Ep. 459: Dr. Michael Brown, Bob Jones University, The Salvation Army
On today’s program, Dr. Michael Brown of The Line of Fire was the subject of an independent investigation late last year. The findings of that report have now been released, allegedly finding that Brown DID engage in misconduct with two women who were not his wife. We’ll have details.
And, is Bob Jones University facing closure? The school’s president says no—but alumni aren’t so sure. We’ll take a closer look.
Plus, The Salvation Army in Denver is embroiled in protests, violence, and a failed $3 million bid to provide housing to the city’s homeless population. The ministry says the city is using it as a ‘scapegoat’ even as it faces an overwhelming homelessness crisis.
But first, a female victim has joined the fray in suing Kanakuk Kamps for negligence after she was abused by former staffer Peter Newman when she was just 9 years old.
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, Tony Mator, Bob Smietana, and Brittany Smith.
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, Dr. Michael Brown of The Line of Fire was the subject of an independent investigation late last year. The findings of that report have now been released, allegedly finding that Brown DID engage in misconduct with two women who were not his wife. We’ll have details.
And, is Bob Jones University facing closure? The school’s president says no—but alumni aren’t so sure. We’ll take a closer look.
Plus, The Salvation Army in Denver is embroiled in protests, violence, and a failed $3 million bid to provide housing to the city’s homeless population. The ministry says the city is using it as a ‘scapegoat’ even as it faces an overwhelming homelessness crisis.
Natasha:
But first, a female victim has joined the fray in suing Kanakuk Kamps for negligence after she was abused by former staffer Peter Newman when she was just 9 years old.
Warren:
The plaintiff, referred to as Jane Doe due to the sensitive nature of the allegations, filed suit on Monday, April 14 against Kanakuk Heritage, Kanakuk Ministries, KUKORP, and Joe White for negligent retention, negligent supervision, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and sexual battery. The lawsuit was filed in Taney County, Missouri, where Kanakuk is located.
This is the first known female victim of Newman to come forward with a lawsuit, according to a press release by Monsees & Mayer, the law firm representing the plaintiff.
The plaintiff alleges she was sexually molested by Peter Newman in 2008 when she was just 9 years old and attending K-Kountry, one of the summer camp programs for 6- to 11-year-old children.
Natasha:
I know these cases are extremely sensitive for the victims but why didn’t she bring the lawsuit sooner?
Warren:
According to the lawsuit, Doe’s memory of the events was repressed until December 2024 when she regained the memories of abuse and began to question Kanakuk’s conduct and responsibility for Newman’s actions.
Missouri’s law allows for a pause of the statute of limitations related to childhood sexual abuse when memory of the abuse was repressed.
Natasha:
Our next story brings to light more unfortunate news
Warren:
An independent investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against Dr. Michael Brown of The Line of Fire “concluded that Brown’s actions toward the two females were inappropriate and unacceptable for his leadership position within the ministry.”
Brown was accused of sexual misconduct by crossing physical boundaries with a 21-year-old woman, Sarah Monk, who was working as a secretary at Brown’s FIRE School of Ministry, based in Concord, North Carolina.
Natasha:
While admitting to a close relationship with his accuser, Brown claimed the relationship was “totally non-sexual in every way.”
Warren:
The investigation conducted by James Holler Jr. of Firefly Independent Sexual Abuse Investigations looked into the allegations by Monk and allegations that Brown engaged in another inappropriate relationship with a married woman in the congregation, who is now deceased.
The alleged conduct took place between 2001 and 2002.
According to the report dated April 12, Brown’s conduct “violated the ethical standards expected of someone in his role and undermined the trust and integrity essential to leadership within the church community.”
The Line of Fire did not reply to a request for a statement about the report before the time of publication.
Natasha:
Megachurch Founder’s Son Indicted on 27 Charges of Sexual Abuse
Warren:
An Ohio grand jury has indicted the son of Faith Life Church leaders Gary and Drenda Keesee on 27 counts related to sexually abusing minors.
On Monday, April 21, the jury charged Gary Thomas “Tom” Keesee Jr. for crimes that allegedly happened between May 2002 and October 2011, including those against his own younger sister.
Out of the 27 charges, 11 counts are of first-degree felony rape and third-degree felony gross sexual imposition.
Police arrested Keesee last Friday.
The Licking County Sheriff’s Office said they are holding Keesee at the Licking County Justice Center. The office will host another press conference with the Licking County Prosecutor’s Office on Monday, April 28.
Natasha:
Next, a new law is hoping to stop all the stories we’ve just covered from happening.
Warren:
States are increasingly passing laws that criminalize not only sexual abuse, but the grooming process that often precedes the abuse.
At least 13 states — Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, and West Virginia — have made grooming a criminal offense, independent of any sexual abuse conduct that may follow.
Natasha:
Gregory Love, an attorney and founder of MinistrySafe, wrote in an article about the grooming laws, “Grooming a child for inappropriate sexual activity and the inappropriate sexual activity itself are now two separate criminal charges in the above-referenced states. It is not a defense to the grooming charge that the underlying inappropriate sexual activity did not actually occur,”.
