Podcasts about Baptist Press

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. Also, the Southern Baptist Convention launches a new abuse helpline. We'll also have a remembrance of Dr. James Dobson, who died on Thursday. First, a lawsuit leveled against Grand Canyon Education has been dropped. The producer for today's program is 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, Tony Mator, Daniel Ritchie, Yonat Shimron, Isaac Wood, Jessica Eturralde, Laura Erlanson, and Aaron Earls. A special thanks to Lifeway Research and Baptist Press for contributing material for this week's podcast.   MANUSCRIPT:   FIRST SEGMENT Warren: Hello everybody. I'm Warren Smith, coming to you from Charlotte, North Carolina. Christina: And I'm Christina Darnell, in for Natasha Cowden this week, and we'd like to welcome you to the MinistryWatch podcast. Warren: 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. And, the Southern Baptist Convention launches a new abuse helpline. We'll also have a remembrance of Dr. James Dobson, who died on Thursday. Christina: But first, a lawsuit leveled against Grand Canyon Education has been dropped. Warren: The Federal Trade Commission first brought the lawsuit during the Biden Administration, claiming Grand Canyon Education—which is the for-profit marketing arm of Grand Canyon University—misled prospective students about how much it would cost to complete their doctoral programs. Christina: Also, in November, Grand Canyon secured another victory after the court found that the Education Department had used the wrong standard when it denied the university's application for nonprofit status in 2019. All that led to last week, when the Federal Trade Commission formally dismissed their case. Warren: That's right. In a statement, the F-T-C said the case presented “consumers very little upside relative to the cost of pursuing it to completion, especially given the developments chronicled above.” They said it would be “imprudent to continue expending Commission resources on a lost cause.” Christina: Grand Canyon Education praised the decision. Warren: They did. Grand Canyon University President Brian Mueller—who is also president of Grand Canyon Education—says the accusations against them have always been false. Christina: Still, Grand Canyon University isn't out of the woods yet. A civil case brought by former doctoral students is still ongoing in federal court. Warren: In June 2024, Tanner Smith and Qimin Wang are two plaintiffs—both former students who claim they were lied to about the cost of the doctoral programs. They say they were both required to take continuation courses that added over $8,000 to the cost of their degree programs. Christina: Our next story takes us to Liberty University, who is facing a discrimination and wrongful termination lawsuit from a former employee. Warren: Erika Woolfolk, a black woman, worked as a civil rights investigator in Liberty's Office of Equity and Compliance for Title IX. She is a graduate of the school and worked there from 2014 to 2024. She filed a lawsuit on August 12,

Bryan Kohberger accepts plea deal in Idaho student murders case Baptist Press on X: "An untold number of Christians have died for their faith, with nearly 4,500 killed in 2024 alone. Day of the Christian Martyr on June 29 honors those killed since the Gospel was first proclaimed, and encourages Christians to persevere. https://t.co/lbAuJfNk2Y" / X For The Church on X: "Why is the exclusivity of the gospel losing popularity? In his new article at https://t.co/ue7jcwqubm, @jasonkeithallen considers its challenges and alternatives and reminds us to assert and advocate for the exclusivity of the gospel. Read more at https://t.co/1bdH0lHh9v https://t.co/c8ZNSeRUoX" / X Aching for Eternity in the Adirondacks Darren Rovell on X: "Happy Bobby Bonilla Day! Bobby gets his 15th installment of $1,193,248.20 today. The Mets have so far paid him $17,898,723 for him to NOT PLAY the 2000 season. There is 10 years and $10,739,284 left. https://t.co/zdb9IlVr25" / X Trump says DOGE 'might have to go back and eat' Elon Musk after his criticism of the GOP bill Jeff Bezos’ Billion-Dollar Life: A Look at His Mansion Collection Desiring God on X: "The world sparkles with entertainment and success, but beneath it lies a deeper reality. Scripture opens our eyes: apart from Christ, darkness rests over everything. Those who see it know that only one light shines through. https://t.co/rd61pk6ZeB" / X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's program, Christian music artist Michael Tait admits to living a “double life” after accusations surfaced that he had sexually groomed and assaulted multiple young men over the course of a decade. We'll take a look. And, Southern Baptist abuse survivor died last week after a brief illness, sending shock waves through the community of abuse reform advocates. Before her death, she took part in a deposition, publicly revealing details of her abuse by an SBC leader. We'll have details. Plus, pro-Israel evangelical Johnnie Moore is named chair of a Gaza aid group. But first, the trustees of Truett McConnell University have called for an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse against a former professor—and placed its president on leave under suspicions that he had helped cover it up. Truett McConnell University President Emir Caner has been placed on administrative leave following a special called meeting of TMU trustees Friday (June 6). The school, affiliated with Georgia Baptists, has been embroiled in controversy following allegations of sexual abuse against a former professor. The producer for today's program is 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 Laura Erlanson, Kathryn Post, Tony Mator, Kim Roberts, Bob Smietana, Yonat Shimron, Shannon Cuthrell, Brittany Smith, and Christina Darnell. A special thanks to Baptist Press for contributing material for this week's podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.   MANUSCRIPT:    FIRST SEGMENT Warren: Hello everybody. I'm Warren Smith, coming to you from Charlotte, North Carolina. Natasha: And I'm Natasha Cowden, coming to you from Denver, Colorado, and we'd like to welcome you to the MinistryWatch podcast. Warren: On today's program, Christian music artist Michael Tait admits to living a “double life” after accusations surfaced that he had sexually groomed and assaulted multiple young men over the course of a decade. We'll take a look. And, Southern Baptist abuse survivor died last week after a brief illness, sending shock waves through the community of abuse reform advocates. Before her death, she took part in a deposition, publicly revealing details of her abuse by an SBC leader. We'll have details. Plus, pro-Israel evangelical Johnnie Moore is named chair of a Gaza aid group. Natasha: But first, the trustees of Truett McConnell University have called for an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse against a former professor—and placed its president on leave under suspicions that he had helped cover it up. Warren: Truett McConnell University President Emir Caner has been placed on administrative leave following a special called meeting of TMU trustees Friday (June 6). The school, affiliated with Georgia Baptists, has been embroiled in controversy following allegations of sexual abuse against a former professor. Natasha: The school also launched a third-party investigation. Warren: The school hired Richard Hyde with Phoenix Research, and it has installed John Yarbrough, TMU's director of alumni and public policy, as acting president. Natasha: TMU alumna Hayle Swinson went forward last week with allegations that former TMU professor Bradley Reynolds groomed her and sexually abused her while she was a student athlete. Warren: Reynolds was employed at the school until February 2024 after Swinson went to police. Reynolds allegedly sent hundreds of emails and text messages to Swinson over a long period of time, some of them sexually explicit. It is unclear whether school administrators knew about Reynolds' behavior before 2024. Natasha: Next, breaking news from the Christian Music world. Warren: Days after an investigation revealed allegations of sexual assault against Christian musician Michael Tait,

On today's program, Gateway Church has named a new senior pastor. The appointment comes a year after child sexual abuse accusations surfaced against founding pastor Robert Morris. We'll have details. And, the Department of Justice is suing a city in Idaho for discriminating against Christ the Redeemer Church—a church plant of Doug Wilson's Christ Church. The church has been seeking a permit to meet in an old bank building—a request the city has denied. We'll take a look. Plus, Gereld Duane Rollins—who sued SBC legend Paul Pressler for sexual abuse—has died. His lawsuit sparked a Southern Baptist abuse reckoning. But first, Fuller Seminary reaffirms its stance on biblical sexuality. The board of Fuller, a leading evangelical seminary voted to affirm its long-standing stance on biblical marriage and human sexuality during its May meeting. But an email to supporters May 22 caused confusion. The email defined the biblical and historical understanding of biblical sexuality as “a union between a man and a woman and sexual intimacy within the context of that union.” But in the same email, the seminary's president also acknowledged that some “faithful” Christian denominations “have come to affirm other covenantal forms of relationship,” an unusual stance for an evangelical seminary. The producer for today's program is 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 Bob Smietana, Kim Roberts, and Laura Erlanson. A special thanks to Baptist Press for contributing material for this week's podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.

On today's program, Willow Creek Pastor Dave Dummit announced this week he is stepping down as leader of the influential Chicagoland megachurch. Leaders have also named his successor. And, revenue is down for Steven Furtick's Elevation Church, while in-person membership is flat. We'll take a closer look at the church's 2024 annual report.  Plus, the state of the church—Barna Group released its new report showing men have outpaced women in church attendance, reversing a longstanding trend. We'll have details. But first, more churches are leaving what's known as ‘the Network,' led by Steve Morgan. Nearly half of the congregations that have been associated with a “Network” of churches overseen by Pastor Steve Morgan have either publicly announced their departure or removed any reference to the network from their websites. The producer for today's program is 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, Bob Smietana, Shannon Cuthrell, Diana Chandler, Brittany Smith, and Christina Darnell. A special thanks to Baptist Press for contributing material for this week's podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.   MANUSCRIPT:    FIRST SEGMENT Warren:  Hello everybody. I'm Warren Smith, coming to you this week from Charlotte, North Carolina. Natasha: And I'm Natasha Cowden, coming to you from Denver, Colorado, and we'd like to welcome you to the MinistryWatch podcast. Warren: On today's program, Willow Creek Pastor Dave Dummit announced this week he is stepping down as leader of the influential Chicagoland megachurch. Leaders have also named his successor. And, revenue is down for Steven Furtick's Elevation Church, while in-person membership is flat. We'll take a closer look at the church's 2024 annual report. Plus, the state of the church—Barna Group released its new report showing men have outpaced women in church attendance, reversing a longstanding trend. We'll have details. Natasha: But first, more churches are leaving what's known as ‘the Network,' led by Steve Morgan. Warren: Nearly half of the congregations that have been associated with a “Network” of churches overseen by Pastor Steve Morgan have either publicly announced their departure or removed any reference to the network from their websites. MinistryWatch began reporting about Morgan in 2022 when a watchdog group called “Leaving the Network” issued an eight-point “call to action,” including an independent investigation of the group. Morgan, who was originally part of the Vineyard Association of Churches, left that group in 2006 and formed his own network. At one point, the network included 26 churches in the U.S., U.K., and Taiwan. Morgan is still the lead pastor of Joshua Church in Austin, Texas. Natasha: Why were churches leaving? Warren: One of the concerns that “Leaving the Network” has raised is that Morgan was arrested in 1987 for aggravated criminal sodomy of a minor, but his case was diverted. The group believes Morgan's past has been concealed from members and leaders in the network of churches. Natasha: Eleven churches no longer appear to be affiliated with the Network. MinistryWatch reported about four — Isaiah Church, Vine Church, North Pines Church, and Hosea Church — last fall. Now seven more have indicated in some way that they are no longer part of the Network. Warren: Brookfield Church in Athens, Ohio: Cedar Heights Church in State College, Penn.: Mountain Heights Church in Morgantown, W.V.: Oaks Church in Muncie, Ind.: South Grove Church in Athens, Ga.: Vida Springs Church in Gainesville, Fla.: Christland Church in College Station, Texas: Natasha: Next, Willow Creek's Pastor steps down. Warren: David Dummitt, who became pastor of Willow Creek Church at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic,

On today's program, The King's College in New York City shut its doors in 2023 under a mountain of debt—now, it's launching a ‘go-forward plan' in an effort to reopen. We'll have details. And, a ministry in the U-K is urging Christians to stop giving to orphanages…and instead give to organizations that focus on family-based care. But when it comes to effective orphan care, is that the best way forward? We reached out to U-S based ministries to get their take. Plus, a NC church is shutting its doors…and is leveraging an IRS mandate to donate its assets to more than 75 charities. But first…a group of pregnancy resource centers in New Jersey is asking the Supreme Court to consider its case in protecting donor information. First Choice Women's Resource Centers, has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to consider its case about the state asking it to disclose information about its donors. The producer for today's program is 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, Elizabeth Coffee, Nathan Mayo, Tony Mator, Brittany Smith, Christina Darnell—and you, Warren. A special thanks to Religion UnPlugged, Baptist Press, The Living Church, and Lifeway Research for contributing material for this week's podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.

