Carl Lentz, Transparency Crisis, and Duggar Family Blues

Plus, remembering Jerry Eisley

EDITOR’S NOTE: “Signs and Wonders” is a column that shares thoughts on news items that either do not rise to the level of a news story for MinistryWatch or are slightly (even significantly) outside of our normal charity and philanthropy “beat.” My goal is to be punchy, opinionated, and not to worry much about being slightly off brand. If that is not for you, no hard feelings. But if it is…read on.

 Carl Lentz and Mixed Emotions. I believe in redemption, restoration, and second chances. I also have a growing respect for Carey Nieuwhof, whose podcast I listen to regularly. But his episode with Carl Lentz left me sad and confused. Nieuwhof asked the right questions, and Lentz often gave the right answers. But I still cannot help but think Lentz needs to find a career out of the limelight as an entrepreneur or a business consultant and just stay away from church leadership and big platforms for a while longer. He says he is working on a book about his experiences, what he learned. I am sure it will be a bestseller. I will not be one of its buyers. You can watch or listen to the interview here.

A Job at Home Depot? While we are on the topic: I like Phil Cooke’s advice to “fallen” pastors and ministry leaders. “Maybe the Best Thing for a Fallen Pastor is a Job at Home Depot” is the title of a recent article. “When leaders betray trust,” he writes, “rushing them back into the pulpit isn’t restoration, it’s denial.” I agree 100%. You can read that article here.

Transparency Crisis. MinistryWatch exists to help bring transparency and accountability to Christian ministries. We have noticed there is a growing transparency crisis in both ministry spaces and the country at large. Read, for example, my article on the importance of Form 990s to ministry transparency, and the practice of some ministries not to file them. This trend in Christian ministries appears to be part of a larger trend in the country and even around the world. Transparency International just released its annual Corruption Perceptions Index. According to The Signal, “The United States hit its lowest score ever—extending a decade-long slide. The global average also fell to its lowest level in more than 10 years.”

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Remembering Jerry Eisley. I just learned of the passing of my friend and ministry leader Jerry Eisley. When I was 20 years old and a junior in college, I had an internship in Washington, D.C. My friend Jan Dargatz (who went on to become a successful writer and who also died recently) introduced me to Jerry and his wife Twila, and they offered to let me stay in their home in Georgetown until I could find a permanent place to live. I stayed in their basement apartment for a week, and that week changed my life. I had just read “A Severe Mercy” by Sheldon Vanauken, and — to me — Jerry and Twila were the real-life Van and Davy of that book. I wanted to be them when I grew up. They got me involved in The Washington Arts Group and I made friends that I still have today. On my many trips to Washington over the years I would often stop by Foxhall Gallery, Jerry and Twila’s business, and we would share a meal and often pray together. Jerry was absolutely one of a kind. Sui generis. For me, the world is a different place without him in it. Condolences to his family and friends. Our consolation is that we shall meet again.

Cowboy Church. I was raised in the suburbs, and I live in the city today. But, like a lot of people of my generation, when I was a kid, I had “country cousins” and would often spend a few weeks on their farms each summer. I helped put myself through college working on a ranch in New Mexico, so I developed a deep appreciation for farm and ranch life. That also means that the idea of a “cowboy church” is not new to me. I have even been to a few outdoor “cowboy church” services. That said, I found this article from Houston Public Media on cowboy churches to be one of the best I’ve ever seen, and I commend it to you.

Duggar Family Blues. You may remember the Duggar Family, who became stars at too young an age because of their “19 Kids and Counting” television series. The series has been off the air for five years after a decade-long run, but the family’s troubles continue. Oldest son Josh Duggar is in prison for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material. Last week, Joseph Duggar was arrested for alleged sex crimes against a 9-year-old girl during a vacation in 2020. Duggar, a married father of four, was arrested on March 18 and charged with “Lewd and Lascivious Behavior, involving unlawful sexual activity with a minor.” We have chosen mostly not to cover this tragic story here at MinistryWatch. This short paragraph will likely be it for us. But I wanted to mention it just enough to make this point: We are not meant to be celebrities. This insight is not original to me, but it is worth reminding ourselves from time to time.

Readers in Los Angeles, Knoxville, Nashville, Dallas, Denver. I have some travel coming up in the next couple of months, and I would love to see you. I will be in Los Angeles in April and Nashville, Dallas, and Knoxville in May. I will be in Denver and Colorado Springs in June. I will be doing reader lunches in all these cities. Let me know if you would like to join us. My email is [email protected].