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MinistryWatch Podcast

MinistryWatch Podcast

Warren Smith and Natasha Smith

Transparency and accountability are vital to the renewal of the evangelical church in America. Hosts Warren Smith and Natasha Smith highlight the top stories of the week from the unique MinistryWatch perspective and give you a peek behind the curtain to show why and how we do the investigations we do.
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Top 10 MinistryWatch Podcast Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best MinistryWatch Podcast episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to MinistryWatch Podcast for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite MinistryWatch Podcast episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

MinistryWatch Podcast - Ep. 287: Solving The Christian Higher Education Crisis
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09/06/23 • 9 min

For the past four years, MinistryWatch has an annual list of the 50 largest Christian colleges and universities in the nation. This year’s list published today, and you can find it here. In today’s EXTRA episode, Warren Smith discusses this list and explains how we can solve the Christian higher education crisis with one simple fix: Christian parents, don’t send your kids to secular schools. The producers for today’s program are Jeff McIntosh and Rich Roszel. Until next time, may God bless you.
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On today’s program, one of the early members of the influential Acts 29 church planting network is leaving – and going public with its reasons. Grand Canyon University, now the nation’s largest Christian college, faces new legal challenges. And we remember Donald Wildmon, the founder of the American Family Association, who recently died at age 85. We begin today with news that the shakeup at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City continues...this time with the exit of another high level executive. FINAL THOUGHTS Last week I promised to give a final accounting for our year-end fundraising. We had a year-end fundraising goal of about $117 thousand, in the months of November and December. I’m pleased to report today that we met that goal. We still have checks coming in the mail, but it looks like we will top out at around $150,000, which is significantly above our goal. To those of you who gave to MinistryWatch, let me say thank you. I can’t tell you how grateful I am. Four years ago, just weeks after I took over at MinistryWatch, we set a year-end goal of about $15,000. To see how we’ve grown over the past four years has been humbling and gratifying. I’m grateful to God, and to you who read, listen to, and financially support our work. The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and Jeff McIntosh. We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Steve Rabey, Shannon Cuthrell, Kim Roberts, Daniel Ritchie, Steve Rabey, and Christina Darnell. .Until next time, may God bless you.
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Randall Goodgame is one of my favorite people. For one thing, he is unfailingly nice, one of the nicest guys I know. And he’s enormously talented. He began his musical career while still an undergraduate in the 1990s playing keyboards for a southern rock band called Black Creek that had regional success and developed a cult following even though it released only a single live album. But, man, that album rocks. Randall’s senior thesis at Birmingham Southern College was an account of his year on the road with the band. From there he released a couple of independent solo albums before finding success as a songwriter for such Christian artists as Andrew Peterson, Caedmon’s Call, and Jason Gray. As an artist, he toured with these artists as well as Jars of Clay. His career took yet another turn when he collaborated with Andrew Peterson to produce a children’s album called “Slugs and Bugs and Lullabies.” This album led to more “Slugs and Bugs” albums, albums that combine a high artistic sensibility with solid biblical teaching. His album “Sing The Bible with Slugs and Bugs” takes Bible verses – not paraphrases, but word for word Scripture – and sets them to music. The success of that album led to his latest project, “Scripture Hymnal.” Scripture Hymnal contains more than 100 Bible passages set to music. The book has sheet music, and a link to fully produced versions of every song in the book. It’s really a massive project, and one that is sure to have a big impact on the church and take its place in a growing movement of modern hymn writing we are seeing today. It was a pleasure to talk with Randall Goodgame. We had this conversation last week, via zoom. He joined me from his studio near Nashville. That brings to a close my interview with Randall Goodgame. His newest project is ”Scripture Hymnal.” I’ve got a copy of it myself, and I couldn’t recommend it more highly. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. Until next time, may God bless you. Article Topics An Interview with Randall Goodgame: The Man Behind 'Scripture Hymnal' From Southern Rock to Scripture Songs: Randall Goodgame’s Musical Evolution
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On today’s program, a closer look at a Christian college offering courses to prisoners raises more questions than answers. Plus, a new LifeWay study suggests that prosperity gospel beliefs are on the rise among churchgoers. We’ll have those details later in the program. And thieves swipe a massive air conditioner unit of an Atlanta church...in the sweltering heat of summer. We begin today with news that Virginia Beach Pastor John Blanchard has had his criminal record expunged after he was arrested a couple years back in an underage prostitution sting. Blanchard is the lead pastor of Rock Church International in Virginia Beach, and he was one of 17 men arrested in October 2021. Each of the men corresponded with undercover detectives posing as minors and set up a time and place to meet for sex. They were all arrested on site at those meeting places, including Blanchard. Just two days after his arrest, Blanchard led worship at his church. It wasn’t until his arrest became public that he stepped away from church duties temporarily. FINAL THOUGHTS: It’s a new month, and we have a new gift for donors. This month, we’ll be sending a copy of my book “Restoring All Things” to you if you make a gift of any size during the month of September. I wrote this book with my friend and former Colson Center colleague John Stonestreet, and I think you’ll find it to be a blessing. It highlights how God is using ministries and individuals to make a positive difference in the world. Just go to the MinistryWatch website and hit the donate button at the top of the page. The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and Jeff McIntosh. We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Cheryl Mann Bacon, Daniel Ritchie, Kim Roberts, and Marissa Postell Sullivan. A special thanks to The NonProfit Times, The Christian Chronicle, ChurchLeaders, and LifeWay Research for contributing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.