On today's program, Joyce Meyer joins a slew of popular televangelists who have pulled their programs from Daystar Television Network amid accusations the network's president Joni Lamb covered up the sexual abuse of her granddaughter. We'll have details. Also, a long-time employee of a Florida church was sentenced to 2 years in prison for embezzling almost $1 million…the church is speaking out now with lessons it has learned. We'll take a look. And, legendary coach and founder of Promise Keepers, Bill McCartney, has died after a long battle with dementia. At its height in the 1990s, Promise Keepers drew millions of men to its events. But first, a Pennsylvania pastor has been suspended by the Evangelical Presbyterian Church after he and his church tried to leave the denomination. The producer for today's program is 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, Kathryn Post, Jessica Eturralde, Bob Smietana, Diana Chandler, Brittany Smith, Christina Darnell—and you, Warren. A special thanks to Baptist Press for contributing material for this week's podcast. Until next time, may God bless you. MANUSCRIPT: FIRST SEGMENT Warren: Hello everybody. I'm Warren Smith, coming to you from Charlotte, North Carolina. Natasha: And I'm Natasha Cowden, coming to you from Denver, Colorado, and we'd like to welcome you to the MinistryWatch podcast. Warren: On today's program, Joyce Meyer joins a slew of popular televangelists who have pulled their programs from Daystar Television Network amid accusations the network's president Joni Lamb covered up the sexual abuse of her granddaughter. We'll have details. Also, a long-time employee of a Florida church was sentenced to 2 years in prison for embezzling almost $1 million…the church is speaking out now with lessons it has learned. We'll take a look. And, legendary coach and founder of Promise Keepers, Bill McCartney, has died after a long battle with dementia. At its height in the 1990s, Promise Keepers drew millions of men to its events. Natasha: But first, a Pennsylvania pastor has been suspended by the Evangelical Presbyterian Church after he and his church tried to leave the denomination. Warren: Beverly Heights Presbyterian Church (BHPC) is a Pittsburgh-area church and has been seeking to dissolve its affiliation and exit the denomination for over a year. The church and presbytery have been at loggerheads over several issues, not the least of which is the roll of voting members entitled to participate in an exit vote. The Presbytery of the Alleghenies brought charges against Pastor Nate Devlin and the elders of  BHPC, the trial of which began in November. The judicial commission encouraged BHPC and the presbytery to attempt mediation. Natasha: But they couldn't reach a resolution so they went to trial Warren: The trial occurred on January 11, According to the presbytery's judicial commission, Devlin was “convicted by sufficient proof of the sins of contempt and immorality” and suspended from his office as teaching elder until he demonstrates repentance, including publicly acknowledging his “wrongdoing” and removing posts and other communications that “disparage” fellow teaching and ruling elders. Devlin's suspension began Tuesday (Jan 14). Natasha: What was his reaction? Warren: Devlin told MinistryWatch. “It is unprecedented that a presbytery would try a pastor and the entire church session,” He said he felt compelled to see the trial through and “bear witness to the truth.” In their closing statement at the trial, Devlin and the BHPC session said, “[W]e have consistently acted in good faith, driven by a deep love for our church, and we are not guilty of the charges against us.” Natasha: Next, televangelists are pausing their programs on Daystar. Warren:

On today's program, Chateauroux Fellowship claims to connect billionaires with Christian ministries…but we were not able to confirm with any ministries that they had received any of the funds. We'll have details.  And, a small reformed denomination commissioned a report by Guidepost solutions to investigate handling of sexual abuse cases…then it reversed its decision. We'll take a look at what happened. Plus, a new study finds that Christians are the most charitable…and the happiest. But first, California revokes Olivet University's approval to operate—but the school says it plans to stay open anyway. The producer for today's program is 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, Jessica Eturralde, Scott Bauer, Tony Mator, Heather Hahn, Diana Chandler, Brittany Smith, Christina Darnell—and you, Warren. A special thanks to Baptist Press and United Methodist News for contributing material for this week's podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.   MANUSCRIPT:   FIRST SEGMENT Warren: Hello everybody. I'm Warren Smith, coming to you from Charlotte, North Carolina, and wishing you a merry Christmas! Natasha: And I'm Natasha Cowden, coming to you from Denver, Colorado. And we'd like to welcome you to the MinistryWatch podcast. Warren: On today's program, Chateauroux Fellowship claims to connect billionaires with Christian ministries…but we were not able to confirm with any ministries that they had received any of the funds. We'll have details. And, a small reformed denomination commissioned a report by Guidepost solutions to investigate handling of sexual abuse cases…then it reversed its decision. We'll take a look at what happened. Plus, a new study finds that Christians are the most charitable…and the happiest. Natasha: But first, California revokes Olivet University's approval to operate—but the school says it plans to stay open anyway. Warren: The California Department of Consumer Affairs Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education has ordered that Olivet University's approval to operate be revoked. The order also requires the school to pay $64,432 to cover the costs of the investigation and prosecution. Because of this action, Olivet must cease enrolling new students and must propose a planned “teach out” current students. Natasha: What's the background to Olivet? Warren: Olivet, founded by controversial figure David Jang, was approved to operate by the state in 2005, but that approval expired in 2014 and has not been renewed. In March 2023, a complaint was filed against Olivet, seeking a revocation or suspension of its approval to operate. It included 14 reasons the state should revoke the approval, including failing to include a face-to-face instructional component, failing to provide all the courses included in the approval, failing to have necessary evaluations of faculty, and failing to demonstrate that Olivet has required financial resources. Last year, a group of former Olivet students sued Jang and the university, claiming they were part of an international labor trafficking scheme run by Jang and his disciples. According to reporting by Newsweek, Olivet University is also under investigation by the Department of Homeland Security for money laundering, human trafficking, and visa fraud. By the way, every time we write about Olivet University, we get emails asking if this is the same as Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois. It is not. The two schools are not related in any way. Natasha: What's our next story? Warren: If the plan of the Chateauroux Fellowship and its director Christian Thomas Lee comes to pass as promised, it would likely be the largest philanthropic initiative aimed at Christian ministries in American history. According to the group's own website,

On today's program, a former member of Village Church of Bartlett in Illinois is suing the church for defamation after the pastor allegedly accused her of an affair. Another family who supported the victim was also excommunicated. We'll have details. And, last year, Texas Christians provided Thanksgiving dinner to a group of Ukrainian refugees. This year, those same refugees thanked the Texas church with a festive feast of their own. We'll take a look. Plus, Tony Campolo, sociologist and famed ‘Red Letter Christian,' has died at 89. But first, donations to Gateway Church has taken a nosedive following scandals there, signaling tough decisions ahead. Gateway Church outside of Dallas is facing more issues after the church was shaken by allegations of sexual abuse by founding pastor Robert Morris. According to a video leaked on social media, elder Kenneth Fambro said the church's offering receipts are down 35-40%. The producer for today's program is 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, Neva Rae Fox, Bobby Ross Jr., Bob Smietana, Tessa Sanchez, Christina Darnell—and you, Warren. A special thanks to The Living Christian, The Christian Chronicle, and Baptist Press for contributing material for this week's podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.

On today's program, Gateway Church in Dallas, Texas, continues to struggle in the aftermath of sexual abuse allegations against its founder Robert Morris—including NEW sexual abuse allegations, the cancellation of its annual Gateway conference, and more. We'll look at the latest. And, Megan Basham is under fire from fellow journalists for naming an alleged sexual assault victim in her new book ‘Shepherds for Sale.' We'll have details. Plus, the largest seminaries in the U.S. But first, election season is in full swing, and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk is urging pastors to mobilize their churches for Trump. The producer for today's program is 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 Tony Mator, Kim Roberts, Zach Rivas, Mallory Challis, Scott Barkley,  Chloë-Arizona Fodor, Jeffrey Walton, Brittany Smith, and Christina Darnell. Special thanks to Baptist Press, Baptist News Global, and the Institute on Religion & Democracy for contributing material for this week's podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.   MANUSCRIPT   FIRST SEGMENT Warren: Hello everybody. I'm Warren Smith, coming to you from Charlotte, North Carolina. Natasha:  And I'm Natasha Cowden, coming to you from Denver, Colorado. And we'd like to welcome you to the MinistryWatch podcast. Warren: On today's program, Gateway Church in Dallas, Texas, continues to struggle in the aftermath of sexual abuse allegations against its founder Robert Morris—including NEW sexual abuse allegations, the cancellation of its annual Gateway conference, and more. We'll look at the latest. And, Megan Basham is under fire from fellow journalists for naming an alleged sexual assault victim in her new book ‘Shepherds for Sale.' We'll have details. Plus, the largest seminaries in the U-S. Natasha: But first, election season is in full swing, and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk is urging pastors to mobilize their churches for Trump. Warren: Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk pulled no punches in his keynote address to pastors gathered for a July 31-Aug. 2 political training conference in a Dallas, Texas, suburb. His message: Pastors need to vote for Donald Trump, they need to become activists, and they need to mobilize their congregations to do likewise. “There is only one way to save this country,” Kirk said. “Awake the beast that is the American church.” A lot of online commentators said that Kirk had a lot of fun with the unintended irony of Kirk's statement. They noted that in Scripture, the word “beast” is often used to describe Satan, while the preferred metaphors for describing the church in Scripture is not beast, but Bride of Christ or Body of Christ. Natasha: That wasn't the only irony of this event. Warren: While the “Igniting the Remnant Pastors” conference was ostensibly nonpartisan the event provided a receptive audience for Kirk's overt endorsement of Trump. Natasha: Tell us more about Kirk's talk, I heard he talked tough and hurled some insults. Warren: He said, “The American church is a joke in this country,” he said. “It is a church filled with cowards and people that call themselves pastors but are really motivational speakers. Natasha: Next, the latest in the ongoing saga of Gateway Church Warren: Gateway Church, the Dallas-area megachurch started by Robert Morris, is facing additional sexual abuse allegations in addition to those revealed against Morris earlier this summer that led to his resignation. Last week, a lawsuit was filed in Tarrant County, Texas, alleging a 17-year-old member of the Gateway Church youth group sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl also attending the church youth group. The alleged assault took place in 2017. Natasha: The lawsuit names Gabriel Reece Snyder, now 25,

On today's program, Village Church Pastor Matt Chandler is under fire after his church hired a man who, in the past, was convicted of child sexual abuse. That man was his father. We'll take a look. Also, Robert Morris—the Gateway Church pastor accused of abusing a young girl starting when she was 12 years old—is having his radio and tv programs canceled…and is receiving no severance after resigning from his posts. We'll have details. And, the closure of another Christian college—the Florida campus of Johnson University is shutting down after low enrollment made it no longer sustainable. But first, former Christian billionaire Bill Hwang—once one of the wealthiest evangelicals in the U.S., celebrated as part of a “new evangelical donor-class”—he now faces the possibility of life behind bars. The producer for today's program is 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 Tony Mator, Kathryn Post, Kim Roberts, Bob Smietana, Jessica Eturralde, Daniel Ritchie, and Christina Darnell. A special thanks to Baptist Press for contributing material for this week's podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.

