Burk Parsons Suspended from Teaching Elder Duties at St. Andrews Chapel

Plus AI use by pastors, Allen Stanford’s Ponzi scheme, and more.

ONE YEAR AGO: On Feb. 25, 2025, MinistryWatch reported that Burk Parsons, senior pastor of St. Andrews Chapel in Sanford, Fla., and a teaching fellow with Ligonier Ministries, was indicted by the Central Florida Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) and suspended from his duties as a teaching elder. Eventually, Parsons was convicted and the church congregation voted to leave the PCA. Read the full coverage here.

TWO YEARS AGO: On Feb. 29, 2024, MinistryWatch reported about the use of artificial intelligence by pastors in creating, developing, and repurposing sermons. Read more here.

THREE YEARS AGO:  On March 6, 2023, MinistryWatch reported that Toronto-Dominion Bank said it would pay more than $1.2 billion to settle a lawsuit by investors in Allen Stanford’s Ponzi scheme. In 2012, Stanford was convicted of perpetrating a $7-billion Ponzi scheme using a network of Christian financial planners and others who unknowingly brought their clients into the scheme. Read more here.

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FOUR YEARS AGO:  On March 7, 2022, MinistryWatch reported that the United Methodist Church delayed its General Conference meeting for a third time due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. In response, some conservative United Methodists announced they would preemptively leave the denomination rather than wait for the long-anticipated meeting. Since then, hundreds of churches have left the denomination. Read more here.

SIX YEARS AGO:  On March 2, 2020, MinistryWatch reported that Wheaton College would rescind the title of “Professor Emeritus” from Gilbert Bilezikian following allegations of “inappropriate and unprofessional conduct.” Bilezikian, known as “Dr. B,” was a guiding force in the formation of the influential Willow Creek Church. Read more here.

TWELVE YEARS AGO:  On March 7, 2014, MinistryWatch reported that Bill Gothard would resign from the ministry he founded amid allegations of sexual abuse. Read more here.