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On today’s program, a judge has upheld Josh Duggar’s conviction on child pornography charges, and a prominent Austin church that had been started by the Anglican Church of North America has decided it’s too liberal for that denomination, and has decided to affiliate with the Episcopal Church. Plus, a couple of new studies indicate that giving to Christian ministries could be down in the coming year. We begin today with news that a former trustee of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is calling for a forensic audit of the school. The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and Jeff McIntosh. We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Paul Clolery, Bob Smietana, BeLynn Hollers, Daniel Ritchie, Kim Roberts, Christina Darnell—and you, Warren. A special thanks to The NonProfit Times for contributing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.
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Give locally. Before you send money off to a national organization that is taking in tens of millions of dollars, see if there’s a ministry in your community. My experience is that there likely is. Investigate that ministry first. Big ministries can afford slick marketing. Don’t be seduced. Do your research. MinistryWatch tracks the 1000 largest ministries in the nation here. Many of the largest trafficking organizations are there. But, as I said above, most of the local ministries are too small to make it onto our list. To learn about these ministries, use the ProPublica website, here. Volunteer. Local ministries usually need volunteers to work with the people they serve. Many of them offer volunteer training that will help you understand how to be more effective in your work for them, but which also educate you about the human trafficking problem in your area. Give to Christian organizations. Many of the organizations involved in sex trafficking are not Christian groups. For example, neither OUR or IJM are explicitly Christian organizations, though IJM does have many Christians (including its founder, Gary Haugen) on staff. Some of them do good work, but without bringing Scripture and a biblical worldview to this problem, we are likely not providing lasting help. I make no apologies for recommending that you give to and advocate for explicitly Christian organizations. Pray and Give. Don’t let negative headlines freeze or frustrate you into inaction. View the negative headlines as a gift, steering you away from the bad actors and toward the good actors. Human trafficking is a scourge, a horrible scourge in this beautiful but broken world. But it is the job of Christians to be restorers, reconcilers, repairers of the breach. Local human trafficking ministries are a great place to start. The producers for today’s program are Jeff McIntosh and Rich Roszel. We get database, technical, and editorial support from Stephen Dubarry, Christina Darnell, and Casey Sudduth. Until next time, may God bless you.
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On today’s program, we discuss a BBC investigation that calls into question some of the so-called child “rescues” in West Africa initiated by the International Justice Mission. Also, financial troubles continue to plague Christian publisher David C. Cook. We’ll have details. And we’ll take a look at the latest state measures that could undermine donor privacy. We begin today with news of popular worship leader Matt Redman. He took to social media last week, saying that he and his wife had both suffered what he called “harmful behavior and mistreatment” by UK pastor Mike Pilavachi. Final Thoughts: Just a reminder that MinistryWatch is a donor supported organization, and if you make a gift during the month of July, you’ll receive a copy of my book Faith-Based Fraud: Learning From The Great Religious Scandals of our Time as our thank-you gift. Just go to MinistryWatch and hit the DONATE button at the top of the page. The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and Jeff McIntosh. We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Yonat Shimron, Meagan Saliashvili, Kim Roberts, Jessica Eturralde, Steve Rabey, Daniel Ritchie, Christina Darnell, and Rod Pitzer. Special thanks to The NonProfit Times for contributing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.
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Today I welcome back to the program Amy McClintock, with the Strategic Resource Group, an organization that funds projects to reach unreached people groups in the Middle East and North Africa, the so-called MENA region of the world. Two years ago, I started reporting on a new initiative by the Strategic Resource Group that – if successful – could have a dramatic impact on the way we do Bible translation. They are using a so-called Translation Service Provider – an organization that normally translates contracts, treaties, movie scripts, books, and all manner of other material – to translate the Bible. The company it is using is called LinguaLinx. I wrote my first article about this process in August of 2021. But one aspect of this project that is different from those undertaken by traditional Bible translation organizations is the remarkable degree of transparency SRG has shown to me in the process. Last year, for example, I checked in with Amy and her predecessor in her role Jane Schoen, in both January and August of last year, and in January of this year, to get updates on the project. And that’s what we are doing today. The very fact that Amy and SRG are allowing me to have these regular check-ins