On today’s program, Dr. Burk Parsons of Ligonier Ministries has been suspended from pastoral duties at St. Andrew’s Chapelwhere he is senior pastor. He is now under investigation by the Central Florida Presbytery. We’ll have details.
And, Elevation Church has fired its youth pastor amid allegations of sexual misconduct from a decade ago. We’ll take a look.
Also, after 16 months of wrangling and civil suits, Beverly Heights Presbyterian Church in Pennsylvania has officially left the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
But first, a former Liberty University employee is suing the school for discrimination and retaliation.
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, Bethany Starin, Jessica Eturralde, Yonat Shimron, Aaron Earls, Brittany Smith, and Christina Darnell.
Until next time, may God bless you.
MANUSCRIPT:
FIRST SEGMENT
Warren:
Hello everybody. I’m Warren Smith, coming to you this week from Hilton Head Island, South 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, Dr. Burk Parsons of Ligonier Ministries has been suspended from pastoral duties at St. Andrew’s Chapel, where he is senior pastor. He is now under investigation by the Central Florida Presbytery. We’ll have details.
And, Elevation Church has fired its youth pastor amid allegations of sexual misconduct from a decade ago. We’ll take a look.
Also, after 16 months of wrangling and civil suits, Beverly Heights Presbyterian Church in Pennsylvania has officially left the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
Natasha:
But first, a former Liberty University employee is suing the school for discrimination and retaliation.
Warren:
A former professor and investigator at Liberty University has filed a federal lawsuit against the school and its leaders for discrimination and retaliation under Title IX, the Uniformed Services Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), and the Virginia Whistleblower Protection Law.
Peter Brake is a Liberty graduate and an attorney who served for over 20 years as a U.S. Army Judge Advocate. He was employed in 2019 as a full-time Civil Rights Investigator in Liberty’s Office of Equity and Compliance/Title IX and as an adjunct professor.
While employed at Liberty, Brake took a 3½-year leave of absence starting in January 2020 to serve active duty with the U.S. Army. He had moved to reserve military duty at this point.
Natasha:
What happened?
Warren:
According to the lawsuit, Brake’s absence was referred to by Liberty administrators as a “problem” because they were required to hold his position while he served in the U.S. Army.
Upon his return in October 2023, Brake claims he suffered discrimination in violation of the USERRA.
Brake also claims he was fired after making “good faith reports” about violations of Title IX and the Clery Act at Liberty.
Natasha:
In November 2023, Brake claims he told Liberty President Dondi Costin about the Title IX office ignoring grievance procedure requirements, noting that some cases had been sitting idle for a year without resolution.
Warren:
In an email exchange with Costin, Costin allegedly assured Brake that “your leadership understands that retaliation is not allowed around here, so don’t give that possibility another thought.”
After Liberty reached a settlement agreement of $14 million for Clery Act violations, Brake said he reported more violations. He was then allegedly subjected to a “humiliating and unusual interrogation” by Liberty’s human resources department and other harassment.
In May, Brake filed complaints with the U.S. Department of Education against Liberty and filed a Title IX complaint. Brake was fired in June.
Brake is seeking damages to his physical well-being, and his reputation, loss of career opportunities, lost wages and benefits, plus attorney’s costs and fees.
Natasha:
Next, St. Andrew’s Chapel has suspended its pastor
Warren:
Dr. Burk Parsons, senior pastor at St. Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Florida, and a teaching fellow at Ligonier Ministries, has been indicted by a commission of the Central Florida Presbytery and is currently suspended from his duties at St. Andrew’s as he awaits the resolution of the case.
Natasha:
In January, MinistryWatch reported that Parsons was under investigation by the Central Florida Presbytery for potential violations of two ordination vows.
Warren:
Now, the commission has informed Parsons that he was indicted in relation to the two vows. The presbytery commission also suspended Parsons from his duties of teaching, preaching, and administering the sacraments as a teaching elder at St. Andrew’s Chapel, a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).
