On This Date: Adventist Relief and Development Agency Faces Allegations

Plus, New York Theological Seminary closes, Christian ministries in India targeted, and more.

ONE YEAR AGO: On July 15, 2025, MinistryWatch reported about the Adventist Relief and Development Agency (ADRA) facing allegations of paying excessive salaries to its executives and providing material support for illegal immigration. ADRA dismissed the allegation. Read more here.

TWO YEARS AGO: On July 22, 2024, MinistryWatch reported that New York Theological Seminary in Manhattan closed its doors, effective July 1, 2024. Well-known alumni include pastor and Message author Eugene Peterson and religious broadcaster Pat Robertson. Read more here.

THREE YEARS AGO: On July 22, 2023, MinistryWatch reported about Christian ministries being targeted by the Indian government under the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA). According to the U.S. State Department, amendments to the FCRA passed in 2020 reduced the amount of foreign funding Christian groups can use for administrative purposes and added onerous oversight and certification requirements. Read more here.

FOUR YEARS AGO:  On July 14, 2022, MinistryWatch reported that Andy Wood, pastor of Echo Church, a multisite church based in San Jose, California, was named the new pastor at Saddleback Church and the successor to founding pastor and bestselling author Rick Warren. He was later accused of abuse by members of his former church, but leaders of Saddleback conducted an investigation and cleared Wood of allegations. Read more here.

FIVE YEARS AGO:  On July 12, 2021, MinistryWatch reported that a prominent Anglican bishop announced a leave of absence after admitting he mishandled allegations of abuse. Bishop Stewart Ruch III of the Anglican Church in North America’s (ACNA) Upper Midwest Diocese had known since 2019 that former lay minister Mark Rivera had been charged with felony child sexual abuse. He did not tell people in his diocese about the abuse allegations until June 2021, which Ruch has called a “regrettable error.” The church trial of Ruch found him not guilty on all counts related to that case. Read more here.

SIX YEARS AGO:  On July 13, 2020, MinistryWatch reported that John Ortberg’s Menlo Park Church announced an investigation into the way the church handles sex abuse claims. That investigation eventually led to Ortberg’s resignation. Read complete coverage here.

ELEVEN YEARS AGO:  On July 24, 2015, MinistryWatch examined organizations that take car donations. Are they legitimate? (Most are.) What should you look for? Read more here.

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