is dramatically different from the way the Bible translation industry normally operates. It’s an industry cloaked in secrecy and layers of bureaucracy. In fact, for the past three years or so, I’ve written about 30 articles on the industry and its practices, and I’ll have links to some of those articles in today’s show notes. I encourage you to check them out. I’d like to remind you that MinistryWatch is donor supported. We take no money from ministries. All of our content is free. No paywall. That means we couldn’t do what we do without faithful donors. You guys are the real heroes of this enterprise. So if you’d like to join that heroic group by pitching in to make sure that MinistryWatch remains a viable endeavor, you can go to MinistryWatch.com and hit the “donate” button at the top of the page. And if you donate in the month of July, we’ll send you, as our thank you, a copy of my book “Faith Based Fraud: Learning From The Great Religious Scandals of our Time.” To donate, click here. The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and Jeff McIntosh. We get database, technical, and editorial support from Stephen DuBarry, Christina Darnell, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Until next time, may God bless you. Links Mentioned in Today’s Program Here is a list of articles we have written about the Bible translation industry, from oldest to newest: When Is A Bible Translation Not A Bible Translation – May 14, 2020 https://ministrywatch.com/when-is-a-bible-translation-not-a-bible-translation/ Bible Translation At A Crossroads – June 30, 2020 https://ministrywatch.com/the-bible-translation-industry-is-at-a-crossroads/ Translation Service Providers Could Be Paradigm Changing – August 5, 2021 https://ministrywatch.com/translation-service-providers-could-be-paradigm-changing-for-bible-translation-industry/ Just How Broken Is The Bible Translation Industry – September 21, 2021 https://ministrywatch.com/just-how-broken-is-the-bible-translation-industry/ Outsourcing Bible Translation? – January 17, 2022 https://ministrywatch.com/outsourcing-bible-translation/ List of 50 Largest Bible Translation and Missions Organizations – May 2, 2022 https://ministrywatch.com/outsourcing-bible-translation/ Translating The Bible in a New Way: A Conversation with Jane Schoen – August 10, 2022 https://ministrywatch.com/ep-202-translating-the-bible-in-a-new-way-a-conversation-with-jane-schoen/
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On today’s program, a pastor and the brother of the Rev. Al Sharpton is in legal trouble again. We look at Operation Underground Railroad, the organization on which the new movie “Sound of Freedom” is based. We also begin a series on ministries that are working with kids who have aged out of the foster care system. We begin today with news of yet another Christian college shutting its doors. The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and Jeff McIntosh. We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Emily Kern, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Rafa Oliveira, Kim Roberts, Bob Smietana, Jessica Eturralde, Christina Darnell, and Rod Pitzer. Special thanks to Religion UnPlugged for contributing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.
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On today’s program, a bizarre story out of Haiti. Haitian gangs are using churches to smuggle arms into the country. We’ll explain how that scheme works. And a church in Alabama has to pay back nearly a half-million dollars given to it a decade ago because the man who gave the gift has now declared bankruptcy. And this church is not alone. We’ll have details. Later in the program, we look at the popular bible app YouVersion. It’s released its annual list of the most searched Bible verses of the year. We begin today with news that an engineer for one of the nation’s largest Christian broadcasters has been sued over misappropriation of funds.The Association of Professional Radio Engineers (APRE) has filed a suit against Shane Toven, a senior broadcast engineer employed by Educational Media Foundation. Educational Media Foundation is the parent company of the K-Love radio network. FINAL THOUGHTS As I have said before, we are in the most critical time of the year for Christian ministries, including MinistryWatch, when it comes to fundraising. We need to raise about a quarter of our budget, about $117 thousand, in the months of November and December. We just passed the $78,000 mark, so we are about 2/3 of the way there. Which is great. But we have less than 10 days to go. If you’ve already given, THANK YOU. If you have not, I hope you will prayerfully consider a gift to MinistryWatch before year-end. And, of course, MinistryWatch is not alone. Some ministries raise 30 or 40 percent of their budgets during the last two months of the year. If you’d like to help us reach our year-end goal, just go to MinistryWatch.com and hit the donate button at the top of the page. But whether you give to us or not, we hope you will use our database to help you make giving decisions. And that you will give wisely and generously during this season. The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and Jeff McIntosh. We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Kim Roberts, Daniel Ritchie, Steve Rabey, Tim Padgett, Kathryn Post, Bob Smietana, and Christina Darnell. A special thanks to WLRN for contributing material for this week’s podcast. .Until next time, may God bless you.
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FAQ

How many episodes does MinistryWatch Podcast have?

MinistryWatch Podcast currently has 422 episodes available.

What topics does MinistryWatch Podcast cover?

The podcast is about News and Podcasts.

What is the most popular episode on MinistryWatch Podcast?

The episode title 'Ep. 285: More SBC Troubles, Pulse Outreach’s Remarkable Claims, and Bank Of America Kicks Out Christian Ministry' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on MinistryWatch Podcast?

The average episode length on MinistryWatch Podcast is 25 minutes.

How often are episodes of MinistryWatch Podcast released?

Episodes of MinistryWatch Podcast are typically released every 4 days, 20 hours.

When was the first episode of MinistryWatch Podcast?

The first episode of MinistryWatch Podcast was released on Jan 24, 2020.

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