Ep. 464: Cross Timbers Church, Evangelical Leaders Petition Trump, Donations Increase While Donors Decline
On today’s program, Milestone Church in North Texas announced this week it is expanding its campuses by absorbing Cross Timbers Church in nearby Argyle. Cross Timbers has faced a series of challenges in the past year, including the forced resignation of its senior pastor. We’ll have details.
Plus, prominent evangelical leaders petition President Trump to allow Afghan refugees to remain in the U.S. Refugees face arrest, torture, and possibly death by the Taliban if deported back to Afghanistan. We’ll take a look.
A new survey shows the number of donors continued to drop in 2024…but revenue from overall donations rose.
But first, Ethnos 360—one of the largest missionary agencies in the country—has been sued by a child of missionaries who says she was abused while her parents served in Indonesia.
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, Tony Mator, Bob Smietana, Paul Colliery, Brittany Smith and Warren Smith.
A special thanks to The NonProfit Times 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 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, Milestone Church in North Texas announced this week it is expanding its campuses by absorbing Cross Timbers Church in nearby Argyle. Cross Timbers has faced a series of challenges in the past year, including the forced resignation of its senior pastor. We’ll have details.
Plus, prominent evangelical leaders petition President Trump to allow Afghan refugees to remain in the U.S. Refugees face arrest, torture, and possibly death by the Taliban if deported back to Afghanistan. We’ll take a look.
And, a new survey shows the number of donors continued to drop in 2024…but revenue from overall donations rose.
Natasha:
But first, Ethnos 360—one of the largest missionary agencies in the country—has been sued by a child of missionaries who says she was abused while her parents served in Indonesia.
Warren:
Kayla McClain, 25, claims she was abused by an Ethnos360 missionary, Nate Horling, between 2005 and 2010.
Her lawsuit asserts claims against Ethnos 360 for negligence, negligent training and supervision, fraud in the inducement, and vicarious liability for the alleged abuse committed by Horling.
Boz Tchividjian, the attorney representing McClain, is also founder of Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE). said in a statement to MinistryWatch. “Once again, Ethnos360 faces a lawsuit for failing to protect a child from sexual abuse — and for its deeply inadequate response when the survivor courageously came forward,”
“Our client, like far too many others, was not kept safe. But through this legal action, she is now seeking the accountability and justice that were long denied to her,” he said.
Natasha:
What happened?
Warren:
In 2005, McClain’s parents served as missionaries with Ethnos360 in Indonesia after completing their missionary training.
While there, Kayla McClain became acquainted with the Horlings, another missionary family living in the same housing area provided by Ethnos360. The Horlings had a daughter the same age as McClain.
According to court filings, McClain often felt uncomfortable around Nate Horling, who would stroke her hair and give her prolonged full-body hugs. McClain also claims Horling showed her lewd pictures and videos of children in the Ethnos360 office while she sat on his lap and he touched her inappropriately. And in 2009 she was raped by Horling
Natasha:
And this was just one of multiple cases within Ethnos 360 the lawsuit asserts.
Warren:
“As a direct and proximate result of the sexual abuse inflicted on [McClain] by Horling as a young child, [McClain] began acting out the sexual acts she learned from Horling on other missionary children. Likewise, several other missionary children began acting out sexual acts on [McClain],”
Natasha:
In 2009, GRACE was hired to investigate allegations of sexual abuse within the ranks of Ethnos360 — then New Tribes Mission. The final report, released in 2010 at the same time McClain was allegedly still being abused, revealed widespread sexual abuse within the organization.
Warren:
“The GRACE report outlined in detail the substantive and repeated failures of Defendant Ethnos in how the organization and its leadership responded to child sexual abuse allegations and how such failures were the direct cause of profound emotional damages to victims and their families,” the lawsuit states.
Following the report, Ethnos360 agreed to put in place necessary training, policies, and background checks to handle allegations in the future.
Natasha:
Back in the United States in 2019, McClain struggled with her mental health and even tried to die by suicide and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital.
