Ep. 379: Liberty University, Steven Furtick, Robert Morris, and More

On today’s program, Liberty University reaches a settlement with former president Jerry Falwell Jr. after years of back-and-forth lawsuits between the two parties. Now, they say they are putting the past behind them. We’ll have details. A small university in North Carolina is beating the odds…while other Christian colleges face closure, this school is thriving. We take a look at what they’re doing. Also, Steven Furtick’s Elevation Church released its annual report—the Charlotte-area church saw revenue of more than $108-million in 2023. The leadership at Gateway Church continues its shakeup following revelations that its founding pastor Robert Morris abused a minor in the 1980s. 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 Jessica Eturralde, Kim Roberts, Shannon Cuthrell, Yonat Shimron, Brittany Smith, and Christina Darnell. Until next time, may God bless you.   COMPLETE MANUSCRIPT BELOW:   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. And we’d like to welcome you to the MinistryWatch podcast. Warren: On today’s program, Liberty University reaches a settlement with former president Jerry Falwell Jr. after years of back-and-forth lawsuits between the two parties. Now, they say they are putting the past behind them. We’ll have details. And, a small university in North Carolina is beating the odds…while other Christian colleges face closure, this school is thriving. We take a look at what they’re doing. Also, Steven Furtick’s Elevation Church released its annual report—the Charlotte-area church saw revenue of more than $108-million in 2023. Natasha: But first, the leadership at Gateway Church continues its shakeup following revelations that its founding pastor Robert Morris abused a minor in the 1980s. Warren: Seven weeks after Robert Morris resigned from Gateway Church after Cindy Clemishire publicly claimed he abused her when she was 12 years old, Gateway has announced that Morris' son, James Morris, is stepping away from the church. James Morris was slated to take over church leadership after his father’s impending retirement in 2025. But after Clemishire’s claims went public, Robert Morris admitted “moral failure" with a “young lady” before resigning as the Texas megachurch’s lead pastor. Weeks later, James Morris and three other elders announced they would temporarily step down to allow room for a third-party investigation. But last week, in a special announcement to the congregation, Gateway elder Tra Willbanks announced that James Morris and his wife, Bridgette Morris, had decided to permanently relinquish their positions at Gateway. Natasha:  How did the congregation take that? Warren: Church attendees gave them a standing ovation. Then Willbanks said Gateway elders support James and Bridgette Morris' desire to establish a church in the future. I should mention that James and Bridgette Morris are not the only ones to have left in the fallout of Robert Morris’ resignation. According to the leadership pages on its website, Gateway has made additional changes to its staff and elder board. It removed former-felon-turned-Prison Ministry Campus Pastor Stephen Wilson after Wilson's past sex charges from 2002 involving a minor became public. Natasha: Who is going to minister as the church moves forward? Warren: Willbanks informed congregants that Max Lucado, a popular author and teaching minister at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, and Swedish pastor Joakim Lundqvist, will be filling leadership roles at the church. Lucado will become the interim teaching pastor, preaching at Gateway about twice a month. Lundqvist will share preaching duties with Lucado and take on a pastoral role with staff. Natasha: Next, a Texas Pastor has stepped down due to “inappropriate” conduct, without being specific about the concerns. Warren: On Sunday, July 28, Cross Timbers Church in Argyle, about 30 miles north of Fort Worth, announced that its lead pastor Josiah Anthony would resign due to “inappropriate and hurtful” actions, WFAA reported. The church clarified on Monday that the conduct “does not include any children, physical or sexual interactions or any illegal activity to our knowledge." Apparently, the church elders asked Anthony to resign and he agreed. Natasha: Is there any hint as to why he resigned? Warren: During the service, Cross Timbers elder John Chalk read a statement about Anthony’s resignation. "Josiah has been in a prolonged and sustained season of struggle with his emotional and mental health which has been very painful for him and those around him,Throughout this struggle, some of Josiah’s decisions and actions were inappropriate and hurtful to current and former members of the [Cross Timbers] family and staff." Natasha: Who will fill Anthony’s roll as pastor? Warren: Byron Copeland will serve as interim lead pastor. Before taking a position of executive pastor at Cross Timbers, Copeland worked at nearby Gateway Church. Natasha: There have been quite a few situations like this lately, one of course being the Morris story we just discussed what are some others? Warren: On July 7, Stonebriar Community Church, founded by Chuck Swindoll, dismissed former Associate Pastor Tony Cammarota, who “confessed to church leadership of a moral failure” according to an email obtained by the Dallas Morning News. Stonebriar did not provide details of the moral failure. In June, well-known Dallas megachurch pastor Tony Evans stepped away from leading Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship due to “sin” he committed years ago. Evans, 74, was not specific about his actions but said they were not criminal. He will be “submitting to a healing and restoration process established by the elders.” Natasha: Next, the latest between Liberty University and Jerry Falwell Jr. Warren: Liberty University and its former president Jerry Falwell Jr. have reached an agreement to settle all outstanding disputes and lawsuits between the two parties. While specifics of the agreement were not released, the statement said the two reached a mutual understanding about the retirement and severance Liberty will pay to Falwell. In March 2023, Falwell sued the university for $8.5 million in retirement benefits he claimed they owed him. The agreement also authorizes Liberty to use the name, image, and likeness of its founder, Jerry Falwell Sr. Natasha: There’s been a lot going on between the two- can you remind us of some of the recent history here. Warren: Last July, Falwell Jr. sued the university, accusing it of misappropriating “for itself” the name and image of Falwell Sr., the conservative Christian evangelist who co-founded the evangelical university in 1971. In September, Falwell Jr. amended his complaint against Liberty, claiming the university’s board overlooked sexual misconduct by former leaders, including an unnamed former president, only to turn on Falwell Jr. when his life fell apart. Following allegations that he and his wife had a years-long sexual relationship with a business associate, Falwell Jr. resigned from his post as Liberty’s president in August 2020. Neither Falwell nor the university plan to answer any further questions about the settlement. In the MinistryWatch database, Liberty University has a 2-star financial efficiency rating, a C transparency grade, and a donor confidence score of only 34, meaning donors should withhold giving. Natasha: Warren, let’s take a quick break. When we return, the rise of Carolina University—how a 79-year-old institution rebooted itself. 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, while many Christian colleges are failing, one small school in North Carolina appears to be beating the odds. Warren: A 79-year-old private institution in North Carolina appears to be an anomaly to the many Christian colleges forced to close recently. Carolina University’s enrollment has surged 29% this year, rising from 826 to 1,068 students. Its multilingual offerings and global recruitment have attracted scores of international students, who now make up about half of the student body. The university is also seeing success with its new career-oriented programs, including master’s degrees in data science and innovation, along with undergrad courses covering machine learning, artificial intelligence, esports and cybersecurity. Natasha: How'd they get to this place? Warren: Our full story goes into detail about their financial turn around but beyond that they’ve also had years of steady enrollment growth With long history of mergers. Since its founding in 1945, the school has absorbed seven colleges headed by Methodists, Moravians, Baptists, Anglicans, and Mennonites. Each merger brought a surge in students, faculty/staff, flagship programs, and financial resources, enabling Carolina University to sell campuses for far more than the obligations owed. Natasha: The school also focuses on what they call “Jobs of the Future” Warren: Years ago, the school made the call to only offer new degrees leading to a stable job market and high-paying salaries. Focusing on degrees that lead to jobs starting at $100,000 a year. The school is already seeing success with this strategy, with data science rising the ranks as its fastest-growing program....