Mark and Dan welcome Jonathan Howe, the immediate past Interim President, and current Vice President of Communications for the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, to the podcast. Some highlights from the episode: A behind-the-scenes look at the preparation for the SBC Annual Meeting. Why does the SBC Annual Meeting tend to only go to a few select cities? Bright days are coming for the EC as we look forward to Jeff Iorg's leadership. What role does Baptist Press play in the life of Southern Baptists? Resources mentioned on this podcast: Reclaiming Glory by Mark Clifton

Guest Bios Show Transcript https://youtu.be/ok7qRXGZYroFor nearly two decades, one woman stood up to the Southern Baptist Convention, forcing it to face its sex abuse crisis. She was gaslit, maligned, and threatened with legal action. But she didn't back down. And on this edition of The Roys Report, you'll hear her story. Joining host Julie Roys is Christa Brown, an abuse survivor who overcame the odds in pursuit of justice. As a 16-year-old girl, Christa was repeatedly raped by the youth pastor at her Southern Baptist Church. And when she told the music minister at her church what had happened, he told her never to speak of it. For 35 years, Christa kept silent, accepting the shame that rightly belonged to her rapist. But in the early 2000s, Christa broke her silence—and confronted her childhood church with what had happened. She thought they would do the right thing. But instead, they attacked her. That began a nearly 20-year battle with the Southern Baptist Convention—and led to two major investigations, showing that hundreds of Baptist leaders and volunteers had sexually abused congregants. She recounts it all in detail in her just released memoir, Baptistland. Christa found her voice, rising above her past trauma to become a leading voice in the national and global abuse survivor community. She speaks with unrelenting honesty about the patterns of abuse in evangelical churches—and the necessary steps to bring reform. Guests Christa Brown Named as one of the "top 10 religion newsmakers" of 2022, Christa Brown has persisted for two decades in working to peel back the truth about clergy sex abuse and coverups in the nation's largest Protestant denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention. As one of the first to go public with substantiated child molestation allegations against a Baptist minister—and documentation that others knew—she has consistently demanded reforms to make other kids and congregants safer. She is the author of Baptistland and This Little Light: Beyond a Baptist Preacher Predator and His Gang. Christa, who is retired appellate attorney, a mom, and a grandma, lives with her husband in Colorado. Show Transcript SPEAKERSCHRISTA BROWN, Julie Roys Julie Roys  00:04For nearly two decades, one woman stood up to the Southern Baptist Convention, forcing it to face its sex abuse crisis. She was gaslit, maligned, and threatened with legal action. But she didn’t back down and on this podcast, you’ll hear her story. Welcome to The Roys Report, a podcast dedicated to reporting the truth and restoring the church. I’m Julie Roys. And joining me today is Christa Brown, someone who’s become a sort of legend in the abuse survivor community. As a 16- year-old girl, Christa was repeatedly raped by the youth pastor at her Southern Baptist Church. And when she told the music minister at her church what had happened, he told her to never speak of it. For 35 years, Christa kept silent, accepting the shame that rightly belongs to her rapist. But in the early 2000s, Christa broke her silence and confronted her childhood church with what had happened. She thought they would do the right thing, but instead, they attacked her. And that began a nearly 20-year battle with the Southern Baptist Convention and led to two major investigations, showing that hundreds of Baptist leaders and volunteers had sexually abused congregants. Joining me is Christa Brown, someone who for decades fought to expose sex abuse and cover up within the Southern Baptist Convention. She has been dubbed the mother of all abuse bloggers, and also is named by the Religion News Association as one of the top 10 religion newsmakers of 2022. She’s also a retired appellate attorney, a mom, and a grandma. So Christa, welcome. It is such a privilege to have you on this podcast.   CHRISTA BROWN  03:22 Thank you, Julie, I really appreciate it. I’m so glad to be with you.   Julie Roys  03:26 And you’re kind of like a legend. I don’t know if you recognize this, but you have been at this a very, very long time and the persistence that you have had to expose what’s been going on within the Southern Baptist Convention, it didn’t just happen to you, it happened to so so many women and men who have been victims. And so just as somebody who’s been in this space for a really long time, not nearly as long as you, I just really appreciate your work. So thank you.   CHRISTA BROWN  04:16 Thanks. And of course, this is something that is still continuing to happen too.   Julie Roys  04:21 That’s true. So I just finished your book, Baptistland, and really emotionally, still wrestling to come to terms  with everything I read. I think there were several things that really struck me from your book. Of course, the horror of the sex abuse that you had at the hands of your own youth pastor, somebody that you trusted, and the spiritual abuse involved in that was just absolutely horrific. But I think too, the abuse within your own family and the psychological and emotional abuse that was there and kind of how that conditioned you for the abuse and to kind of keep secrets. And so it kind of contributed to everything that happened. But I think lastly, was your resiliency, which is amazing in the face of what you encountered, your resiliency. And I don’t know how you did that. I mean, what do you attribute the resiliency that you’ve had to overcome so many hurdles in your life?   CHRISTA BROWN  05:26 I don’t know. In part, I think I’m a little stubborn by nature. I think that is there. In part, I think I had the enormous good fortune to encounter a wonderful husband and wonderful spouse, who has been nothing but supportive. And I think, when someone has that kind of support in their life, I mean, that came, of course, later as an adult, but that too, of course, has just been an enormous source of stability for me. So yeah, I’ve had those things. And in that sense, I’ve been very, very fortunate.   Julie Roys  06:10 If someone has just even one person in their life that’s advocating for them, that’s behind them, it makes a huge difference. And I know my spouse has been with me 100% in the work I’ve done as well. And I credit him for a lot of what I’ve been able to do as well. So I can relate to that.   CHRISTA BROWN  06:28 Yeah. I mean, he’s a behind-the-scenes kind of guy. No one knows my husband, but he is very much there for me.   Julie Roys  06:38  You divide your memoir into four different deaths, as you call them. And of course, there’s an element of resurrection and all of that, too. But your deaths start, the very first death that you write about is the abuse that you suffered by, again, your own youth pastor. But as I mentioned, there was some dysfunction in your own home, that kind of conditioned you to be able to have this abuse, and maybe to keep it quiet. Would you talk a little bit about that, the home situation that conditioned you to stay quiet about the abuse?   CHRISTA BROWN  07:19 Yeah. I mean, I grew up in the sort of home that it’s like, we all pretend we’re happy. What happened didn’t happen. And when someone blows up and throws plates across the wall, we clean it up, and we act like nothing ever happened. When my father explodes, we all just go on. My father had serious PTSD problems, but back then, we would not have even had that acronym PTSD, we didn’t know what to call it. We just all, as with many families across America, when war veterans come home, we all just do the best we can. But that very dynamic of never talking about it, and just always putting you in the background and moving on, conditioned me to keep quiet and to not talk about things in the family. We did not talk about the family with outsiders. That was for sure. And so all of that, I think is part of what conditioned me. Then when I was abused by the pastor, why would I talk about it? I had no experience in talking about anything troubling in my life, None. What was normal was never to talk about things. And I hope people will see that because of course, that’s one of the very common questions that people often ask, Well, why didn’t you tell someone sooner? Why didn’t you talk about it? I hope people will see in my book, the only rational question is, why would she have ever talked about it? And then, of course, the fact that I did try with a couple people and that only made things worse.   Julie Roys  09:08 Yeah. And there was also this element of spiritual abuse, which honestly, when I was reading your book, and I’ve heard a lot of spiritual abuse, but I would say this was almost just so wicked, because in your case, you were so trusting, you had such a childlike faith in God. And he just completely exploited that. Would you talk about the spiritual abuse and how that how that really gave him power over you?   CHRISTA BROWN  09:40 Oh, it gave him enormous power. And I hope people will see that the enormous power that earnest that a person’s faith can hold when it is weaponized against them, because that is what gave him power. I mean, I think there are many people who would wish to believe that this happens to kids who are in some way, oh, morally lacks or they want to blame the kid for some reason, that the reality is what made me vulnerable? What made me a target? What made me easy prey? was the very fact that I love God so much. My faith was earnest and pure and that is precisely what was weaponized against me literally. I was raised from toddlerhood to believe that you trust these men who carry the voice of God, that they are men and God. In the framework I held in my mind at that time., there was no other possibility other than to obey.   Julie Roys  11:00 You know, it’s interesting, because I just had a conversation with my daughter this morning. And I feel kind of bad sometimes because of the work that I’m in, that they’re exposed to the evil of it. But at the same time, I realized this morning, as we were talking about some things, she knows to be skeptical, that trust is earned. I don’t care what title someone holds. She knows that you still need to know that this person may not be trustworthy, you need to watch them over time. But I think especially in our generation growing up. I mean, I never would have dreamed that a pastor could be involved in any kind of wrongdoing. It just wasn’t in my worldview. So I totally get that. And the other thing is, and this is probably the most wicked is the way that he made you feel then that you are somehow evil because you had participated in this and even did like an exorcism on you or something, right?   CHRISTA BROWN  12:05 Yes. After this had gone on for months and months, seven, eight months. And it escalated, of course, and got worse. And then toward the end, he began to tell me that I had harbored Satan. And I was a temptress. And finally, then he called me into his office one day and made me kneel. While he, with one hand on my shoulder and one hand raised, stood over me as I was kneeling, praying on and on for God to cast Satan from me. But as a kid. I mean, that was just, that was terrifying. I mean, I didn’t know how I had let Satan in, and I didn’t know what I had done. If I didn’t know how I’d let Satan in I didn’t know how to make Satan leave me. And the very thought that I held Satan within me, made me think I was going to hell, which, as a kid, I was raised with a very literal version of hell, where you burn forever with no reprieve. This was absolutely terrifying. And of course, in hindsight, I think that’s exactly what he wanted was to put this enormous, just exponentially greater shame onto me, so that I would not talk about it. Because why would I want anyone to know that I harbored Satan?   Julie Roys  13:36 Unbelievable And yet when you did speak, like you referenced, nothing was done to help you. And you initially spoke with it was your music minister, right?   CHRISTA BROWN  13:49 Yes, that’s right. And he was also my piano teacher. I always had my piano lessons in the church sanctuary on the baby grand there. He was the music minister. And it was because I had just developed this enormous fear that I must surely be going to hell. And so one day at my piano lesson, I just, I mean, psychologically, I was at a point where I was just breaking then, and I just completely froze. I mean, my hands literally would not move on the keys. And I told the music minister that I was afraid I was going to hell, and I asked him, “Am I going to hell? Then I told him that I’ve had an affair. And that was my own word an affair with the pastor. And he basically just told me to never talk about it again, at all. And he said, I wouldn’t go to hell, but it wasn’t much comfort, really, at that time. He told me never to talk about it. He did nothing. And many, many years later, I learned that he had already known even at that point in time, because the youth pastor himself had talked about it with him.   Julie Roys  15:00 That level of complicity and silence, I just I don’t understand like, do you have any idea why he would do that? Why would a music minister say nothing about a pastor that he knows is sexually abusing a teenage girl?   CHRISTA BROWN  15:26 It’s very hard for me to explain. He was a father himself. He had a young daughter at that time. And so it’s hard for me to understand why he couldn’t think about his own daughter and imagine how he would feel if it were her. And it’s very, very hard for me to comprehend. I think that instinct among some religious leaders who kind of circle the wagons and protect themselves is very, very strong. Also the sense of protecting the institution, the sense of not doing anything that would bring, that would hurt the cause of Christ that would hurt the witness. I think all of that is a part of it. And yet, of course, none of that excuses it.   Julie Roys  16:21 No, and it’s not really biblical. I mean, Scripture tells us to confess our sins, not to bury our sins, and yet, that’s what the church has been doing for so long. Not all churches, but certainly within the Southern Baptist Convention this has been a widespread problem. So Tommy Gilmore, who was your youth pastor,, did eventually leave the church, was given what I understand sort of a hero’s send-off. Yes. And then, which I just can’t even imagine you as a kid, like, you have to go through an exorcism. Meanwhile, your abuser gets a hero send-off, and then you go home to live like, just go on, right? Like nothing’s happened, right?   CHRISTA BROWN  17:07 That’s right. He did indeed have a hero sendoff. He went to a bigger church; I was told that he would have a better salary. The senior pastor praised him for the pulpit and talk of how fortunate we all were, how blessed we were to have had such a man of God in our midst for so long, there was a big church reception where everyone brought their casseroles and stuff. And in hindsight, I don’t know how as a kid, I could have thought anything else. I mean, here was a great man of God, praised by everyone. I was the girl who harbored Satan.   Julie Roys  17:43 Just awful. And when you did go home, you did confess to one of your sisters what had happened. Her response was pretty horrific.   CHRISTA BROWN  17:53 Yes, she called me a slut.   Julie Roys  17:55 Unbelievable. And so the shame that you must have felt that you shouldn’t have felt but I’m sure you did, must have been just just awful. But you were given, I mean, sound like the pastor then arranged for you to have a job at the library. And your mother kind of encouraged you for this maybe? What was it he said that he thought you should be busy or something? Or I mean, kind of like he knew what had happened.   