In an email to the congregation, the board of elders, known as a session, of St. Andrew’s said it is supporting Parsons through the trial process.
The email did not provide any details about what actions prompted the indictment or when the trial will take place.
Natasha:
Next, news from Elevation church.
Warren:
The Charlotte-based megachurch Elevation Church fired its youth pastor, Tim Somers, in late February for alleged sexual misconduct.
Somers’ accused misconduct is with students in the youth ministry of Oaks Church in Red Oaks, Texas, where he served more than 10 years ago.
A spokesperson for Elevation Church told The Christian Post that, “As soon as Elevation learned about these allegations, we reached out to local Texas authorities and immediately placed Tim on leave. “No charges have been filed.”
It is still an open investigation, local police are still sifting through the case and are not releasing any information.
Natasha:
Next, a prominent Durham, North Carolina, megachurch is suing its local government after county commissioners rejected its rezoning request to build a new regional campus in a rural area.
Warren:
The Summit Church, led by former Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear, claims Chatham County’s decision violates federal law by discriminating against a religious organization.
In the federal complaint, which spans more than 700 pages including exhibits, The Summit Church alleges the county breached the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) by denying its plan to construct an 82,000-square-foot facility on a 100-acre parcel once approved for a retirement community. The proposal included a 1,200-seat auditorium, 500-plus parking spaces, a sports court, a children’s play area, and a large grass field.
Natasha:
Why were they denied?
Warren:
County commissioners and some community members opposed the development, describing The Summit Church as a “megachurch” that clashed with the rural character outlined in Plan Chatham, the county’s official land-use guide.
Natasha:
The documents add that other segments designated by the plan do not mention churches as a desired land use. The church contends the county unfairly relied on these guidelines to reject its rezoning applications, imposing what it calls a “substantial burden” on its mission to place a thriving evangelical church within fifteen minutes of every resident in the Triangle area.
Warren:
The Triad Business Journal reported that Chatham County Attorney Bob Hagemann has denied any hostility toward religious institutions, saying the county will respond to the legal complaint “through normal legal processes.” The county has until March 7 to answer The Summit Church’s motion for a preliminary injunction, which asks a judge to compel approval of the rezoning and site plan.
Natasha:
Warren, let’s take a quick break. When we return, after a lengthy battle, a Pennsylvania church splits from the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
I’m Natasha Cowden, along with my co-host Warren Smith, and we’ll have that story and much more, after this short break.
BREAK
SECOND SEGMENT
Natasha:
Welcome back. I’m Natasha Cowden, along with my co-host Warren Smith, and you’re listening to the MinistryWatch podcast.
Next, the story we promised before the break.
Warren:
After 16 months and two civil lawsuits, a church in western Pennsylvania has officially split from the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC).
Beverly Heights Presbyterian Church began its effort to disaffiliate from the EPC in October 2023 with a congregational meeting. It held its final vote on January 26, 2025, with 88% of members voting in favor of disaffiliation. However, the church had to wait until the February presbytery meeting to see if the EPC would acknowledge their removal.
The Presbytery of the Alleghenies, the division of the EPC that had jurisdiction over Beverly Heights, met on Saturday, February 15. It voted to “acknowledge the departure” of Beverly Heights from the EPC once it received confirmation that the civil suits and complaints to the EPC’s general assembly had been withdrawn.
Natasha:
Why was this process so messy?
Warren:
Roger Rumer, chair of the presbytery’s administrative commission involved in the Beverly Heights dispute, called the interactions with the church “very unusual” and said the presbytery found the leaders’ actions to be improper and unconstitutional. Because the presbytery believes Beverly Heights did not follow the proper process for dismissal, the EPC acknowledged their departure but did not “dismiss” them.
Beverly Heights pastor Nate Devlin told MinistryWatch, “We are grieved over this separation, but we believe it was necessary due to the rapid theological and progressive drift of the denomination. More than that, we are appalled that it took two years and two civil lawsuits for the Presbytery of the Alleghenies to acknowledge the will of this congregation.”
