode covers four stories shaping church leadership right now: Is the megachurch era ending? High-profile leadership crises and shifting attendance patterns are putting the multi-site, high-charisma model under real stress. What is your church built on? Ligonier Ministries donor concern: The ministry's chief academic officer has departed from both Ligonier and Reformation Bible...

Today on Church Leadership Radar: Sam Allberry steps down — A well-known evangelical author and apologist resigns from his ministry roles after disclosing an inappropriate relationship. What this means for the organizations involved, and how you can pastor your congregation through the uncertainty. AI and the church — New survey data shows 6 in 10 churchgoers are worried about AI's growing in...

It's the Saturday Week in Review with Ted Rhoades — Todd's AI twin brother filling in while Todd has family time. This week on Church Leadership Radar: The Clergy Act (HR 227) passed the House 350–5 — for the first time, clergy who opted out of Social Security would have a 5-year window to opt back in. It now heads to the Senate. Craig Groeschel opened up about his personal battle with a...

Your daily catch-up on what matters in church leadership. Today's episode covers: Craig Groeschel on anxiety — The Life. Church senior pastor opens up about his personal battle with anxiety and how Scripture became his lifeline. Why leader vulnerability is actually culture-building. Staff health in decline — A new assessment shows church staff in the "healthy" category has fallen fr...

Today on Church Leadership Radar with Ted Rhoades (filling in for Todd): Camp Mystic Tragedy Goes Before Texas Legislature — The director of Camp Mystic testified before a state legislative committee, apologizing for the deaths of 27 campers and counselors in a flood. A sobering reminder for every ministry that works with youth to revisit their emergency plans, warning systems, and decision-making...

Your daily catch-up on what matters in church leadership. Today's edition covers: Ben Sasse, former U.S. senator, diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer — and what he said about faith on national television King Charles III becomes the first sitting British monarch to address a joint session of U.S. Congress — and explicitly called his Christian faith a "firm anchor and daily inspir...

Your daily briefing on what matters in church leadership — in under 4 minutes. Today's stories: Is the Gen Z revival real? Barna CEO David Kinnaman and Carey Nieuwhof take a hard look at what the data actually says — and the picture is more nuanced than the headlines suggest. Church attendance is up for the first time in decades. New research from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research...

Today on Church Leadership Radar: Life. Church remains silent four days after allegations surfaced about lead pastor Craig Groeschel — and the silence is becoming the story. The passing of Robert Tebow, the quiet missionary who shaped Tim Tebow's faith. And new PRRI data shows the Gen Z religion gap is widening — with a surprising gender reversal. Stories covered: Life. Church / Craig Groesch...

This week's ministry headlines: Gen Z gender gap in faith is closing — but not the way you think. Russell Moore's sharp take on 'casinofication' in church culture. River West Church in Oregon models radical transparency after pastor resignation. And a new 2026 federal tax provision your stewardship team needs to know about now. Stories covered this week: Gen Z & Faith Data:...

Today on Church Leadership Radar: Benny Hinn Ministries — A Texas judge freezes a ministry bank account over $160K in unpaid debts to a marketing firm. What church leaders can learn about financial discipline and accountability structures. River West Church — An Oregon church models transparency after their lead pastor resigns following an affair. Why honesty in a crisis builds lasting trust — and...

Today on Church Leadership Radar, Ted Rhoades (Todd's AI twin brother) covers three important stories for church leaders: AME Church Retirement Fund Settlement: The African Methodist Episcopal Church is on track to recover over $44 million in lost clergy retirement funds — a wake-up call for every church about financial accountability and long-term care for ministry staff. Russell Moore — &qu...

Your daily catch-up on what matters in church leadership. In today's episode: Sarah Jakes Roberts (co-pastor, Potter's House Dallas) fractures her neck in a trampoline accident — and leads with remarkable transparency through the crisis New Lifeway research: only 10% of pastors are regular AI users, while congregations are already ahead of them Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis goes pub...

Your daily catch-up on what matters in church leadership. Today's Stories: Craig Groeschel on Hitting a Wall: Craig Groeschel appeared on the Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast alongside his therapist, Dr. Wayne Chappelle, for a remarkably honest conversation about burnout, getting help, and what pastoral health actually looks like. The Silent Shift (Thom Rainer): Thom Rainer names the quiet drift o...

Your daily catch-up on what matters in church leadership. Today's Stories: A Baptist congregation in Ukraine struck by a Russian missile during Sunday prayer — nine killed, including a pastor Leadership transitions as stewardship moments — a fresh framing for navigating pastoral handoffs When administrative tasks bury your ministry calling — and how to reclaim the right work Fort Graham Bapti...

This week's Saturday Ministry Week in Review covers the stories shaping church leadership right now — from the growing AI adoption gap in churches, to what Crossroads Church's handling of Brian Tome's suspension shows us about accountability, to practical insights on retaining your best staff and bridging generational divides. This Week's Stories: 60% of church leaders use AI t...

Your daily briefing on what matters in church leadership. In today's episode: Crisis Response Done Right: A youth pastor in Monroe County, Georgia was arrested this week — and the church's response was instructive. They cooperated fully with investigators, sealed the office, and made the campus available to the FBI. Every church needs a written crisis response protocol. Your Best Staff M...

In this episode: The AI Policy Gap: 60% of church leaders are using AI tools (ChatGPT, AI graphics, email writing), but only 5% have established policies. Why this matters and how to get ahead of it. Anthropic Wants Your Voice: One of the world's major AI companies is actively seeking Christian leaders' input on ethical AI development. The Generational Conversation: How to bridge generat...