CHRISTA BROWN  18:23 Yeah exactly. None of this was really explained to me. But my mom said, Brother Hayden thinks you need to stay busy. And so they set me up with a job at the Farmers Branch Public Library, which I started immediately, which turned out to be even though I had never sought this job. But it turned out to be a very, very good thing. I loved working at the library.   Julie Roys  18:52 And you even said, I think later on your book, you credit some of your ability to come through all this to the books that you read, which opened your mind to a whole new world, which what a beautiful thing that in the midst of all of this awfulness, there was this oasis right?   CHRISTA BROWN  19:09 Oh, absolutely. The library was very much my safe place. Books were my safe place, always my refuge. A library has a certain kind of orderliness about it, and the neat rows and every book has its place. And that brought a level of comfort to me.   Julie Roys  19:28 Yeah. And one of the great things was that you were a very studious person, it sounds like, and that ended up being a route for you kind of out of some of your home life. But initially, you thought you would go off to college when you graduated from high school. It didn’t really turn out that way. Kind of like your mom sabotaged that. Is that a correct way of putting it?   CHRISTA BROWN  19:51 Yes, that is she did sabotage it. She wanted me at home for her own reasons, and I wound up staying home and commuting to college, and it was a very, very bad year, because she was struggling enormously. And both of my parents were struggling.   Julie Roys  20:13 The second death that you described is when your sister Rita was separated from her husband, Richard, and something happened. I’m gonna let you describe what happened, but also how that played out within your family and your family relationships.   CHRISTA BROWN  20:31 Well basically, I had gone over to babysit their young two-year-old daughter, and he made a move on me. Told me that he had married the wrong sister. That he should have married me. He picked the right family but picked the wrong sister. And I felt very trapped at the time. I did leave, of course. But I mean, this was someone I had grown up with. This was someone who was like a brother to me. This was my oldest sister. And so he had been a part of our family, since I was like 12 years old. So, in that sense, it just felt incredibly wrong and bizarre. But the one thing I knew with absolute certainty was that if I talked about it, I would be blamed for it. That even at that young age, I knew that for sure. And so ever after this was, again, another great secret that I had the key. It really kind of, I think, warped some of the relationships in our family. For every Thanksgiving, and all sorts of family gatherings thereafter, every single time, I would always try very, very hard to make sure I was never alone in the room with him. And yeah, that was the death of that kind of view of my family. I think.   Julie Roys  22:14 One of the things I’ve noticed just from my experience in ministry is that often a child that’s raised in a dysfunctional home, even though they recognize it’s a dysfunctional home, has trouble breaking those patterns, and often picks a spouse that is often very much like the dysfunctional parent or one of the dysfunctional parents. And yet you did the exact opposite. I mean, you turned down one proposal from someone who you didn’t love. And your mother pressured you quite a bit to marry because he had an engineering degree with some financial stability there. But instead you met a guy, Jim. What was it that really drew you to Jim, someone who was completely other than your family, and so healthy in so many ways? What really made you fall for Jim?   CHRISTA BROWN  23:13 Well. Initially, it was just that he had these gorgeous blue eyes.   Julie Roys  23:18 That helps, right?   CHRISTA BROWN  23:21 But it was just a connection there that I could not deny. You know, and with Jim, what you see is what you get. He is who he is, and there is never ever any kind of hidden agenda, any dagger behind that smile. That’s it. He is up for and in true. And that was always very clear to me. That mainly, it was just this connection that I felt with him. So much so that, I mean, it felt so powerful. And I felt fearful of it because I think I recognized immediately that this was something powerful, life-changing potentially. And so initially, what I did was to tell him that I could never be serious about someone who hadn’t read Anna Karenina.   Julie Roys  24:18 Well, of course! Who of us hasn’t said that, right?   CHRISTA BROWN  24:24 That was my effort in escaping because I was so afraid of this. But Jim proceeded to read Anna Karenina. So I had no excuse. And so we’ve been together ever since.   Julie Roys  24:37 That’s so funny. And then you went on to do something that nobody in your family thought possible. You went to law school, and even the application process and everything. I mean, to have the gumption to do that. Despite the fact your mother said you’re gonna fail. You’re not going to do well. Again, this incredible hurdle, what made you feel like you could go to law school?   CHRISTA BROWN  25:07 You know, I really only had, I came from a blue-collar family. And I really only had one friend at that point in time, who had been to law school. And I kind of thought, Well, I think I’m as smart as him. And he was a good deal more assertive than me by temperament. But I thought I could give it a chance. And initially, I really was very tentative about it. I kind of just kind of tip toed in and told myself, well, I’ll try it for one semester and see how it goes. But I did well, so then I continued. And with my family, I did not tell anyone I was even applying until I was already in, already accepted, already had my financial aid lined up. Because I was fearful of what the reaction would be. I was fearful of how negative it would be. And even intellectually, knowing that maybe that’s not right, your family’s words still carry power. And so I made sure I had things in place before I even told them.   Julie Roys  26:21 So true and so important. But yeah, I mean, even if  intellectually, that’s a lie. Or even if they’re saying this because of their own issues, right? It’s still hard to overcome that. And so the fact that you did, again, amazing resiliency. And then you had a daughter, which is just so beautiful. I have one daughter, I had two boys, and then my daughter. But daughters change us in remarkable ways. And you, even though you really didn’t have a model for healthy parenting, sounds like you did a really great job, and you broke some of those patterns of behavior that you saw in your family. What do you attribute that to?   CHRISTA BROWN  27:09 I attribute it to letting my daughter herself educate me, being observant of her, trying to attune myself to what’s going on with her. And recognizing that and trying to be sensitive to that. I do think that breaking long established patterns or familial dysfunction is very, very difficult. I mean, lots of people would like to make a decision and say, Oh, I won’t do things like my parents did. But the thing is, it’s not just a one-time decision. It’s something that has to be done in 1000s, of tiny, tiny little decisions, to choose to pause in the moment, to pay attention, to think about what’s happening. And that kind of attentiveness takes effort. And I think I attribute it to that. Also books I write,I don’t feel that I had a good roadmap to follow from my own upbringing. But  I was big on books.   Julie Roys  28:29 And that guided you. One book that you mentioned, you read your daughter was the Bible, but  chose not to raise her in the church, understandably because of your experience. But you decided to have her explore that herself with just reading her scripture and telling her Bible stories. As I was reading that, I just realized that my own experience within the church when I think of like your experience, my experience, things that for me, certain songs that for me are very comforting to you probably have a totally different connotation. Like for me, Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus is a beautiful song that reminds me of a wonderful, idyllic, really in comparison childhood that I had growing up in the church, where people were trustworthy, and people weren’t hypocrites. But yet for you were, how do you come to terms with that, and with what the church did? with God? with faith? How do you come to terms with that?   CHRISTA BROWN  29:53 For me, it’s very, very different. Because things like that. Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus. No, it was not sweet for me. Because trusting in Jesus, that was exactly what I did as a kid. That was my whole heart was to put every bit of trust in Jesus. And that led me down a very, very dark road. And that’s not the kind of thing that I can cognitively reason my way out of. Because the reality for me is that things like that, hymns like that, all sorts of Scripture like that, that for me now is kind of physiologically, neurologically networked with child rape. And that’s not something I can just say, Oh, no, I’m gonna think about this and not choose for it to be that way. No, that’s the way it is. And I accept that that is how it is. And I live with that. So yeah, for me, I mean, and that, I think, is what people need to realize is the enormous if you value your faith so much, then you need to be implementing serious accountability measures to make sure that these kinds of men do not church hop from church to church, because look at the damage that is done.   Julie Roys  31:20 Well. And that’s why I think spiritual abuse, and especially when it’s coupled with sexual abuse, has to be about the most profound harmful abuse there is, because you’re not just harming the body, but the soul in such a profound way. And it really is, I mean, that spiritual leaders or people who purport to be spiritual leaders, aren’t just horrified and wanting to root this out. I mean, says to me a lot about what they truly believe.   CHRISTA BROWN  31:55 Exactly. It is very, very hard. Certainly, for me, it is very hard to feel safe in faith, when faith itself has been used to eviscerate. And that doesn’t mean feeling safe in a church. That means feeling safe within myself in faith. It’s a very hard thing now,   Julie Roys  32:19 The shame that you felt as a kid, as I talk to you now, you seem to be very clear on the fact that you should have felt no shame, that you did nothing wrong. At what point did you get to that point where you realized this is not my fault? This is has been put on me by evil people. But it’s not my fault. I’m sure it was a process. But were there any points at which like, kind of a breakthrough where you’re like, this was not me?   CHRISTA BROWN  32:55 Yes. It was really my daughter who saved me, I think. Because when she was approaching the same age I had been at the time that the abuse, it was as though something exploded in my head. All these dark dusty boxes that were on the back shelf of my brain, that I had shoved back there and ignored for so long. All of a sudden, I kind of had to pull those boxes down and look at them and see what was in them. And that shifted thing. Suddenly, I saw things through the eyes of a mother in imagining what if someone did to my daughter what was done to me? And that was something I could not live with and could not accept. And really, that was  the singular kernel of truth from which everything else flowed. Because the one thing I knew for sure, and I didn’t know very much for sure. But I knew this, if someone did to my daughter what had been done to me, I would not blame her for one second, and I would be absolutely furious. And that shifted everything.   Julie Roys  34:20 Hmm. And so you did. You did at the age of 51, right? You publicly spoke out and really you talk about this as sort of the third death when you spoke about what had happened because of the response that you got. Although, before we talk about the response, just the fact that and I read in your book that the average age of someone coming forward is 52 which is insane to me, I would have guessed, like maybe late 20s early 30s you begin to sort of grapple with what had happened in your family or whatever. Why is it so late that people come forward about their childhood sexual abuse?   CHRISTA BROWN  35:13 I think the shame is so enormous. And as a kid, we absorbed that shame, and when we ossify into a few of what happened that blamed ourselves and we absorb that, as a kid, we solidify that view. It’s horrifying, we put that view, we put that into a box, put it up in their head, and put it on the back shelf. And we never want to look at it again, although, of course, it’s there. And it affects us in enormous ways. But I think it then just takes a very, very long time. And then there are these triggering events, like having kids of our own, to begin to understand, because we formed that view when we were young. And it impacted our whole identity.   Julie Roys  36:09 So when you did come forward, you spoke to your church, your childhood church. I’m not sure why you had optimism about that.   CHRISTA BROWN  36:19 I’m an optimistic person by nature.   Julie Roys  36:22 Yeah. I mean, you must. But I mean, when I read that I also thought,  when I first blew the whistle at Moody, I naively thought when I went to the trustees with the information I had, they would do the right thing. And that was not my experience. But I think we still hold on to this view that, man, these authority figures, they must not know. And so if I tell them, they will do something. Explain what happened when you did come forward to your church, and then I believe to, the Baptist Convention there in Texas as well.   CHRISTA BROWN  36:58 I was in my 50s,  early 50s. And I absolutely believe that they would do the right thing, that they want to help me. I was adamant about it. The same music minister who had known when I was a kid was still there at my same childhood church. I was absolutely convinced; I knew that he had raised a daughter by then. I thought he’s older now he will know better. He’ll wish he had done things differently. He will have learned some things; he will want to help me. And I have never been more wrong about anything in all my life then I was about that. Because the church’s first response was to threaten to seek legal recourse against me if I talked about it. And yeah, that was fairly intimidating. Even as someone who is a lawyer, I thought, whoa. And of course, you have to realize, I think, even as I’m doing this, at that point in time, I’m still trying to work through this process in my own mind, of unpacking everything that was done to me, of just dealing with it, of coming to terms with it. And that is a long emotional process because it was very traumatic. And at the same time then having the church threaten me, and try to bully me, that was just absolutely devastating. And then eventually, of course, yes, I also talked with people at the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Again, thinking these will know something. And I’ve contacted 18 Southern Baptist leaders in four different states, thinking surely there would be someone and there was no one. Absolutely no one who would do anything to help.   Julie Roys  38:59 One of the things that I thought back on when I was reading your book is about totalitarian states; that one of the things that a totalitarian state has to do is take over the press. And in Baptist land, they had their own press. Yes. And that was also weaponized against you, right?   CHRISTA BROWN  39:22 Yes, exactly. The Baptist Press published an article in which they said that I made false accusations, which, again, that was just absolutely devastating. But they’re in control of their own press, which gives them the ability to control the narrative, to present the picture that they want to present. That’s a very, very powerful tool.   