Ep. 426 : Scandal Plagued Orange Merges, Sean Feucht Ministries, John MacArthur Health Update
On today’s program, Orange—a church curriculum publisher who faced its share of scandal last year—announces plans to merge with another organization. We’ll have details.
Also, an Atlanta Church gives $100 million to missions. We’ll take a look.
And, Sean Feucht Ministries’ transparency grade drops to an “F”—and its Donor Confidence Score plunges to a 21…out of 100.
But first, Grace Community Church responds to rumors that pastor John MacArthur is on the verge of death. California megachurch pastor and author John MacArthur remains in the hospital undergoing tests as he recovers from a difficult year of health issues, including a heart-valve replacement. On Sunday, Grace Community Church elder updated the congregation, where MacArthur has pastored since 1969.
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 Daniel Ritchie, Kim Roberts, Marci Seither, Shannon Cuthrell, Brittany Smith, and Christina Darnell.
A special thanks to The NonProfit Times and Generous Giving 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. Happy New Year and welcome to the MinistryWatch podcast!
Warren:
On today’s program, Orange—a church curriculum publisher who faced its share of scandal last year—announces plans to merge with another organization. We’ll have details.
Also, an Atlanta Church gives $100 million to missions. We’ll take a look.
And, Sean Feucht Ministries’ transparency grade drops to an “F”—and its Donor Confidence Score plunges to a 21…out of 100.
Natasha:
But first, Grace Community Church responds to rumors that pastor John MacArthur is on the verge of death.
Warren:
California megachurch pastor and author John MacArthur remains in the hospital undergoing tests as he recovers from a difficult year of health issues, including a heart-valve replacement.
On Sunday, Grace Community Church elder updated the congregation, where MacArthur has pastored since 1969.
The church announced that he had three surgeries in the second half of 2024 and his recovery has been slower than expected, with occasional setbacks affecting his heart, lungs, and kidneys.
Doctors have not yet discovered any single root cause for these diverse troubles, and Pastor John has been hospitalized for the past two weeks, undergoing tests and treatments.”
Natasha:
Those unknowns have sparked some rumors.
Warren:
Last week, Grace to You Executive Director Phil Johnson posted a social media update in response to rumors circulating that MacArthur was in a hospital dying. “John IS currently hospitalized, and the persistence of these symptoms is a concern,” Johnson said.
“But the suggestion that he has been handed over to palliative care is a sinister lie, concocted by this pernicious character who has been lying about JM and GCC for 5+ years. Ignore him.”
MacArthur has been known to keep health issues private and within a closed circle—a sentiment Johnson echoed. “Those who need to know more details do know,” he said. “There’s no conspiracy by the elders at GCC to keep people from hearing information they need to know.”
Natasha:
Next up: the latest with Orange.
Warren:
Orange, the Christian curriculum company that hosts one of the country’s most prominent family ministry conferences, is merging with Amazing Life Foundation.
Amazing Life Foundation is an umbrella organization for several other products, such as Amazing Kids and the BSide App, designed to equip churches with tools and content.
Orange and Amazing Life will “operate with shared oversight,” but Orange will maintain its existing staff and operations in Cumming, Georgia.
Natasha:
What’s their plan after the merger?
Warren:
According to the press release, more information about the merger and future plans will be shared at the Orange conference planned for April 29 through May 1.
In the MinistryWatch database, Orange has a D transparency grade, 4 out of 5 stars for financial efficiency, and a donor confidence score of 55 out of 100, meaning donors should exercise caution when giving to this ministry. In 2023, its expenses exceeded revenue by about $1.3 million.
Amazing Life’s application for nonprofit 501(c)(3) status with the Internal Revenue Service is currently pending.
Natasha:
Next, an investigation by the Florida Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America.
Warren:
Dr. Burk Parsons, senior pastor at St. Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Florida, and the editor of Ligonier’s Tabletalk magazine, is reportedly under investigation by the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).
According to minutes of the Central Florida Presbytery, the Minister and His Work committee found sufficient evidence to warrant an investigation into Parsons. A vote taken on November 19, 2024, states the committee believes there is a “strong presumption of guilt” that “Parsons may have violated his ordination vows.
Natasha:
Who brought the claim?
Warren:
Teaching Elder Jerry Klemm who has been senior pastor of Covenant Church Palm Bay since 2008.