Beverly Heights Presbyterian Church will maintain its name and its assets. In regards to moving forward, Devlin told MinistryWatch: “Our plan is to remain independent for a season as we recover from this ordeal and discern if/where God might be leading us next regarding denominational affiliation.”
Natasha:
Next up: new from the Christian reformed church
Warren:
At a church just outside Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Tuesday (Feb. 18), 33 ministers from the Christian Reformed Church in North America stood up to read aloud a declaration, officially accepting ordination in a rival denomination, the Reformed Church in America.
Having stated they will abide by the creeds and confessions of the RCA, each of the ministers was then offered a loaf of bread as a symbol of fellowship and welcome.
Natasha:
The group ordination ceremony — the first of its kind — is one of the more public signs of an ongoing departure of liberal churches in the Christian Reformed Church no longer willing to abide the Christian Reformed Church’s firm stance on sexuality.
Warren:
The ministers are not moving alone. Since June of last year, 26 churches have informed the denomination that they intend to disaffiliate from the 1,000-church body based in Grand Rapids.
Most of those churches have declared themselves open and affirming of people who identify as LGBTQ and their lifestyles. Not all are moving to the Reformed Church in America. Some ministers have sought to be ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA) or the United Church of Christ.
Natasha:
Next, church plants are growing in Idaho.
Warren:
In a small town in Idaho’s Treasure Valley, Tim Nay began his church planting work by setting up a booth at a town festival where he asked people what question they would ask of God.
Most replied that they’d want an answer to the question of suffering, or why bad things happen to good people.
The interaction allowed him to learn more about the spiritual lives of those he encountered. Not many were regular church attenders, Nay learned.
He planted and leads LifeSpring Christian Church in the growing town of Star, Idaho, about 17 miles from the state capital of Boise.
Many congregations in the Boise area dwindled in membership as their members aged, but they are being replaced by new churches.
Natasha:
LifeSpring is one example of churches being planted by different Christian agencies in the area. It meets at the site of a former church that endured aging membership and internal conflict.
Warren:
Intermountain Church Planters Association is a church planting agency that has planted seven churches in the Treasure Valley area of Idaho over the last 20 years.
Steve Edwards, the founder of Intermountain Church Planters, says the group is not just interested in planting new churches. “We’re interested in helping you be a multiplying church,” he told the Idaho Statesman. “We hope we’ll be planting a church that plants other churches.”
It focuses its church planting efforts in Idaho, Utah, Montana, Eastern Oregon, Eastern Washington, Western Wyoming, and Alberta.
Intermountain has increased its church planting strategy from planting one church every three years to planting two churches per year.
Natasha:
Warren, we’re going to take another break. When we return, our lightning round of ministry news of the week.
I’m Natasha Cowden, with my co-host Warren Smith. More in a moment.
BREAK
THIRD SEGMENT
Natasha:
Welcome back. I’m Natasha Cowden, with my co-host Warren Smith and you’re listening to the MinistryWatch Podcast.
Warren, we like to use this last segment as a sort of lightning round of shorter news briefs.
What’s up first?
Warren:
Care Net and ICU Mobile, two highly rated pro-life organizations in the MinistryWatch database, announced this week a strategic merger to expand their network of life-affirming care.
The merger unites Care Net’s network of over 1,200 affiliated pregnancy centers with ICU Mobile’s mobile ultrasound ministry, a move they say will enhance their ability to reach women and men at risk of choosing abortion.
Natasha:
Through the merger, the two organizations aim to enhance their reach and deliver life-saving care directly to women, especially in underserved and remote communities.
A joint press release says ICU Mobile’s mobile units will integrate with Care Net’s pregnancy centers and church networks, allowing for a more significant impact at critical decision points. They say the partnership will amplify efforts to train and mobilize churches to provide life-affirming support, equipping them with the necessary tools and resources to serve women and families in need.