Julie Roys  39:47 Although they don’t control all of it. And this is the thing that I have been so grateful for before the internet. Really, you had to go through all the gatekeepers, and I know, I couldn’t have done the reporting I’ve done had I had to go through the gatekeepers of the major Christian publications because they didn’t want to report half of this. Right. And I think the whole ME-TOO movement has taken off because of that. The Church TOO movement has taken off, because now, we have our own platforms, we have our own megaphones. And we can expose this stuff, and you did not stop. You just kept coming. And I’m guessing that that you’re one of so many, and so many people who have been suffering the same way as you have. But you went to the Southern Baptist Convention, you spoke out. Talk about your literally decades of advocacy, and what has kept you going through that.   CHRISTA BROWN  40:56 What has always kept me going has been the stories of other survivors, the very awareness that I wasn’t alone, and that there were so many others who did not have the ability, the resources, the educational background, the stamina, or maybe they just had toddlers under foot at home, they didn’t have the energy available for this. Back in 2006, I managed to publish an op-ed piece with the Dallas Morning News. And that was very early for me in this process. And it was after I did that, and I had my email address at the end of it, I was just flooded with emails. And that was when I really began to understand how pervasive this was. And most of those voices, most of those people are stories that no one ever hears about. And so that is always what has been a very powerful, made me feel a powerful sense of obligation. Because I’m very aware of those people. And I also want to say, the name of my book is Baptistland. And yes, I think there is this overarching kind of inculturation that this authoritarian type of Baptistland influences in our culture. But as you say, way back when, one of the earliest news media sources to begin reporting these stories was Associated Baptist Press, which is not affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, they’re Independent Baptist press. And they were some of the very first. We would not have some of the history we have and the documentation of this long problem if they had not been doing that work. And it continues today with Baptist News Global, which again, is not affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. I frequently write for them. So, yes, there have been other avenues, kind of on the fringes of Baptistland, that have been helpful in documenting this problem. And for that, I’ve been enormously grateful.   Julie Roys  43:14 So much has happened, especially in the past five years. The Houston Chronicle. That report showing literally hundreds of Southern Baptists leaders and volunteers engaged in credible abuse, effecting we know now over 700 victims. And again, that’s probably a fraction of it, because so many don’t speak, so many don’t come forward. We have Guidepost Solutions, who did their review, independent investigation of the executive committee the way that abuse survivors were treated. We know now that you were treated horribly, not just you, although you’re mentioned quite a bit in that report. But many survivors have been treated this way. SBC has initiated seemingly some reforms, the Caring Well Conference. But when it comes to substantive reform, have we seen substantive reform in the SBC?   CHRISTA BROWN  44:22 No, we have not. In my view, almost everything that they have done has been performative in nature. They still have no  names of credibly accused pastors on a database. They have talked and talked and talked. We’ve seen committee after committee, taskforce after task force. But no institutionally, they are not making progress. If they viewed this as a high priority, things would be very different. And you’re right. It is such a tragedy. It has been five years now since the Houston Chronicle Abuse of Faith series. It’s been two years since the Guidepost Report. That is enough time that we should see a great deal more change then we do. And yes, I’m named 70 times in that Guidepost Report, precisely because the executive committee treated me so terribly, and that’s now documented there. And that is just one report about one small entity of the Southern Baptist Convention, the executive committee. And what it reflects is pretty incredibly awful. And yet, the executive committee itself, it doesn’t make amends for its wrongdoing. It doesn’t impose consequences on those who treated me so terribly. No. And so what kind of example do they set for the rest of the Southern Baptist Convention? And they could take responsibility and accountability for their own wrong without anything to do with local church autonomy. They could do that themselves. No, they do not.   Julie Roys  46:15 And that was the big excuse for so many years was the SBC saying, listen, we’re a denomination that really honors local church autonomy. So we can’t really impose anything on these local churches. And you are asking for very common-sense reforms. I mean, a list for example, of all of the credibly accused or convicted pastors or leaders within the SBC. We just want a database, right? asking for this and them saying, oh, we can’t do that because of autonomy. And yet when this Guidepost Solutions report comes out, we find out they’re keeping their own list.   CHRISTA BROWN  46:52 Yes, they’ve been doing it all along, ever since 2007, while simultaneously claiming that they can’t keep a list. And of course, keeping records and sharing information on credibly accused clergy sex abusers, there’s nothing about that, that intrudes on the autonomy of local churches. To the contrary, that kind of information-sharing system could provide local churches with the resources that they need to exercise their autonomy more responsibly. That’s not on behalf of the local churches that their doing that. It’s on behalf of the larger denominational structures of the Southern Baptist Convention, that they’re protecting themselves.   Julie Roys  47:49 Wow. And we still don’t have it. We still don’t have a good database. This is not brain surgery, folks. This is really, really simple. But it shows the lack of will on the part of the Southern Baptist Convention. I think I just tweeted something out, not tweeted, posted on X. I can’t get used to that. But something recently; Southern Baptist minister saying, hey we’ve got the sex abuse crisis and everything else. But we need to get back to the really important things of winning people for Christ. That, to me is so infuriating that we don’t see, Jesus cared for the least of these, throughout Scripture talks about the least of these. How do we think what are we winning people to if our churches don’t reflect the heart of God? It’s so perverse and so frustrating. And I’m curious at this point, I mean, do you have hope for reform within the SBC? or do you feel like it’s a lost cause?   CHRISTA BROWN  48:56 I certainly don’t think that we will see meaningful reform in my lifetime. I really don’t. I just don’t think this institution is going that direction. They’ve given us no evidence on which to believe that they’re serious about this at all. And they have had multiple opportunities over the past 20 years to reckon with this, really serious opportunities, when they could have chosen to do so. And again, and again, they do not. So no, I do not hold hope for the institution. I do hold hope for individuals. I think there is value in putting the truth out there, regardless of what the Southern Baptist Convention may or may not ever do. Thank goodness, my hope does not rest on them.   Julie Roys  49:48 Amen. I mean, honestly, I think the truth has its own power and how it works itself out. That’s not in our hands. There’s nothing we can do about it. We’re not that powerful. But I know there’s a lot of different ways to look at this. I mean, some people come up to me and they’re like, Well, why is all of this being exposed now? What is going on? You know, it’s something awful in the church. And I’m like, Well, what we’re exposing most of what we’re exposing is decades old. Some of its recent, but a lot of it is decades old, that just hasn’t been exposed. And I do think God’s angry about it. I mean, that’s my personal belief on this. And that some of this is being exposed, that there is judgment coming. And there’s a reckoning coming. I do take heart in the fact that at least the truth is getting out there. But what people do with it, pretty tough. But I do think it will be a decade’s-long process, I thought at first it’d be a year or two few years. It’ll be a decade’s long process of this being exposed. But I do pray that something, some good structures grow out of it.   CHRISTA BROWN  51:13 I do believe that in years to come, and maybe decades to come, that ordinary human beings will look back on all this. Which is why I’m so glad things are being documented. We’ll look back on all this, and it will be so aberrant as to be almost inconceivable. And they will say, you? a multibillion-dollar tentacular institution? used this excuse of church autonomy to avoid protecting kids against clergy sex abuse? really? And it will seem so horrifying as to be almost inconceivable. I think that will happen. And this institution is on the wrong side of history.   Julie Roys  52:02 I agree with that.100%. And I’ll also say that when I talk to abuse survivors, it’s often not the abuser. I mean, the abuser obviously does horrific harm. But it’s the protectors, the allies, the bystanders that do nothing, or worse than that actually contribute to the crime by covering it up. That is what really, really causes the harm. And so I mean, to Southern Baptist leaders who probably won’t listen to this podcast, but if you do, shame on you! do something. I mean, this is unconscionable that you call yourselves Christians and you don’t do anything about abuse survivors. That is, to me, a test of the authenticity of your faith.   CHRISTA BROWN  52:52 You know you’re absolutely right Julie. This is perhaps the single most universal commonality that I find in survivor stories is almost invariably, as awful, and horrific as the sexual abuse itself is, what does even greater damage is how terribly survivors are treated by religious leaders, by churches, by people of faith. That is hard to reckon with and hard to come to terms with. It is one thing to come to terms with the evil that one man can do, but it is quite another thing to try to come to terms with, And everyone else acts as though it’s okay. And this kind of systemic institutional problem does not come about without the complicity of countless others who enable these things. And that is where the real problem lies.   Julie Roys  54:00 The fourth death that you talk about in your book is when your mother died, and your own sisters cut you out of an inheritance. And a lot of it though, based in the fact that your family didn’t want you talking about this. I can only imagine. I mean, I felt it as I read the book, but the pain that I’m sure you still carry from that. Why is it that your family wanted to silence you so much on this issue, so much that they would retaliate in this way?   CHRISTA BROWN  54:45 I think because they felt it brought shame onto the family. And because I grew up in a sort of family that says you pull yourself up by your bootstraps. You never talk about difficult things. You never talk about the family. My sister blamed me for what they said was making mom feel guilty because I had talked about this. Mom herself before she died, as I was speaking out numerous times would tell me that she thought I needed to own my part in it. Even though of course, I had been a kid. But she too had been, I think, misled, and manipulated by Brother Hayden, the senior pastor of our church at that time. And he’s now deceased. Because years later, many years later, I learned that he had told her that I would just forget about it. So that was a way of silencing my mom as well. And on some level, I think my mom must have felt guilty for that. As many mothers would feel guilt if something really terrible happens to a kid.  But I think she felt an enlarged level of guilt, which she could not really process. And it’s not as if people in my family went to counseling, right? And then because my mom felt guilty, my sister, I never put blame on her. I never ever put blame on her. But nevertheless, my sisters blamed me for making mom feel guilty. But, in some way if I think that’s all , scapegoating is something that human beings do. It’s something as old as time. And I think that’s what my sister did to me. Wrong. And in some ways, then they scapegoated me, and that was just kind of the rationalization for legitimizing what they did. And yes, to say it was painful, would be a real understatement. It was extremely painful.   Julie Roys  57:01 So sorry. You end your book with an afterword to childhood or clergy sex abuse survivors. And I know, our podcast, many survivors listen to this podcast. What message do you have for them?   CHRISTA BROWN  57:21 First and foremost, you are so worthy, you are a human being of infinite value. Whatever has been done to you within this faith community, it does not define who you are. Whoever you are at this point in your life right now, whether you are a person of faith or no faith, I don’t care. You are of infinite value and all of this other stuff that the faith community has communicated to you. Which abuse does this to people. It inculcates in you this notion that somehow you are not worthy. And that is a lie. That is a lie. So that would be the first thing I would say. And secondly, I would say, to all survivors and advocates, and really almost anyone out there, cultivate your skepticism. And sadly, when we see that faith itself is weaponized for power, that the accoutrements of faith are used to help propagandize and the perpetuation of status quo power structures, then it behooves us to apply our skepticism even to matters of faith. And I say, do not feel guilty for skepticism; not one bit. People need to earn trust. There’s nothing wrong with you for, for holding doubt.   Julie Roys  59:10 And I believe that if God is God, that he can handle our doubt, he can handle our hurt, he can handle our anger. And it’s justified in these cases. And it’s one of the greatest conundrums of the human experience. If God is great, and God is good, how do these horrible things happen to innocent people? It’s above my paygrade; it’s certainly one question that I’ve wrestled with an awful lot in my life and continue to, but I appreciate so much Christa, you’re honest, you’re honest  recounting your story and where you’re at, and you are a hero to the survivor community. And again, you have been in it so much longer than I have been. And I just look to folks like you who have really blazed a trail. And just so, so, so grateful for your work. So thank you.   CHRISTA BROWN  1:00:21 Thanks, Julie. Thanks for having me here. I really appreciate it.   Julie Roys  1:00:28 Thanks so much for listening to The Roys Report, a podcast dedicated to reporting the truth and restoring the church. I’m Julie Roys. And if you’d like a copy of Christa’s book called Baptistland, you can get one when you give $30 or more to The Roys report this month. As I’ve often said, we don’t have advertisers or many large donors, we simply have you, the people who care about exposing abuse and corruption in the church so she can be restored. So if you’d like to help us out and get a copy of Baptistland, just go to JULIEROYS.COM/DONATE. Also, just a quick reminder to subscribe to The Roys report on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. That way, you won’t miss any of these episodes. And while you’re at it, I’d really appreciate it if you’d help us spread the word about the podcast by leaving a review. And then please share the podcast on social media so more people can hear about this great content. Again, thanks so much for joining me today. I hope you were blessed and encouraged. Read more