MinistryWatch was informed that the presbytery trial of Parsons is likely to be held in January.
In addition to his position as senior pastor of St. Andrew’s—the church formerly led by Dr. R.C. Sproul, whom Parsons has called a mentor and “spiritual father”—Parsons is the chief editorial officer for Ligonier Ministries and a Ligonier teaching fellow. He holds master’s and doctoral degrees from Reformed Theological Seminary and is an associate editor for the Reformation Study Bible.
In the MinistryWatch database, Ligonier Ministries receives only 1 out of 5 stars for financial efficiency, a D transparency grade, and a donor confidence score of 35 out of 100, meaning donors should withhold giving.
Neither St. Andrews Chapel nor Ligonier Ministries replied to a request for comment before the time of publication.
Natasha:
Let’s look at one more story before our break
Warren:
A former youth pastor at The Vineyard Church in Duluth, Minnesota, is now the subject of nine civil suits.
Victims of Jackson Gatlin, 36, have sued him, the church, and its parent organization, Vineyard USA.
Natasha:
What’s the back story?
Warren:
In 2023, Gatlin was charged with sexually assaulting teen girls ranging in age from 11 to 16 between 2007 and 2010. He was originally a volunteer with the youth ministry but was later hired by the Vineyard Church. In 2023, his employment was officially terminated. Gatlin’s parents, Michael and Brenda Gatlin, were the church pastors. They resigned in the midst of accusations that they knew about their son’s misconduct.
Natasha:
In November, Gatlin entered into a plea agreement for the charges under which he will serve 13 years in prison, the Duluth News Tribune reported.
Warren:
In a statement on November 6 about Gatlin’s guilty plea, The Vineyard Church in Duluth said it expected civil suits to be filed naming the church as a party.
“No one ever wants to be sued in civil court. Yet, we welcome this case and pray that it can bring healing and justice for the victims. Further, a case like this can help determine the relative responsibility of various parties,” the church statement said.
Natasha:
Warren, let’s take a quick break. When we return, Atlanta’s Victory Church gives $100 million to missions.
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:
From furnishing battered women’s shelters to building schools and digging clean water wells in Africa, Victory Church—a megachurch with over 18,000 members across four campuses in Atlanta—reached its goal of giving $100 million to missions since its founding in 1990.
Now founding pastor Dennis Rouse hopes to see the church give another $100 million, but hopefully in half the time it took to give the first $100 million.
Natasha:
What an incredible goal and accomplishment – how’d they do it?
Warren:
To reach the giving milestone, the church has dedicated at least 20% of its receipts to missions over the last 34 years. Rouse estimated that 50% of the giving goes to local projects and 50% to world missions.
Natasha:
Can you give some examples?
Warren:
The church has bought houses for those rescued from human trafficking and has furnished safe houses for women escaping domestic violence.
Because of their common goals, the church’s biggest recipient of funds is Equip, led by John Maxwell. Equip’s mission is “to develop and mobilize Christian leaders within their circles of influence.”
It also generously supports Messenger International led by John and Lisa Bevere because of its work in translating discipleship materials into 133 languages around the world.
Victory Church provides a full accounting of the church finances every year, he added, in order to demonstrate that it is “trying to operate with high integrity” when it comes to money.
Natasha:
Next up, good news for a Georgia Christian college and its students.
Warren:
Luther Rice College and Seminary has reached a settlement agreement with the State of Georgia that allows its students to participate in the state’s financial aid programs.
Georgia offers a financial aid program to help cover the cost of tuition for undergraduate programs at colleges and universities in the state, including at private and religious institutions.
Natasha:
So what was the issue?
Warren:
Well, it had a provision that excluded schools of theology and divinity.
In October, the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a non-profit legal group that defends religious liberty, filed a lawsuit on behalf of Luther Rice College.
According to the lawsuit, the school was excluded from Georgia’s financial aid program because it was deemed by the state to be “too religious.”
The school argued that it was put in an unconstitutional position: to choose between its religious mission and instruction from a Christian worldview or to give up its religious character so its students could participate in the financial aid program.
According to a news release by ADF, the state has now agreed to let Luther Rice students participate in the financial aid program.
Luther Rice College and Seminary is not in the MinistryWatch database nor is it a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.
Natasha:
And we’ve got news of another lawsuit, this time in New Mexico.
