Ep. 428: Joyce Meyer Leaves Daystar, Financial Lessons From a Florida Church, Remembering “Coach Mac”

On today’s program, Joyce Meyer joins a slew of popular televangelists who have pulled their programs from Daystar Television Network amid accusations the network’s president Joni Lamb covered up the sexual abuse of her granddaughter. We’ll have details. Also, a long-time employee of a Florida church was sentenced to 2 years in prison for embezzling almost $1 million…the church is speaking out now with lessons it has learned. We’ll take a look. And, legendary coach and founder of Promise Keepers, Bill McCartney, has died after a long battle with dementia. At its height in the 1990s, Promise Keepers drew millions of men to its events. But first, a Pennsylvania pastor has been suspended by the Evangelical Presbyterian Church after he and his church tried to leave the denomination. 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, Kathryn Post, Jessica Eturralde, Bob Smietana, Diana Chandler, Brittany Smith, Christina Darnell—and you, Warren. A special thanks to Baptist Press 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 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, Joyce Meyer joins a slew of popular televangelists who have pulled their programs from Daystar Television Network amid accusations the network’s president Joni Lamb covered up the sexual abuse of her granddaughter. We’ll have details. Also, a long-time employee of a Florida church was sentenced to 2 years in prison for embezzling almost $1 million…the church is speaking out now with lessons it has learned. We’ll take a look. And, legendary coach and founder of Promise Keepers, Bill McCartney, has died after a long battle with dementia. At its height in the 1990s, Promise Keepers drew millions of men to its events. Natasha: But first, a Pennsylvania pastor has been suspended by the Evangelical Presbyterian Church after he and his church tried to leave the denomination. Warren: Beverly Heights Presbyterian Church (BHPC) is a Pittsburgh-area church and has been seeking to dissolve its affiliation and exit the denomination for over a year. The church and presbytery have been at loggerheads over several issues, not the least of which is the roll of voting members entitled to participate in an exit vote. The Presbytery of the Alleghenies brought charges against Pastor Nate Devlin and the elders of  BHPC, the trial of which began in November. The judicial commission encouraged BHPC and the presbytery to attempt mediation. Natasha: But they couldn’t reach a resolution so they went to trial Warren: The trial occurred on January 11, According to the presbytery’s judicial commission, Devlin was “convicted by sufficient proof of the sins of contempt and immorality” and suspended from his office as teaching elder until he demonstrates repentance, including publicly acknowledging his “wrongdoing” and removing posts and other communications that “disparage” fellow teaching and ruling elders. Devlin’s suspension began Tuesday (Jan 14). Natasha: What was his reaction? Warren: Devlin told MinistryWatch. “It is unprecedented that a presbytery would try a pastor and the entire church session,” He said he felt compelled to see the trial through and “bear witness to the truth.” In their closing statement at the trial, Devlin and the BHPC session said, “[W]e have consistently acted in good faith, driven by a deep love for our church, and we are not guilty of the charges against us.” Natasha: Next, televangelists are pausing their programs on Daystar. Warren: Joyce Meyer, the bestselling Christian author and longtime ministry leader and speaker, is pausing her programming with Daystar Television Network after years as a leading host at the influential Christian television broadcaster, according to an email obtained from an unnamed spokesperson for Joyce Meyer Ministries. Meyer, whose popular show “Enjoying Everyday Life” has aired daily on Daystar, is the latest in a series of Christian leaders to break ties with the network after a controversy involving allegations of an abuse cover-up. Her ministry will pause its programming with Daystar starting on Monday (Jan. 13). Natasha: That’s an end to a long streak of programming, will she be gone for good? Warren: The email, sent to staff on Friday, indicates that Joyce Meyer Ministries may consider returning to Daystar “when and if this situation is satisfactorily resolved.” According to internet archives, Meyer’s program has aired on Daystar since at least 2005. Her program “Enjoying Everyday Life” can be viewed on the Joyce Meyer Ministries website, Joyce Meyer app, YouTube and several other TV networks, including TBN and Lifetime. Natasha: Who else has left the network? Warren: Unlike Meyer, four of the most recent leaders to exit the network — evangelical heavyweights Jack Graham, Jesse Duplantis, Lance Wallnau and Hank and Brenda Kunneman — did not cite the Daystar scandal as reason for their departure. Canadian author Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson cut ties with Daystar in November over perceived “ethical deficits” of senior executives, and an international ministry led by Baruch Korman halted its program with the network a month later due to unspecified concerns with the network’s ability to “embrace God’s standards.” Natasha: Our next story comes from the Supreme Court of Texas Warren: The Texas Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week in an ongoing case between Southern Methodist University (SMU) and the United Methodist Church’s South Central Jurisdictional Conference (SCJC). The lawsuit, which began in 2019, relates to amended SMU articles of incorporation that same year that purportedly took away the SCJC’s authority to approve trustee nominations and school land sales and leases. The SCJC claims to have founded SMU in 1911 and placed the assets of SMU in trust for the benefit of the SCJC in 1924. In 1996, the adopted restated articles of incorporation again acknowledged the university’s relationship with the SCJC. Natasha: Do you know what the arguments were that the court heard? Warren: The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty filed an amicus, or friend of the court, brief in the case because it is interested in the outcome and application of the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine and the precedent it may set. The Becket Fund’s brief sides with the church over SMU, stating, “Over one hundred years ago, the Church created and controlled SMU to carry out its religious mission, and memorialized that decision in documents binding SMU to the Church ‘forever.’ Texas courts are bound to recognize and accept that decision.” The university’s attorney, Allyson Ho, argued that SMU cherishes its Methodist heritage, but that it has always been a non-member, nonprofit corporation under Texas law making its own decisions and never owned nor controlled by the church. Natasha: Warren, let’s take a quick break. When we return, a Florida church employee was sentenced to 2 years in federal prison for stealing nearly $900 thousand. At the time, the church had protocols and accountability in place…but it turns out it wasn’t enough. The church reflects on lessons it has learned. 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: In November, a federal judge sentenced church employee Heather Darrey, 45, to 27 months in federal prison for wire fraud after she pleaded guilty to stealing from the parish she worked for. The investigation revealed that for five months Darrey spent the funds on mortgage payments, car and boat loans, and credit card bills for clothing, restaurants, vacations, and concert tickets—totaling $875,323.19. For 26 years, Darrey was the records and finance manager at Christ the King Catholic Church in Tampa, Florida. The church says court documents overly simplify Darrey's scheme and sentencing details. Christ the King spoke with MinistryWatch to clarify the complex process Darrey used to steal nearly $900K from the parish, although it had a system of checks and balances, and share lessons learned in hindsight. Natasha: Warren, this is a Catholic parish, and we normally cover evangelical ministries. Also, we’ve done a lot of stories over the years of financial mismanagement and embezzlement. Why do one more? Warren: That’s a good question. The reason is that this story has a lot of lessons for churches and ministries. For one, Finance and Operations Director Wendi Peña told MinistryWatch the church had several transparency practices in place when the fraud occurred. And the church has been remarkable transparent with MinistryWatch to share its practices – and to admit that they were not enough. Natasha: Why not? Warren: Peña said "We followed all guidelines. We reconciled promptly. Everything went to the diocese monthly, and they reviewed everything just like they do for all parishes in our diocese." Natasha: So how did this fraud occur? Warren: According to court documents, Heather Darrey printed blank checks made out to vendors, got them approved, destroyed the physical checks, and wrote new ones to pay for personal expenses. She would also create false invoices within the church s