The latest Congressional spending package allows federally funded gender transitions and essentially bypasses current restrictions on government-funded abortions, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) told Baptist Press. In 1945, a group of Baylor students began leading a series of worship gatherings that came to be known as the Waco Youth Revivals. And, maybe you have a friend who started out as a Christian but isn't producing fruit in their faith journey. In the BP Toolbox, Todd Gray offers three tips for reaching them.

It may be months before American --believers vote in a general presidential election, but the need to pray for the candidates and the country can't start too soon. As escalating gang violence and political instability threaten civil war in Haiti, Christian Haitian leaders who collaborate closely with ministers there are forced to postpone outreaches. And, pastors often struggle to admit or even realize they need help. In an article at Baptist Press, Mark Dance encourages pastors and all believers with some reminders as they focus on their mental health.

A church building built in Gaza in 1954 has been heavily damaged in the Israel-Hamas War, former pastor Hanna Massad told Baptist Press. The Gaza Baptist Church is the only Baptist church in Gaza. Despite it being legal in 10 states and Washington DC, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission is still pushing back against doctor-assisted suicide and euthanasia. And, Texas pastor Danny Forshee knows people need hope.

A new searchable global database of violent religious persecution encompassing Christianity and other faiths is available free to the public, Global Christian Relief CEO David Curry announced Jan. 5. In a profound journey of faith, West Point cadet Austin Hemminger's story is one of transformation amid the rigors of basic training. And, pastors can face significant challenges as they try to balance their family and their work. Sam Rainer offers some reasons in a Baptist Press article.

A small town in west Tennessee received some overwhelming news this year. Stanton, a town of 414 souls, was awarded the title of a Blue Oval City by the Ford Motor Company. Markus and Mary Feirer are taking the gospel to the streets of a major East Asian city. Even though some told the gospel workers that approaching strangers and striking up conversations about the gospel wouldn't work, they tried anyway. And, maybe you've wondered what your pastor is thinking as he preaches. In a Baptist Press article, a few pastors share some observations you might find interesting.

The Non-Prophets, Episode 22.32.4 featuring Phoebe Rose, Dr. Ben, Scott Dickie and Helen GreeneGallup: Belief in God, Satan, angels, heaven, hell at 23-year low, Baptist Press, By Diana Chandler, July 31, 2023 https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/gallup-belief-in-god-satan-angels-heaven-hell-at-23-year-low/

In June, the pro-life movement celebrated the one-year anniversary of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade. And, a Lifeway Bible study on Baptist Press talks about the importance of disciples making disciples.

The U.S. Supreme Court delivered a First Amendment victory Friday (June 30) to a Christian designer who objects to creating custom websites for same-sex weddings. The first time she retired, in 2002, Dr. Rebekah Naylor, a longtime missionary surgeon, came home to Texas after 35 years in India to care for her mother, who was ailing. And, Kentucky Baptist leader Todd Gray believers there are certain things every leader must do. In a piece on Baptist Press, he says leaders must solve problems.

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discussed capital punishment - something that both Christians and non-Christians wrestle with. Old Testament Scriptures reveal that capital punishment was used for a number of offenses; however, Jesus brought many Old Testament laws to completion during His time on Earth. The Bible has shaped American thinking since the country's foundation, and our laws say that the states have the right to take a life. But where should Christians land on this? Episode Links There is an ongoing news story that Dr. White shared recently through the Daily Headline News that prompted today's discussion. It's about a man in Oklahoma who is on death row who has had his execution stayed nine times to date. The details of the case have many questioning whether he should be punished with the death penalty. Here are two recent articles: Emily Belz, “How an Oklahoma Death Penalty Case Shook Up Evangelical Views on Execution,”Christianity Today, May 10, 2023. Diana Chandler, “Oklahoma Pastor Advocates for Life of Convicted Man on Death Row,”Baptist Press, May 23, 2023. For those of you who are new to Church & Culture, we'd love to invite you to subscribe (for free of course) to the twice-weekly Church & Culture blog and check out the Daily Headline News - a collection of headlines from around the globe each weekday.

“Pray Fervently in Righteousness and Avail Much” is the 2023 NDOP theme, based on James 5:16; The upcoming expiration of a COVID-era immigration policy has communities and groups such as ministry centers bracing for a surge in migrants; In a First Person on Baptist Press, Kris Buckman offers tips to church when reports sexual abuse come to their attention.

Eight confirmed tornadoes slashed across Oklahoma's midsection the evening of Wed., April 19, inflicting major damage to structures at Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU) and to other sections of Shawnee; In just a little over one year, it will be ‘games wide open' for the Paris Olympics, with more than 10,500 athletes from countries spanning the globe and thousands of spectators descending on the French capital; A Lifeway Bible study on Baptist Press says, “In the book of Deuteronomy, God had already performed miracle after miracle in His care and provision for the Israelites, yet they failed to believe God could provide them with water.

#alwaysaway #slulead Shane serves as the National Next Gen Director for the North American Mission Board (NAMB). He and his wife, Kasi, reside in Rockwall, TX with their six children – Raygen, Harper, Titus, Morris, Elliot, & Glory. He has been in ministry for over 20 years as a denominational leader, church planter, lead pastor, and student pastor. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Biblical Studies, and a Master's Degree in History. Shane is also a traveling communicator, evangelist, and Bible teacher. Every year he speaks to over a hundred thousand people about the good news of Jesus Christ. He is also the author of many articles that have been picked up by RELEVANT, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, The Gospel Coalition, CrossWalk, Church Leaders, The Baptist Press, FaithIt, HelloChristian, and others. Shane and his wife, Kasi, were featured as ABC's Nightly News “Persons of the Week” in August 2017. Shane has written two books, 9 Common Lies Christians Believe: And Why God's Truth Is Infinitely Better and Calling Out the Called: Discipling Those Called to Ministry Leadership. Both books are available everywhere books are sold. He is also the co-host of the podcast, Next Gen on Mission (available on podcast platforms), and the YouTube Channel – GenSend. Check out his most recent sermons, articles, and speaking dates at www.shanepruitt.com.

On today's program, we're coming up on the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  We've got an update on what Christian ministries have been doing to relieve the suffering.  And the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria have now claimed more than 45,000 lives.  We'll have an update on relief efforts and how you can help. We begin today with a story that's been Christian social media for the past week or more, and that's the Asbury Revival. Here are some links I mentioned on today's program: The MinistryWatch 1000 Database Explaining Our Five-Star Financial Efficiency Rating System Understanding Our Donor Confidence Score More Information On Disaster Relief Efforts in Turkey and Syria IN CLOSING:  I want our listeners to know that if they give to MinistryWatch during the month of February, we'll send them a copy of the book “Handling Allegations in a Ministry” by Theresa Lynn Sidebotham.  This is a valuable resource for pastors, elders, deacons, ministry leaders, and active and involved church members and ministry donors.  It's our thank you gift for a donation of any size to MinistryWatch this month.  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, Emily Kern, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today's program include Steve Rabey, Jessica Eturralde, Kim Roberts, Bob Smietana, Dale Chamberlain, Yonat Shimron, Timothy Cockes, Christina Darnell, and Rod Pitzer. Special thanks to Baptist Press and churchleaders.com for contributing material for this week's podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.

I go solo in this episode to explain how political ideology can abuse the Bible's call to charity. This episode is based on notes that were originally for part of the Truthspresso Express series "Was Jesus a Socialist?"After walking through the Sixth through the Tenth Commandment of the law, we see how coveting can be the most difficult command. Yet, too many Christians can support a backdoor to validate covetousness and stealing.Putting government-enforced welfare schemes under the microscope of the Bible, we ask ourselves this question: Is it ever a morally virtuous and Christian thing to support threatening or initiating violence on someone who has not committed a crime?We may think that coercive wealth distribution schemes are "doing God's work," but when we think deeply about it, does God ever command anyone to steal from people by the force of violence to provide for the poor? Perhaps the Christian doctrine of charity is that it is always lovingly and voluntary. We also see how compromising a universal application of "Thou shalt not covet" and "Thou shalt not steal" can lead us to compromising all God's commands.Scriptures Cited:Exodus 20:13-17Romans 7:7Hebrews 13:5Exodus 18:21-22Amos 8:4-6Proverbs 6:30-31Jeremiah 22:16-17Romans 2:21Sources Consulted:David Roach, "Bible doesn't command wealth redistribution, presenters say at theological meeting," Baptist Press, December 13, 2012.*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***We value your feedback!Have questions for Truthspresso? Contact us!

I go solo in this episode to explain how political ideology can abuse the Bible's call to charity. This episode is based on notes that were originally for part of the Truthspresso Express series "Was Jesus a Socialist?" After walking through the Sixth through the Tenth Commandment of the law, we see how coveting can be the most difficult command. Yet, too many Christians can support a backdoor to validate covetousness and stealing. Putting government-enforced welfare schemes under the microscope of the Bible, we ask ourselves this question: Is it ever a morally virtuous and Christian thing to support threatening or initiating violence on someone who has not committed a crime? We may think that coercive wealth distribution schemes are "doing God's work," but when we think deeply about it, does God ever command anyone to steal from people by the force of violence to provide for the poor? Perhaps the Christian doctrine of charity is that it is always lovingly and voluntary. We also see how compromising a universal application of "Thou shalt not covet" and "Thou shalt not steal" can lead us to compromising all God's commands. Scriptures Cited: Exodus 20:13-17 Romans 7:7 Hebrews 13:5 Exodus 18:21-22 Amos 8:4-6 Proverbs 6:30-31 Jeremiah 22:16-17 Romans 2:21 Sources Consulted: David Roach, "Bible doesn't command wealth redistribution, presenters say at theological meeting," Baptist Press, December 13, 2012. *** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. *** We value your feedback! Have questions for Truthspresso? Contact us!

I go solo in this episode to explain how political ideology can abuse the Bible's call to charity. This episode is based on notes that were originally for part of the Truthspresso Express series "Was Jesus a Socialist?"After walking through the Sixth through the Tenth Commandment of the law, we see how coveting can be the most difficult command. Yet, too many Christians can support a backdoor to validate covetousness and stealing.Putting government-enforced welfare schemes under the microscope of the Bible, we ask ourselves this question: Is it ever a morally virtuous and Christian thing to support threatening or initiating violence on someone who has not committed a crime?We may think that coercive wealth distribution schemes are "doing God's work," but when we think deeply about it, does God ever command anyone to steal from people by the force of violence to provide for the poor? Perhaps the Christian doctrine of charity is that it is always lovingly and voluntary. We also see how compromising a universal application of "Thou shalt not covet" and "Thou shalt not steal" can lead us to compromising all God's commands.Scriptures Cited:Exodus 20:13-17Romans 7:7Hebrews 13:5Exodus 18:21-22Amos 8:4-6Proverbs 6:30-31Jeremiah 22:16-17Romans 2:21Sources Consulted:David Roach, "Bible doesn't command wealth redistribution, presenters say at theological meeting," Baptist Press, December 13, 2012.*** Castle Rock Women's Health is a pro-life and pro-women health care ministry. They need your help to move into a new office to serve the community better. Please consider a monthly or one-time donation. ***We value your feedback!Have questions for Truthspresso? Contact us!

On today's program, new developments in the case against megachurch pastor John Blanchard, arrests in the vandalism of pregnancy care centers, and a Christian broadcaster's radio towers were destroyed. We begin today with a story about sexual abuse allegations that concern the Salvation Army, one of the largest Christian organizations in the country. A final reminder that we'll be doing a webinar next week called “How To Find and Read A Form 990.”  The webinar is free, but you do have to register.  And I should mention that we are limiting attendance to 100, and we're nearly there.  So if you want to attend, or even if you can't attend but want to watch the recording we'll be making, you need to sign up soon.  It will take place on Feb. 1 at 4 pm ET.  Just check the daily MinistryWatch email for a link to the registration page. Don't forget to rate and leave a comment on your podcast app. Not only do these comments help us know what you're thinking so we can make improvements, but the more ratings and comments we have, your ratings help other people find us.  That's a huge help to us, and it helps us expand our reach. Finally, here's the story I mentioned on the program:  Why MinistryWatch Reports on Sex Crimes 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 Jessica Eturralde, Kim Roberts, Shannon Cuthrell, Jack Jenkins, Bob Smietana, Jessica Lea, Stephanie Martin, Scott Barkley, and Rod Pitzer. A special thanks to Baptist Press and ChurchLeaders-dot-com for contributing material for this week's podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.