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:
In a significant financial milestone, broadcasting giant Salem Media Group has paid off its long-term debt by selling its contemporary Christian music stations and drawing a new investor.
These transactions allowed it to repurchase all $159.4 million of its outstanding 2028 senior secured notes at a $37-million discount.
In addition to the station sales, Salem raised $40 million by issuing convertible preferred stock to WaterStone, a Colorado-based foundation with a history of supporting over 7,500 charities since 1980, according to the organization’s website.
Natasha:
What’s next?
Warren:
The COVID pandemic is often pointed to as a reason that certain silos of giving declined during roughly 2019 through 2022. A new survey shows that evangelical giving has not rebounded and continues to drop. The numbers for evangelical giving declined during the period and dropped even further when data was collected during February 2024.
Some 61% of all evangelical Protestant adults made a financial donation to a local church during the 12 months ending in February 2024, with 50% giving to an organization outside of a church and 42% to both church and charity. Nearly one-third of respondents (31%) gave to neither, according to data in the new report “The Giving Gap, Changes in Evangelical Generosity” from GreyMatter Research Consulting and infinity concepts.
Not only are fewer evangelicals giving, but those who are still giving are donating less than in 2021.
Older evangelicals are more generous than younger evangelicals.
The study was conducted online, through a blend of research access panels. A demographically representative sample was screened for evangelical beliefs and lack of non-Protestant affiliation. A total of 1,039 evangelical Protestants participated in the study. The study excluded those who identify with a non-Protestant group, such as Mormon, Roman Catholic, or Orthodox. It is a study of evangelical Protestants, a group representing 23% of American adults, or about 59 million people, according to the authors.
Natasha:
And who’s in our Ministry Spotlight this week ?
Warren:
Over the last few weeks, Sean Feucht Ministries’ ratings have shifted significantly in the MinistryWatch database. Its transparency grade slipped from a D to an F, and its Donor Confidence Score fell from 46 to 21—a “Withhold Giving” designation.
The organization does not file a Form 990 or make it available to the public. It petitioned the IRS to change its status to a church. There is therefore no updated financial information after 2020. The ministry is also not a member of the ECFA.
In 2019, Sean Feucht Ministries had a revenue of $283,526. In 2020, that number surged to $5.3 million. Additionally, its expenses rose from $269,911 to $1.1 million. From 2019 to 2020, its general and admin ratio jumped from 1% to 33%, and its net assets grew to $4.5 million.
Sean Feucht flew into the national spotlight in 2020 by leading “worship protests” across the country to push back on pandemic-era health mandates that restricted religious worship.
According to its website, in addition to Sean Feucht Ministries, Sean Feucht is the founder of “multiple global movements” that include Burn 24-7, Light a Candle, Hold the Line and Let Us Worship.
Light a Candle does make its Form 990s public and Feucht is listed as its president. In 2021, he collected a salary of $48,000 from the nonprofit. Let Us Worship is listed as a “church” with the IRS and does not make its 990s public.
Many publications, including Rolling Stone and MinistryWatch, have raised concerns about the lack of transparency from these entities.
Sean Feucht Ministries did not respond to repeated requests for information.
Natasha:
And who did we feature in Ministries Making a Difference?
Warren:
In Kosovo, Horizons International used its Cubs to Lions discipleship course to train 60 Christians from a Muslim background (CMB) in many basics of the Christian faith. Pierre Houssney, son of the curriculum’s author, told Mission Network News that similarities between Islam and Christianity are often a stumbling block for converts, clouding the meaning of key concepts such as sin and grace. The material is specifically designed to present concepts in a way familiar to Muslims while drawing a clear line between Islam and Christianity, according to MNN. Horizons has 4 stars and an “A” transparency grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a donor confidence score of 98.
Friends of the Great Commission (FGC) has partnered with Omo’s Morningstar Children to provide quality education and a safe environment for students, especially girls, in the South Omo Zone in Ethiopia, which is known for limiting opportunities for women and children. FGC has 5 stars and an “A” transparency grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a donor confidence score of 96.
Natasha:
Warren, any final thoughts before we go?
Warren:
Year end fundraising update. Compensation survey.
A Lover’s Quarrel With The Evangelical Church is donor premium for January.
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 Daniel Ritchie, Kim Roberts, Marci Seither, Shannon Cuthrell, Brittany Smith, and Christina Darnell.
A special thanks to The NonProfit Times and Generous Giving 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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