Warren:
Love told MinistryWatch in an interview that he is unaware of any prosecutions under these laws, but most of them have been in effect only about a year.
He sees these laws as another tool in the tool box of prosecutors who are dealing with sexual predators. For example, if victims won’t testify because the abuser is a family member, these laws would allow for a charge if others can testify that grooming took place.
The laws can also act as a deterrent before the sexual abuse itself occurs.
Natasha:
The criminal laws are fairly broad in their definition of grooming.
While the definition is broad enough to take in a range of grooming behaviors, it can also bring challenges.
Warren:
“Grooming laws have always been difficult because of challenges in differentiating between innocent behavior and culpable behavior,” said Theresa Sidebotham, a Colorado-based lawyer who assists ministries with child protection.
“It looks like the new laws are targeting lower-level sexual behavior, as well as showing children inappropriate material,” she added.
Sidebotham added that reporting requirements for ministries should be updated to reflect the anti-grooming laws that have been passed.
“Churches and ministries need to stay up to date with the laws in their jurisdiction and be ready to report appropriately. Failure to report could always bring about liability, and I suppose civil liability could be expanded by the definitions of grooming,” Sidebotham said.
Natasha:
Warren, let’s take a quick break. When we return, the latest from Bob Jones University.
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:
Falling enrollment, faculty cuts, and administrative resignations — Bob Jones University appears to be a college in turmoil. While some alumni are critical of recent decisions, they are also cheering for change in hopes the school they love can survive.
Last May, Bob Jones University (BJU) in South Carolina named Josh Crockett as president. Crockett recently announced that, after only 10 months on the job, he has sought to be re-hired as senior pastor at Morningside Baptist Church in Greenville, the position he held before taking the reins at BJU.
He told students on Tuesday (April 8) that he recommended the board bifurcate the leadership of the university. He would remain as president in a more pastoral and spiritual leadership capacity, while the school should hire a CEO to run the business side of higher education.
“The university is not going to close, and I have not resigned,” Crockett told students.
Natasha:
A group called “BJU-New Contract” has proposed a series of actions they say the university must take if it is to survive. What are they?
Warren:
In an open letter to Crockett and BJU Board Chairman Dr. Sam Dawson, the group described themselves as “a robust network of BJU alumni and friends who have some connection to the university and desire to see [it] survive and thrive.”
Two primary actions they recommend are the resignation or termination of Dr. Bob Jones III as chancellor and the replacement of the entire board of trustees.
According to “BJU-New Contract,” Jones has been exercising undue influence to undermine the leadership of the university. This behavior became evident during events that led to the eventual resignation of Dr. Steve Pettit as president in 2023.
Board members who were more moderate and sympathetic to Pettit’s changes and leadership were not renewed as members of the board. Instead, leadership chose very conservative board members loyal to Jones.
Fuller said Jones now has a super majority on the board that will agree with Jones’ views about BJU.
Natasha:
While we’re on the topic of higher education, Limestone University Needs $6M to Stay Open
Warren:
A small Christian university in Gaffney, S.C. is facing possible closure if it doesn’t obtain immediate financial support of $6 million.
Limestone University, founded as a non-denominational Christian women’s college in 1845, is facing imminent decisions about its continuation. The board of trustees is planning to meet on April 22 to discuss the college’s future.
The financial pressure comes from a “combination of nationwide enrollment declines, rising costs, and long-standing structural pressures facing small, private institutions,” according to the university’s press statement.
Natasha:
Most recent reports indicate Limestone has enrollment of about 1,600 students.
Warren:
The $6 million would be sufficient to stabilize Limestone’s financial situation and give it time to pursue long-term solutions, the press statement said.
Natasha:
Next, news from Appalachian Bible College.
Warren:
Professors who say they were fired from Appalachian Bible College in West Virginia in retaliation for filing a complaint with the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) will get no relief from the accrediting agency.
In May 2024, Jeremy and Melissa Yowell — both music department faculty members — were fired after filing a complaint with ABHE alleging that Rosalie Anderson, wife of Appalachian’s president Daniel Anderson, exhibited “a pattern of behavior that is inconsistent with Christian integrity and professional teaching standards.”
The Yowells complained that the Andersons created a hostile learning environment for students through verbal and psychological harassment.
After requiring the school to submit a report in response, the ABHE Commission on Accreditation (COA) sent a letter last month to the Yowells saying that no further action would be taken on the matter at this time.
Natasha:
In response to the ABHE letter, Jeremy and Melissa Yowell told MinistryWatch in an email, “[W]e are genuinely surprised at the COA’s apparent lack of action. We feel that the COA, despite acknowledging our concerns, has not made meaningful efforts to investigate the issues at hand.”
Warren:
The Yowells believe the COA did “very little to investigate these allegations” and provided “little transparency” to the Yowells about Appalachian’s response.