Warren:
There’s a lot to this story and we can’t get into all the details here but McClain claims
Because Ethnos was in a position of trust, the lawsuit alleges that it owed a duty of reasonable care to McClain from sexual abuse, but it breached that duty by “fail[ing] to establish, implement, or enforce policies” that would have protected her.
The lawsuit also alleges that Ethnos failed to provide adequate training and supervision of its employees, which resulted in McClain suffering bodily injury, mental suffering, and emotional distress.
Natasha:
What did Ethnos 360 have to say?
Warren:
“Ethnos360 takes allegations of this nature very seriously,” David Doyle, attorney for Ethnos360, told MinistryWatch in response to our inquiry. “The organization’s first concern is the well-being of the individual affected. To that end, Ethnos360 has offered and continues to offer assistance with this individual’s counseling. Ethnos360 will continue to prioritize accountability, as well as the safety of every individual entrusted to its care.”
Natasha:
Next, a Texas church that has been in the middle of controversy is merging with a Texas megachurch.
Warren:
Cross Timbers Church in Argyle, Texas, about 30 miles north of Fort Worth, will become a satellite campus of nearby Milestone Church in Keller.
On Sunday, May 4, Milestone Founding Pastor Jeff Little made the announcement to the Milestone congregation.
He said the leadership at Cross Timbers approached Milestone about a “shared future.” Because this aligned with Milestone’s plans to expand to Argyle, the two congregations came to a mutual decision that Cross Timbers would become part of the Milestone family.
Natasha:
Who will lead the church?
Warren:
Pastor Steve Chestnut will be the campus pastor in Argyle. According to the Milestone website, the music portion of the service will be live, but the preaching will be broadcast from the main campus.
The website states. “Being a campus of Milestone Church means that you are a fully integrated part of the Milestone family. It’s not a separate church—we are one church in multiple locations that share the same vision, values, and leadership. You can expect a full staff team committed to serving the community, including a dedicated Campus Pastor who leads the day-to-day operations,”
Milestone plans to meet at nearby Liberty Christian School “to allow for necessary building, systems, and signage updates” at the current Cross Timbers building.
Natasha:
This transition comes after some challenges at Cross Timbers.
Warren:
In July 2024, Cross Timbers Lead Pastor Josiah Anthony was asked to resign in July after the elders discovered he had engaged in “inappropriate and hurtful” actions. At the time, the elders said the actions didn’t involve “any children, physical or sexual interactions or any illegal activity to our knowledge.”
Then in August, Byron Copeland, who had been named as interim pastor, resigned.
Natasha:
Next, A pastor in Harford County, Maryland, near Baltimore, has been charged with stealing $135,000 from the church he led.
Warren:
Daniel Champ, pastor of First Baptist Church in Bel Air, allegedly began stealing funds in January 2019 and continued until the theft was discovered in 2024.
Last October, church officials began noticing missing money and suspicious bank charges for items like DoorDash, PayPal, and sports betting,
The sheriff’s office said Champ has been removed from the church accounts and has been ordered to move from the residence on church property within 60 days.
Natasha:
What are the charges?
Warren:
According to court documents, a five-count criminal indictment was filed against Champ on April 1. The charges include theft of greater than $100,000 and embezzlement. Four of the charges are felonies.
If Champ is found guilty of the charge of theft of greater than $100,000 in property, it carries a penalty of “imprisonment not exceeding 20 years or a fine not exceeding $25,000 or both;” and the criminal “shall restore the property taken to the owner or pay the owner the value of the property or services.”
A $15,000 unsecured personal bond was posted on Champ’s behalf on April 11.
His initial appearance in court is scheduled for May 19.
Natasha:
Warren, let’s take a quick break. When we return, evangelical leaders petition Trump to let Afghan Christians stay in the U.S.
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:
Top evangelical leaders are among the 15 signatories of a letter urging President Trump against deporting Afghan Christians, who face potential arrest, torture and death in their homeland under Taliban rule.
The May 2 letter, signed by such prominent figures as National Association of Evangelicals President Dr. Walter Kim, is a response to the Department of Homeland Security declining to renew temporary protected status (TPS) for the approximately 8,200 Afghan nationals living in the U.S., including an estimated 300 Christians.