This edition of Crosstalk began with Jim quoting from an article from Baptist Press. The headline reads like this- 84- of Christians Say U.S. Has Forgotten True Meaning of Christmas. The statistics within the article are from an Ipsos poll. Interestingly, the poll failed to ask respondents their view of the true meaning of Christmas. --From the same publication comes the story that business is bouncing back in Bethlehem after two years in the doldrums.--After presenting details from these two stories, Jim focused the attention of listeners on why we celebrate this time of year. True, we don't know the exact day of Christ's birth but we do know that He was born and for what reason. In order to emphasize that point, Jim read a commentary from the late Dr. Adrian Rogers from 2016. The headline was- The Greatest Event in Human History.--The remainder of the broadcast involved giving listeners the opportunity to share a brief Christmas thought or greeting to loved ones or perhaps the entire listening audience.--Be blessed as you review this program and Merry Christmas to all from everyone at VCY America-

This edition of Crosstalk began with Jim quoting from an article from Baptist Press. The headline reads like this- 84- of Christians Say U.S. Has Forgotten True Meaning of Christmas. The statistics within the article are from an Ipsos poll. Interestingly, the poll failed to ask respondents their view of the true meaning of Christmas. --From the same publication comes the story that business is bouncing back in Bethlehem after two years in the doldrums.--After presenting details from these two stories, Jim focused the attention of listeners on why we celebrate this time of year. True, we don't know the exact day of Christ's birth but we do know that He was born and for what reason. In order to emphasize that point, Jim read a commentary from the late Dr. Adrian Rogers from 2016. The headline was- The Greatest Event in Human History.--The remainder of the broadcast involved giving listeners the opportunity to share a brief Christmas thought or greeting to loved ones or perhaps the entire listening audience.--Be blessed as you review this program and Merry Christmas to all from everyone at VCY America-

This edition of Crosstalk began with Jim quoting from an article from Baptist Press. The headline reads like this- 84- of Christians Say U.S. Has Forgotten True Meaning of Christmas. The statistics within the article are from an Ipsos poll. Interestingly, the poll failed to ask respondents their view of the true meaning of Christmas. --From the same publication comes the story that business is bouncing back in Bethlehem after two years in the doldrums.--After presenting details from these two stories, Jim focused the attention of listeners on why we celebrate this time of year. True, we don't know the exact day of Christ's birth but we do know that He was born and for what reason. In order to emphasize that point, Jim read a commentary from the late Dr. Adrian Rogers from 2016. The headline was- The Greatest Event in Human History.--The remainder of the broadcast involved giving listeners the opportunity to share a brief Christmas thought or greeting to loved ones or perhaps the entire listening audience.--Be blessed as you review this program and Merry Christmas to all from everyone at VCY America-

This edition of Crosstalk began with Jim quoting from an article from Baptist Press. The headline reads like this- 84- of Christians Say U.S. Has Forgotten True Meaning of Christmas. The statistics within the article are from an Ipsos poll. Interestingly, the poll failed to ask respondents their view of the true meaning of Christmas. --From the same publication comes the story that business is bouncing back in Bethlehem after two years in the doldrums.--After presenting details from these two stories, Jim focused the attention of listeners on why we celebrate this time of year. True, we don't know the exact day of Christ's birth but we do know that He was born and for what reason. In order to emphasize that point, Jim read a commentary from the late Dr. Adrian Rogers from 2016. The headline was- The Greatest Event in Human History.--The remainder of the broadcast involved giving listeners the opportunity to share a brief Christmas thought or greeting to loved ones or perhaps the entire listening audience.--Be blessed as you review this program and Merry Christmas to all from everyone at VCY America-

By Richard Hunt God told me, “I'm to encourage people with these.” For decades, pastor and cartoonist Joe McKeever has visited churches to share the message of Christ. Often, he will meet and greet and take the time to draw portraits of them, and talk about Jesus while he's sketching. At some sittings, Joe will do literally dozens of portraits, sometimes dedicating two hours to be sure no one is left out. “I just sit in the corner and draw people.” Besides his in-person church work, Joe has been doing cartoons and editorial cartoons for years. It's very likely you've seen some of his professional work on sites like Baptist Press. And Joe is aware that his cartoon work gets ‘borrowed' quite a bit by other media sources and just regular folks on social media. And that doesn't bother him one bit. As a matter of fact, that fits into his guidance from God, who told him, “I'm to encourage people with these.” If people re-post his cartoons, all the better.

By Richard Hunt God told me, “I'm to encourage people with these.” For decades, pastor and cartoonist Joe McKeever has visited churches to share the message of Christ. Often, he will meet and greet and take the time to draw portraits of them, and talk about Jesus while he's sketching. At some sittings, Joe will do literally dozens of portraits, sometimes dedicating two hours to be sure no one is left out. “I just sit in the corner and draw people.” Besides his in-person church work, Joe has been doing cartoons and editorial cartoons for years. It's very likely you've seen some of his professional work on sites like Baptist Press. And Joe is aware that his cartoon work gets ‘borrowed' quite a bit by other media sources and just regular folks on social media. And that doesn't bother him one bit. As a matter of fact, that fits into his guidance from God, who told him, “I'm to encourage people with these.” If people re-post his cartoons, all the better.

On today's program, a church does something it doesn't often do.  It apologizes for its past.  We'll share why.  We also look more closely at the $100-million evangelistic ad campaign called “He Gets Us.”  And we note the passing of an evangelical elder statesman.  Steve Douglass, who helped Cru grow into one of the largest ministries in the world, is dead at age 77.  We'll have an appreciation.  We begin today with news that Celebration Church's founders have reopened a defamation lawsuit against their former church. A final reminder that I'll be hosting a lunch for MinistryWatch friends in Newport Beach, California, on November 15.  If you live in LA, especially Orange County, you should be getting an email from me with more information, but if you want to make sure that you get an invitation, please email me and I'll make sure you get the details.  All of these lunches are FREE.  They're just our way of saying THANK YOU for being a part of our work. Secondly, we've started something new here at MinistryWatch.  We're doing a quarterly survey of the senior executive in each of the MinistryWatch 1000 ministries.  The first article based on that survey is on the website now.  And I describe the survey more fully in this week's MinistryWatch EXTRA episode, so if you haven't heard that episode, please check it out.  The producers for today's program are Rich Roszel and Jeff McIntosh.  We get database and other technical support from Cathy Goddard, Stephen DuBarry, Emily Kern, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today's program include Scott Barkley, Jeremy Schwartz, Jessica Priest, Alejandra Molina, Steve Rabey, Anne Stych, Jessica Eturralde, Christina Darnell—and you, Warren. Special thanks to The Baptist Press and ProPublica for providing material for this week's podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.

Shane Pruitt serves as the National Next Gen Director for the North American Mission Board (NAMB). He has been in ministry for over 20 years as a denominational leader, church planter, lead pastor, and student pastor. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Biblical Studies, and a Master's Degree in History. Shane is also a traveling communicator speaking to over a hundred thousand people about the good news of Jesus Christ. Shane is also the author of a popular blog, which has over 3 million views. His articles have been picked up by RELEVANT, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, The Gospel Coalition, CrossWalk, Church Leaders, The Baptist Press, FaithIt, HelloChristian, and many others. Shane and his wife, Kasi, were featured as ABC's Nightly News “Persons of the Week” in August 2017. Shane has written two books 9 Common Lies Christians Believe: And Why God's Truth Is Infinitely Better, and Calling Out the Called: Discipling those Called to Ministry Leadership (Release date – November, 2022). Both are available everywhere books are sold. He is also the host of the podcast, Next Gen on Mission (available on podcast platforms), and the YouTube Channel – GenSend. In this episode we discuss: • The “Paralyzed Church” • Scott declares that UGA will beat BAMA in national title game • “We're shuffling shepherds around, but not raising any up” • The nation-wide struggle of mass ministry openings and the “pool is dry” • The 3 distinct “callings” in scripture • What's the difference between everyone's call and a specific call to vocational ministry? • Reasons we are seeing a decline and obstacles for leaders to call out the called • The beautiful tension of the pastor transferring his heart for calling out the called and Holy Spirit driven call to ministry • 5 things leaders can do to make calling out the called a priority

According to the news articles linked below, the 2021 American Bible Society ‘State of the Bible Report' was quoted as indicating that:“55 PERCENT OF AMERICANS BELIEVE IN BIBLICAL INERRANCY.”I am a traditional Biblical Christian and I would love to believe this is true. It was reported as such in the Baptist Press, the Biblical Recorder, the Baptist Messenger, and Sharper Iron, among other “news” sources. Further stating,“Biblical inerrancy is professed by 55 percent of Americans, with even a greater portion of those surveyed, 71 percent, confessing that Scripture is the Word of God.”The study surveyed 3,354 adults across the country through an online survey between Jan. 4-29, and also incorporated additional results from a relatively small group of youths ages 15-17.

In the midst of so much bad news, today on Star City we'll hear some good news from the Southern Baptist Convention as we talk with writer and journalist for Baptist Press, Tim Cockes.

It's Wednesday, September 28th, A.D. 2022. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark Hong Kong Bishop on trial for pro-democracy protests A 90-year-old former bishop of Hong Kong went on trial Monday for his support of pro-democracy protests in 2019. Cardinal Joseph Zen is known for speaking out against China's Communist Party which has asserted control over Hong Kong. Police originally arrested the bishop in May. Shortly after China introduced its National Security Law for Hong Kong in 2020, Cardinal Zen said he was ready to face trial and imprisonment.  Cubans voted for faux homosexual marriage & homosexual adoption The whirlwind of sexually perverted lifestyles has been let loose on Cuba. On Sunday, Cubans voted in favor of a new family code that legalizes faux homosexual marriage as well as adoption for homosexual couples. Sixty-six percent of voters supported the referendum while 33% opposed it. Meanwhile, a different storm made landfall in Cuba this week. Hurricane Ian slammed into the island on Tuesday. The Category 3 storm caused mass evacuations, power outages, and flooding. Britain's Nat'l Health Service reluctantly allows doctor to pray On Monday, England's National Health Service agreed to a settlement with a Christian doctor facing disciplinary measures for offering to pray with his patients.  The NHS investigated Dr. Richard Scott for years based on hearsay complaints. The regulatory body even threatened to remove him from the NHS Practitioners List unless he took a nearly $2,000 “professional boundaries” course at his own expense. The recent settlement says Dr. Scott is allowed to offer to pray with his patients.   Dr. Scott told Christian Concern in a video that the next generation of doctors in England live in fear of expressing their faith. SCOTT: “We now have generation of young doctors who are so scared to open their mouth for Jesus in case the National Secular Society, the General Medical Council, NHS England or anybody else, the British Humanist Association, complains. And would rather they didn't get a complaint because it can be very stressful.” Southern Baptist denomination kicks out pro-homosexual church The Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention decided to disfellowship a congregation last week over its open affirmation of homosexuality. Texas pastor Jared Wellman, who serves as the Southern Baptist Executive Committee chairman, told Baptist Press the congregation was “outside the bounds of fellowship with Southern Baptists.”  College Park Baptist Church in Greensboro, North Carolina was founded in 1906. Its website states it is a “Welcoming, LGBTQIA Affirming Baptist Church.”  That's quite an alphabet soup there. James 4:4 says, “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” Two anti-abortion laws in Arizona Two anti-abortion laws took effect in Arizona last week. On Friday, a county judge reinstated an 1864 law that bans nearly all abortions. The law has not been in effect since the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision. However, the judge reinstated the law in light of the court's reversal of Roe this year.  A second Arizona law also took effect Saturday, banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Planned Parenthood Arizona is suspending abortions in response to the laws. Pro-life canvasser shot in back On September 20th, a short, 83-year-old pro-life Michigan woman was going door to door in Odessa Township, volunteering her time to urge voters to vote against Proposal 3, a pro-abortion constitutional amendment on the November ballot, reports Channel 8 News. Anna Visser, director of Communication and Education for Michigan Right to Life, summarized what happened when she came to the home of Richard and Sharon Harvey. VISSER: “From her account, the lady, [Sharon Harvey], that answered the door, was upset with her, started screaming at her. And then, as she was walking away, a man, [Richard Harvey], from the house whom she wasn't originally talking to, he came out, and shot her in the back as she was walking away.” The volunteer, who has chosen to remain anonymous, drove herself to the Lake Odessa Police Department and was then treated and released from the hospital. Richard Harvey claims he shot her by accident. The 83-year-old pro-lifer is a long-time volunteer and has had no complaints about how she has discussed the abortion issue at the doorstep of people's homes. According to a Michigan Right to Life press release, the out-of-control rhetoric of President Joe Biden and Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer must end with the shooting of a pro-life volunteer. Visser said, “She is recovering well and is in good spirits.” Americans confused about whether we are a Christian nation The University of Maryland's Critical Issues Poll found 70% of Americans think the U.S. Constitution would not allow the U.S. government to declare the United States a Christian nation. Sixty-two percent of Americans also oppose the United States officially declaring itself to be a Christian nation.  John Jay, the  First Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, wrote, “Providence has given to our people the choice of their ruler, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.” Not surprisingly, a majority of Republicans (at 61%) are in favor of the U.S. declaring itself a Christian nation.  Psalm 9:17, 20 says, “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. … Put them in fear, O LORD, that the nations may know themselves to be but men.” Tennessee Governor's acknowledgement of God's sovereignty And finally, Tennessee's Republican Governor Bill Lee  signed a proclamation declaring Friday, September 30 a day of prayer, humility, and fasting. The proclamation declared, “We acknowledge God's sovereignty and the need for God's grace over our state and our nation. …. We seek forgiveness for our many transgressions so that our hearts and our minds may be renewed.  … Scripture tells us that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and the Lord gives wisdom freely to those who ask for it. … The people of Tennessee acknowledge our rich blessings, our deep transgressions, the complex challenges ahead, and the need to pause, to humble ourselves and to seek God's guidance for the days ahead.” Close And that's The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Wednesday, September 28th, in the year of our Lord 2022. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

