MinistryWatch’s Top 10 Stories for the Month of August
The following stories had the most page views at the MinistryWatch website during the month of August. We present them here in a “countdown” format, from 10 to 1. The first few sentences of each story are reproduced below. To read the entire story, click on the link. To read the Top 25 stories of 2023, click here. 
By Kim Roberts. Gilbert Andre Thompson Jr., pastor of megachurch World Overcomers Christian Church in Durham, N.C., has divorced his wife of 33 years. The divorce was final on July 1. As part of the divorce proceedings, the assets of Pastor Andy Thompson, as he is known, came to light. He apparently lives in a home valued at $2.85 million, according to reporting by The Roys Report. The real estate website Zillow shows the home in Mebane, N.C., is over 10,000 square feet with four bedrooms and six bathrooms, a pool, a hot tub, and a gym.
By Daniel Ritchie. A woman from Texas—the mistress of Christian radio host William Neil Gallagher— has been sentenced to life in prison for her role in a Ponzi scheme. Debra Mae Carter, 65, was found guilty of money laundering on July 8. Gallagher, the alleged mastermind behind the Ponzi scheme, received three life sentences, plus another 30-year sentence for scamming his radio listeners out of millions of dollars. Gallagher must serve all of those sentences concurrently.
By Daniel Ritchie. Benny and Suzanne Hinn have now filed for divorce for the second time since 2010. The couple has apparently been living in separate homes in Florida. Hillsborough County Court records show that Benny lives at an address in Palm Coast while his wife Suzanne lives at a home in Longwood, Florida — some 70 miles apart from one another. It is unclear why Suzanne filed for divorce or how long that the couple have lived in separate homes.
By Kim Roberts. The upheaval continues at Cross Timbers Church in Argyle, Texas. Two pastors have resigned in less than a month. 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, on August 4, they updated the congregation. “Upon further investigation, we discovered that Josiah was not forthcoming or transparent and had a concerning pattern of communicating inappropriately with women,” Elder Jon Sullivan said.
By Brittany Smith. Recently, Operation Underground Railroad (OUR)’s Donor Confidence Score fell to a 50, placing it in the “Give with Caution” category. OUR, an anti-trafficking group, has seen significant upheaval over the last few years. In 2021, MinistryWatch began looking at the organization’s exaggerated rescue claims, and later at its increased donations and large net asset holdings.
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By Kim Roberts. The New York Times best seller “Shepherds for Sale” is coming under fire by journalists, who say author Megan Basham didn’t follow basic rules of journalistic ethics when she revealed the name of former SBC President Johnny Hunt’s accuser. Robert Downen, who was a key reporter about the SBC sex abuse scandal when he worked for the Houston Chronicle, criticized Basham for revealing the accuser’s name in her book, according to Baptist News Global.
By Bob Smietana. A federal appeals court has ruled in favor of a former employee who claimed Ramsey Solutions, the company run by Christian personal finance guru Dave Ramsey, discriminated against him during the COVID-19 pandemic. Brad Amos, a former video editor at the Franklin, Tennessee-based company, sued Ramsey Solutions in 2021, saying he was fired for not agreeing with Ramsey’s faith-based views about how to respond to the pandemic.
By Tony Mator. In late July, the congregation of Calvary Chapel Cary in Apex, North Carolina, was shocked to discover its own church listed for sale online for $11.5 million with a pending buyer. Then, as mysteriously as it appeared, the listing was canceled. Less than a week later, fresh from a five-week sabbatical, Pastor Rodney Finch resigned as senior pastor. “This is our last Sunday,” Finch announced on August 4 during his morning sermon, according to audio provided to MinistryWatch. “Effective today, I’ll be saying goodbye. I’ll be taking a backseat here at the church.”
By Zach Rivas. A South Carolina woman faces charges after local police said she stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from a church in Greenwood County, just south of Greenville. Shelley Strickland, 54, was arrested Aug. 9 after confessing to stealing $404,414 from First Baptist Church of Ware Shoals, SC, according to reporting by The Roys Report (TRR). She may face additional charges for theft at other nearby churches.
By Jessica Eturralde. Jonathan Elwing, 43, a pastor from Palmetto, Florida, is facing a minimum sentence of life without parole over harrowing child rape allegations. However, due to an updated Florida death penalty law, he could receive capital punishment if convicted.