Appalachian Bible College is an independent private Bible college near Beckley, West Virginia, founded in 1950. It has approximately 250 students and about 13 academic staff. Daniel Anderson has been president of the college since 1983.
MinistryWatch did not receive a reply from Appalachian Bible College after multiple attempts.
Natasha:
Our next story comes from my neck of the woods here in Denver.
Warren:
On April 8, a few dozen people stood outside The Salvation Army’s Denver headquarters for a protest organized by Housekeys Action Network Denver (HAND) against the Christian ministry’s partnership with the city.
Two weeks earlier, Denver City Council blindsided The Salvation Army by voting 10-1 against an expected $2.9 million contract to place the homeless in permanent housing.
The Salvation Army has been one of Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s primary partners in his “housing first” initiative to tackle the city’s rampant homelessness. But as the crisis deepens, the group is being targeted with accusations of poor stewardship of the more than $27 million in city contracts it has received since 2022 to serve the homeless.
Natasha:
These criticisms followed a series of violent crimes at The Aspen, one of three large former hotels the nonprofit runs on behalf of the city as homeless shelters. Incidents included a double homicide, a nonfatal shooting, and the arrest of employee Billy Johnson for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman at the shelter.
Warren:
HAND’s website blames The Salvation Army for failing to provide adequate security. It also claims many families in need of housing have struggled to get through to the ministry’s Connection Center phone line.
The mayor, however, praised The Salvation Army’s work and, according to local news source Denverite, accused opponents of intentionally overloading the hotline with hundreds of calls a day — a claim HAND denies.
Jennifer Forker, communications and marketing director for The Salvation Army, defended the ministry’s efforts to shelter up to 1,800 people per day on a limited budget. She told MinistryWatch that “bad actors” accuse the organization of “profiting off homelessness, but the opposite is occurring. We are not profiting; we are actually dipping into our own profits.”
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:
Congressional representatives are seeking to protect the freedom of tax-exempt charitable groups by filing the Safeguarding Charity Act. The bill would reaffirm that a tax-exempt status is not financial assistance, making a group subject to federal regulations.
Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) and Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) have authored bills clarifying that “‘Federal financial assistance,’ or any other term referring to assistance provided by the Federal Government, shall not include any exemption from Federal income tax.’’
According to Philanthropy Roundtable, accepting federal financial assistance triggers compliance with many federal rules and regulations. If a charity doesn’t comply with these regulations, their tax-exempt status may be jeopardized.
Lankford’s legislative goal is to clarify that a tax-exempt status is not federal assistance, so that charitable organizations don’t “live in fear of federal control every day because courts want to redefine the meaning of tax-exempt status.”
Groups like Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), Family Research Council, Citygate Network, Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), and Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission are supporting the bill.
Natasha:
What’s next?
Warren:
American organized religion is a bit like a scene from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” It has been on the decline for decades, but churches aren’t dead yet.
A new survey from Nashville-based Lifeway Research found that 94% of Protestant pastors believe their church will still be open in 10 years, with 78% strongly agreeing that will be true.
“Small churches can be resilient for a long time, especially when their building is paid for,” said Scott McConnell, director of Lifeway Research.
Natasha:
While many churches may survive the next decade, the 20-year outlook is bleaker.
Warren:
Lifeway Research found some indication that the rate of churches closing might have increased.
The survey includes a look at data from the Southern Baptist Convention showing that 1.8% of congregations disbanded or closed in 2022, the last year with data available. If that annual percentage were to hold steady over the next decade, it would mean about 18% of churches would close during that time, which is more than than pastors surveyed would have predicted.
Natasha:
And who is in our Ministry Spotlight for this week?
Warren:
This week, Convoy of Hope’s Transparency Grade fell from an A to a C. The Christian humanitarian and disaster relief organization, based out of Missouri, no longer files a Form 990.
Ethan Forhetz, VP of Public Engagement for Convoy of Hope, told MinistryWatch that the ministry was designated as an “association of churches” in 2020. “That decision came as a result of Convoy’s commitment to serving local churches,” Forhetz said. “Convoy already had many churches in our network, so our board of directors wanted to ensure that Convoy remained tethered to the local church. The board decided the best way to do that was to amend our status with the IRS.”
Natasha:
Over the last few years the organization has seen explosive growth in both its contributions and revenue.
Warren:
It has grown from $180 million in 2018 to $638 million in 2023. Its 2023 Annual Report notes this figure includes the Convoy of Hope Foundation.
According to previous reports from Ministry Watch, the organization’s “top nine executives earn more than $200,000 each, according to its 2021 federal 990 form.” Because it no longer files a Form 990, more recent salaries from its top executives are no longer available to the public.
Its ECFA profile and audited financials show that in 2023 the organization had a revenue of $638.4 million and its expenses were $640.2 million. Convoy of Hope has $213.2 million in net assets.
Natasha:
Warren, any final thoughts before we go?
Warren:
Warren Ad-Lib April Recurring Donor Appeal. Diane Landberg’s book: When the Church Harms God’s People
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, Jessica Eturralde, Tony Mator, Bob Smietana, and Brittany Smith.
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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