How do you find hope to overcome thoughts of suicide when everything falls apart in your life? Jay Lowder's personal experience and the faith he found after his struggle is why he is so passionate about helping individuals find hope in Christ. Jay admits his greatest fear at the time of his suicidal thoughts was not dying but living. And, yet, had he gone through with the act, he would have missed so much of God's calling on his life. Jay Lowder - Harvest Ministries Called to full-time evangelism in 1989, Jay is the founder of Jay Lowder Harvest Ministries, an organization dedicated to reaching diverse groups of people with the message of Jesus Christ. Through his ministry, he travels the globe to football stadiums, schools, churches, and coliseums to provide a message of hope to the hurting. Jay developed the nationally acclaimed school assembly Crossroads, which has been presented to 2 million students nationwide. He has participated in more than 450 city-wide outreaches and conferences. Jay is the author of Navigate and Midnight in Aisle 7 and is the creator and producer of The Darkest Hour, which has aired nationwide on the Discovery Channel, TBN and Freeform. He has been featured on major radio and television networks including The Discovery Channel, CNN, ABC, Fox, ABC Family, Daystar Television Network and TBN. He has also been profiled in newspaper and magazines such as Baptist Press, SBC Life and Charisma, as well as ESPN Outdoors for his hunting expertise. His written articles have been featured in The Washington Post, OnFaith, Crosswalk, Fox News and Charisma magazine.

“Gen Z is a cause-oriented generation; we just need to help them see that there is no greater cause than the kingdom of God and the Great Commission.” So true! Today Stacy talks with Shane Pruitt, evangelist, Bible teacher and author.  Shane is also a husband, father of six and currently serves as the National Next Gen Director for the North American Mission Board.  Listen in as he shares how the Lord got a hold of his heart and is using him to equip and send a new generation of Jesus followers to their peers.  Don't miss the story of Shane's very own praying mom.   ABOUT OUR GUEST: Shane serves as the National Next Gen Director for the North American Mission Board (NAMB). He and his wife, Kasi, reside in Rockwall, TX with their six children – Raygen, Harper, Titus, Morris, Elliot, & Glory. He has been in ministry for over 20 years as a denominational worker, church planter, lead pastor, and student pastor. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Biblical Studies, and a Master's Degree in History. Shane is also a traveling communicator, evangelist, and Bible teacher. Every year he speaks to over a hundred thousand people about the good news of Jesus Christ. Shane is also the author of a popular blog, which has over 3 million views. His articles have been picked up by RELEVANT, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, The Gospel Coalition, CrossWalk, Church Leaders, The Baptist Press, FaithIt, HelloChristian, and many others. He is also a monthly guest and contributor on the Point of View Radio Show that airs on over 300 stations nationwide. Shane and his wife, Kasi, were featured as ABC's Nightly News “Persons of the Week” in August 2017. Shane has written two books 9 Common Lies Christians Believe: And Why God's Truth Is Infinitely Better, and Calling Out the Called: Discipling those Called to Ministry Leadership. Both are available everywhere books are sold. He is also the host of the podcast, Next Gen on Mission (available on podcast platforms), and the YouTube Channel – GenSend. Connect with Shane at www.shanepruitt.com SCRIPTURE: (NIV unless noted) “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9 “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”  Ezekiel 36:26 “Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Matthew 22:37 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 “To equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” Ephesians 4:12 BOOKS BY SHANE PRUITT: 9 Common Lies Christians Believe Calling Out the Called LINKS: Gen Send Shane Pruitt MOMS IN PRAYER New to Moms in Prayer? Find Out More!  PRAY with Moms in Your Community for Your Children Support Our Mission Moms in Prayer Shop Praying For Prodigals

In this episode, we speak with an editor of Particular Baptist Press, Doug Holcomb. Particular Baptist Press is a Missouri non-profit organization established in 1995 for the purpose of reviving the doctrine and history of Particular/Regular Baptists of old, both British and American. The names and works of persons who were well known a hundred or more years ago have been all but forgotten by today's Baptists. We have far too rich a heritage in the Baptist faith to let it fall by the wayside of apathy and ignorance. We have as our goal the opening again of those wells of spiritual soundness and beauty that characterized the mainstream of the Particular Baptist witness of former days. By providing instructive and edifying literature in a quality, collectible format which we trust will appeal to the earnest, sincere Christian, we desire to make known again the lives and works of those who went before us in the faith, and from whom we can learn much.

In this episode, we speak with an editor of Particular Baptist Press, Doug Holcomb. Particular Baptist Press is a Missouri non-profit organization established in 1995 for the purpose of reviving the doctrine and history of Particular/Regular Baptists of old, both British and American. The names and works of persons who were well known a hundred or more years ago have been all but forgotten by today's Baptists. We have far too rich a heritage in the Baptist faith to let it fall by the wayside of apathy and ignorance. We have as our goal the opening again of those wells of spiritual soundness and beauty that characterized the mainstream of the Particular Baptist witness of former days. By providing instructive and edifying literature in a quality, collectible format which we trust will appeal to the earnest, sincere Christian, we desire to make known again the lives and works of those who went before us in the faith, and from whom we can learn much.

In Episode 165 Aaron Conrad goes Unscripted with Art Ayris. Art Ayris is the CEO of central Florida-based Kingstone Studios and the Publisher at Kingstone Comics which released the Kingstone Bible, a 2017 Christian Book of the Year finalist. His writing and producing awards for film and television include Best TV Movie in Hollywood's Next Success contest, Best Feature Florida Film & Television, Best Feature Angel Awards and other film and television awards. Art is a regular contributor on Christianity and media and has been interviewed by FOX News, The Guardian, American Family Radio, Christian Science Monitor, Faithwire, Publishers Weekly, WORLD magazine, Movieguide, Baptist Press, Orlando Sentinel and many other media outlets.https://novacancymovite.com

May 1, 2022A native of Alabama, Joe McKeever has been saved since 1951, been preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ since 1961, and has been writing and cartooning for religious publications since the mid-1960s.  He put in 42 years pastoring six Southern Baptist Churches followed by 5 years as director of missions for the SBC churches of metro New Orleans. He retired in the summer of 2009.  Joe's education includes a masters & doctorate from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary with emphasis on evangelism.  For over 15 years, Joe has drawn a daily cartoon for the Baptist Press (www.bpnews.net/comics).  He writes a column on “My Favorite Deacon” for each issue of Lifeway's Deacon Magazine, blogs almost daily for church leaders at www.joemckeever.com, and has published numerous books of his cartoons and seven ministry books.

In a recent article by in Baptist Press, Mark Wingfield asserts that public education is part of Jesus' mission and parents and politicians attempting to regulate public schools that teach Darwinism and CRT are racist.Here's the article: https://baptistnews.com/article/its-time-to-stop-the-insanity-that-is-killing-public-education/#.Ygpo_YjMJD8Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/conversations-that-matter8971/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

BriefThe Southern Baptist Convention has recently dominated U.S. headlines with issues ranging from Critical Race Theory, suspicion of a liberal drift, and accusations regarding the handling of sex abuse. Two leaked letters from Russel Moore, former president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, only further engulfed the convention in dismay and deepened lines of difference. So what happened at the 15,000+ person business meeting? On this episode we share some highlights and feedback on the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting. Did we leave unified? Listen in. Important LinksSBC Resolutions - https://www.sbc.net/resource-library/resolutions/ Baptist Press, Official news source of the SBC - https://www.baptistpress.com

Over the past week, Senior Colson Fellow Glenn Sunshine has taken to Facebook to do something that much of the mainstream media—to its discredit—has neglected to do: alerting people to what is happening to Christians in places like Nigeria. Last summer on BreakPoint, I talked about the violence targeting Christians in what's known as the “middle belt” of Nigeria. The population of Nigeria is almost evenly divided between Muslims and Christians. That religious split largely follows geographic lines: The northern part of the country is predominantly Muslim, the eastern and southern parts of the country heavily Christian. The “Middle Belt” is, as you probably guessed, ethnically and religiously diverse. In this part of the country, Christians have been on the receiving end of a campaign that Open Doors calls “religious cleansing,” that is, an attempt “to eradicate Christianity” from the region. One of the most notorious Islamist groups in the world, Boko Haram, is responsible for killing thousands of Christians and displacing countless more in northern Nigeria. But Boko Haram isn't the only group targeting Christians there. In late June, Christian leaders claimed that “over 6,000 persons—mostly children, women and the aged—have been maimed and killed in night raids by armed Fulani herdsmen.” The Fulani are an ethnic group that are overwhelmingly Muslim, and for the record, their raids are not always at night. In their statement, Nigerian Christian leaders also complained about the “continuous abduction of under-aged Christian girls by Muslim youths…” These girls “are forcefully converted to Islam and taken in for marriage without the consent of their parents.” While Open Doors calls what is happening in the Middle Belt “religious cleansing,” Nigerian Christian leaders have called it genocide, and not without good reason. Under the International Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide, genocide consists of action intended to destroy in whole or in part, “a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.” The actions can include “killing members of the group,” “causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group,” and “forcibly transferring children of the group to another group,” among other things. All three of these things are happening in Nigeria right now. Where is the Nigerian government in all of this? At best, nowhere to be found. Officials are downplaying, if not outright denying, any religious dimension of what's happening. Instead, they're calling this a conflict over resources, in this case, over land. This denial conveniently glosses over the one-sided nature of the violence in the region: The Fulani and Boko Haram are the hammers and the Christians are the nails. Did I mention that the president of Nigeria is the son of a Fulani chief? Since I told you about this campaign of extermination last summer, the violence against Christians has continued unabated. Since February alone, according to the Baptist Press and the Barnabas Fund, nearly 300 Christians have been killed and thousands more displaced. Yet, the mainstream media here in the States remains mum. Which is why Glenn is using his Facebook to bring this to people's attention. As tempting as it is to speculate why we aren't hearing about it, that won't do our Nigerian brethren a bit of good. It won't put pressure on our government to speak up, or on the Nigerian government to do its basic duty and protect all of its citizens. What will help is emulating what people like Glenn Sunshine and Mindy Belz of WORLD Magazine are doing–using the channels and forums available to them to spread the word. What will help is becoming knowledgeable about what is happening to Christians in Nigeria and around the word. We are living in a new age of religious persecution and even martyrdom. This kind of intentional and thoughtful engagement—along with, of course, our most important efforts of consistent and concerted prayer—is our brethren's best chance at relief. It's a task we all must embrace.   http://www.breakpoint.org/2019/03/breakpoint-christians-die-media-mum/