Beyond physical and practical assistance, both organizations deploy a holistic approach to care. Care Net’s focus on pregnancy decision coaching and ICU Mobile’s ability to deliver services directly to clients are expected to create a seamless continuum of support that addresses physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.
Natasha:
What’s next?
Warren:
As pastors speak and pray with their congregations, they say they’re also keeping persecuted Christians around the world in mind.
More than 9 in 10 U.S. Protestant pastors (93%) say their church has engaged in at least one of six ways to bring attention to Christians suffering persecution within the past year, according to a Lifeway Research study.
Praying isn’t all churches are doing for global persecuted Christians, but it is what the most congregations are doing. More than 5 in 6 pastors say they have encouraged their congregation to pray (86%) or prayed in a worship service (85%) for persecuted Christians worldwide within the past 12 months.
Most pastors have used their sermons as an opportunity to bring up the topic of persecution, but fewer have gone beyond that. Two in 3 (66%) have talked about modern persecuted believers from around the world in a sermon.
Pastors 65 and older are among the most likely to say they have handed out information about persecuted Christians (37%) or hosted a related event (23%).
“Pastors are quick to say they are praying for persecuted Christians, but remembering them with other emphases or events is much less common,” said McConnell.
Natasha:
Who is in our Ministry Spotlight this week?
Warren:
This week, Training Leaders International’s (TLI) overall rating rose from 4 Stars to 5 Stars. It is now in the top 20% for financial efficiency in the Leadership Training sector.
The organization, based in Minnesota, began in 2009 with the goal of providing theological education in areas of the world where pastors and churches lack access to formalized training.
The organization currently has a 5-Star Resource Allocation rating. It spends 91% of its revenue on programming and just 4% on fundraising. LTI’s General and Admin costs are just 5% of its overall revenue, compared with its sector median of 10%.
In 2023, the ministry’s revenue was $6.5 million and its expenses were $6.6 million. Its net assets were $2.8 million, dropping from $3 million in 2022.
TLI’s Donor Confidence Score is 98. One of our top scores.
Natasha:
In Ministries Making a Difference this week, we look at ministries that support people with special needs and disabilities.
Warren:
This month marked 11 years of Tim Tebow’s Night to Shine celebrating people with special needs. More than 800 churches in 60 countries participated in the event Friday, Feb. 7. Videos show onlookers cheering and holding handmade signs as participants dressed in tailored suits and glittering gowns dance down red carpets and receive crowns. The Tim Tebow Foundation also launched Shine On, a ministry that provides resources for churches to reach and disciple people with special needs year round. The Tim Tebow Foundation has 2 stars and an “A” transparency grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a donor confidence score of 75.
Beginning in March, Shawn Thornton will step into the role of president at Joni & Friends, the international ministry founded by Joni Eareckson Tada for people with disabilities. Thornton is senior pastor of Calvary Community Church in California, where he spearheaded a disability ministry. He has also served on the ministry’s board of directors. As president, he will oversee outreach and evangelism efforts, offering practical help such as wheelchairs and the Gospel.
Calvary Champions, a ministry of Calvary Church in Naperville, Illinois, is celebrating one year ministering to people and families with special needs. The church kicked off the ministry by hosting its first Night to Shine event in February 2024, then formed Calvary Champions to support families with children ages 4-12 with special needs. The need grew, initiating Calvary Nursery for children with special needs from birth to 4 years old. Senior Pastor Marty Sloan estimates that more than 70 families have joined the church this past year because of the special needs ministry.
Natasha:
Warren, any final thoughts before we go?
Warren:
The Crisis of Dependency is our donor premium for February.
Natasha:
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, Bethany Starin, Jessica Eturralde, Yonat Shimron, Aaron Earls, Brittany Smith, and Christina Darnell.
A special thanks to Lifeway Research for contributing material for this week’s podcast.
I’m Natasha Cowden, coming to you from Denver, Colorado.
Warren:
And I’m Warren Smith, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Natasha:
You’ve been listening to the MinistryWatch podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.
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