“Protecting [Afghan Christians] is not only consistent with America’s values; it is a direct extension of your Administration’s commitment to defending religious liberty around the globe,” the letter states.
Natasha:
Other signatories include executives from Focus on the Family, World Relief, the Family Research Council, and the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.
Warren:
As an alternative to deportation, the letter recommends the U.S. resettlement program, which Trump suspended in January pending a review.
“One of the most essential tools the United States has historically used to uphold religious freedom is the U.S. refugee resettlement program,” the letter states. “It is critical that our nation continue to provide refuge to those whose lives are at risk because of their faith, including Afghan Christians.”
Natasha:
In April, Afghan nationals were notified their TPS was expiring and they had just seven days to leave the country. The move came as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to crack down on what it considers the overuse of TPS. The status was designed to be a short-term fix when refugees cannot safely return to their country, but has been known to extend into a long-term arrangement. El Salvador, for example, has had the TPS designation since 2001.
Warren:
Afghans have had TPS protection since 2022, after the Biden administration’s military withdrawal from Afghanistan led to evacuations of civilians who feared reprisals by the Taliban. But DHS Secretary Kristi Noem stripped the status after determining that Afghanistan no longer presents the level of danger necessary for a TPS designation.
Natasha:
However, many Christian leaders believe the risk is still too high.
Warren:
WORLD reported on previous attempts by Christians to dissuade the Trump administration from deporting Afghan believers. Among those advocates was Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham, who told WORLD he had been assured that the deadline for Afghans to leave the U.S. “has been pushed back in order for cases to be reviewed.”
However, according to Fox News, no official has publicly confirmed an extended deadline.
If immigration officials do begin rounding up Afghan nationals for deportation, each refugee will have to apply for asylum or prove in court that it is too dangerous for them to return to their home country.
Natasha:
Next, SBC Membership Drops to Its Lowest Number in 50 Years.
Warren:
The Southern Baptist Convention lost 259,090 members in 2024, with its total membership now at 12.7 million, according to the denomination’s Annual Church Profile report, released Wednesday (April 30).
That’s a 50-year low — in 1975, the SBC reported 12.5 million members. It’s also the 18th consecutive year of membership decline. In 2006, the SBC hit a peak membership of 16.3 million, and over the past two decades it has lost 3.6 million members.
Natasha:
But for Southern Baptists, there was some good news in the report.
Warren:
About 4.3 million people attended SBC churches weekly nationwide in 2024, according to the report conducted by Lifeway Research. That means attendance is up more than a quarter-million from the previous year. And more than 2.5 million showed up weekly for Sunday school and small-group Bible studies, up 5.7% from the previous year.
Total baptisms were up 10%, topping 250,000 for the first time since 2017.
The report is an annual statistical census of Southern Baptist congregations conducted by local associations and state conventions in conjunction with Lifeway. Around 7 in 10 Southern Baptist churches (69%) reported at least one item in the current report covering 2024, according to Lifeway.
Natasha:
Moving on to New Jersey, where a court battle is raging between the town and the episcopal church.
Warren:
The mayor of Toms River, New Jersey, says he has a plan to revitalize the town’s riverfront and to create a new park for local families who live nearby. He’s found the perfect spot — three underused marinas and a large parcel of land with a great parking lot.
There’s just one problem. A local Episcopal church sits on the 11-acre property and has no interest in selling. Instead, church leaders want to build a shelter for the homeless on the property to expand their ministry in the community.
Mayor Daniel Rodrick, a Republican, says his plan will also be a benefit to the community..
So far, however, only the Township Council has made a call, narrowly passing a first reading April 30 on a proposal to buy Christ Episcopal Church’s property or take it by eminent domain. A second vote is scheduled on May 28.
Natasha:
Church leaders say the city’s proposal, which came as a surprise, is an attempt to prevent their planned shelter from being built.
The dispute appears headed for a long court battle.
Rev. Lisa A. Hoffman, Christ Church’s rector told church members in a letter posted on the church website. “Rest assured; our church campus is not for sale,”
“Should this ordinance pass on the second reading, the church and the diocese are prepared for a long court fight to protect our congregation and property from this egregious land grab,” the letter said.
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:
The U.S. population and the number of donors to charity appear to be going in different directions. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. population reached 340.1 million on July 1, 2024, up 0.98% from the reported 336.8 million on July 1, 2023, the highest year-over-year increase since a jump of 0.99% between 2000 and 2001.
Meanwhile, the number of donors plummeted 4.5% during 2024, with fundraising saved only by major and supersized donors providing more support, according to new data from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP).
The number of major donors increased just 0.9% and supersize increased 2.6% but combined made up 3.1% of all donors. That 3.1% contributed 77.7% of all donations, according to the FEP data. Overall, there was a projected 3.5% increase on dollars contributed even though donor retention declined 2.6%.
“We can only speculate on the cause of the long-term trend of fewer donors since 2020, but the GivingTuesday Data Commons has observed that uneven and unequal engagement is suppressing participation,” said Woodrow Rosenbaum, chief data officer of GivingTuesday.
The FEP is a collaboration among fundraising platform providers, researchers, analysts, associations, and consultants. The data is based on a sample of 6.7 million donors who gave a collective $10.5 billion to 12,504 organizations. The data is drawn from 12 fundraising platform firms and is coordinated by the Foundation for Philanthropy at the Association of Fundraising Professionals and GivingTuesday.
Data providers include BetterUnite, Bloomerang, Bonterra, Classy, DonorDock, DonorPerfect, FundraiseUp, Givebutter, Keela, Momentive Software, Neon One, and Qgiv.
The FEP leaders said there will be upgrades to its data sharing, including a new website which will launch later this year. A team of 50 “ambassadors” have volunteered to push data out to fundraisers and organizational leaders.
Natasha:
What’s next?
Warren:
The MinistryWatch Index fell .9 percent in April to 151.
The MinistryWatch Index is based on the revenue of 38 large Christian ministries, ministries that represent all of the 21 ministry segments tracked by MinistryWatch.
This month’s downward move follows a record five months of flat performance by the Index. The no growth and negative growth of the MinistryWatch Index over the past six months could suggest concern about the future of the economy.
A recent survey conducted by MinistryWatch of ministry executives found that fundraising has now replaced finding and recruiting staff as their top leadership concern. This concern seems well-founded. A recent survey found that giving by evangelicals is down.
Other studies, especially those by Giving USA, suggest that philanthropic giving correlates closely to the rise and fall in value of the major stock markets. (Note that this relationship is correlative and not causative.)
This correlation seems to be proving out this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, though volatile this year, was essentially flat in the first four months of 2025. The tech-heavy NASDAQ is down about 8 percent for the year, though at one point in April is was down about 19 percent.
To read more about how we compile the MinistryWatch Index, go to Ministrywatch.com
Natasha:
And who is in our Ministry Spotlight for this week?
Warren:
Globe International Ministries’ Transparency Grade has fallen to a D rating. The organization does not file a Form 990, and does not make its audited financials available to the public.
Globe International Ministries is based out of Pensacola, Florida. According to its website, its mission is to “support hundreds of churches across denominations, aiding the Body of Christ in fulfilling the Great Commission through training, sending, and serving ministries and missionaries worldwide, both domestically and abroad.”
Alan Prouty, executive director for Globe International, told MinistryWatch the reason they don’t file a 990 is because they’re “a foreign missions society; it’s classified by the IRS and not required.” He also said filing a Form 990 “puts our missionaries at risk that are in highly sensitive countries where it’s illegal to be a Christian and to share the gospel of Jesus Chris.”
However, the information on the Form 990s does not compromise security. If a U.S. ministry does work overseas, it must disclose the amount of money it spends on that overseas work on its Form 990, but that disclosure is by region, not by individual country.
Natasha:
Warren, any final thoughts before we go?
Warren:
Warren Ad-Lib MAY Recurring Donor Appeal.
Like, share on podcast app and social media.
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, Tony Mator, Bob Smietana, Paul Colliery, Brittany Smith—and you, Warren.
A special thanks to The NonProfit Times 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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