Ep. 475: Sean Feucht, Doug Wilson’s Empire, Christianity Today, and Robert Morris

On today’s program, ministry leader Sean Feucht is being accused of moral, ethical, and financial failure by former leaders of his various nonprofits. The accusers issued a formal statement this week detailing their accusations and are calling for an independent investigation. And, with the construction of a new school campus, Pastor Doug Wilson’s empire continues to grow in Idaho. We’ll take a look. Plus, Tim Dalrymple is leaving his role at Christianity Today to take the helm of the John Templeton Foundation. But first, Robert Morris is pushing back on Gateway Church’s claims that they didn’t know the details of his sexual abuse of Cindy Clemishire. 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, Yonat Shimron, Jack Jenkins, Tracy Simmons, Bob Smietana, Brittany Smith, and Christina Darnell. 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, ministry leader Sean Feucht is being accused of moral, ethical, and financial failure by former leaders of his various nonprofits. The accusers issued a formal statement this week detailing their accusations and are calling for an independent investigation. And, with the construction of a new school campus, Pastor Doug Wilson’s empire continues to grow in Idaho. We’ll take a look. Plus, Tim Dalrymple is leaving his role at Christianity Today to take the helm of the John Templeton Foundation. Natasha: But first, Robert Morris is pushing back on Gateway Church’s claims that they didn’t know the details of his sexual abuse of Cindy Clemishire. Warren: According to court documents filed by Morris in Tarrant County, Morris asserted that Gateway elders “knew the facts pertaining to Pastor Morris’s admittedly highly inappropriate relationship with [Clemishire] as early as 2005 and most certainly by August of 2007.” The court documents are part of his effort to seek Christian arbitration in settling the dispute over his retirement benefits. Natasha: One of the issues of contention between Gateway and Morris has been whether they knew Clemishire was just 12 years old when Morris began abusing her. Warren: Morris pointed to a demand letter written by Clemishire’s attorney, now Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, in 2007 that referred to the sexual assaults beginning when Clemishire was just 12 years old. He said the board of elders received a copy of the letter at the time it was written. Drummond secured an indictment against Morris in Oklahoma for five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child. Natasha: So why is Morris bringing all of this up now? Warren: In his court filings, Morris said he was bringing this documentation of Gateway’s knowledge to light due to the church’s “repeatedly and misleadingly accusing Pastor Morris of lacking transparency” and “public blame shifting.” In his most recent court filing, Morris says he still stands ready to mediate and sent such an offer on May 19, stating, “Morris will agree to mediate the case in Tarrant County provided that such mediation take place with all due haste.” He asked the court to order the parties to mediation and to grant his request to compel the parties to arbitration before the Institute for Christian Conciliation. Natasha: Next, a musician and ministry leader has been accused by former employees. Warren: Five former leaders of groups associated with Sean Feucht have issued a formal statement bringing to light what they call “longstanding and serious moral, ethical, financial, organizational and governance failures” by Feucht and calling for an independent investigation into possible fraud and embezzlement. The statement also urges the removal of Feucht from leadership and financial stewardship positions. The signers were associated in various capacities with Burn 24/7, a group Feucht started in 2006 that hosts regular prayer and worship gatherings in cities around the world. Natasha: What are they alleging? Warren: The allegations claim Feucht has a longstanding pattern of moral and ethical misconduct, including manipulation, exaggeration, control, lying, gaslighting, and spiritual and emotional abuse. Even though they claim he has been confronted about these issues over the years, it has resulted in very little meaningful change or repentance. The signers also claim Feucht has misrepresented his ministry activities, which have allegedly included “ceaseless financial solicitation intermingled with his grandiose visions, which has led to untold financial gain and a steady stream of unpaid labor from volunteers.” Natasha: The former leaders also allege financial impropriety by Feucht. For example, the accusers claim Feucht repeatedly used business credit cards for personal expenses, that he diverted donations to personal accounts, that he inflated prices paid to vendors, and that he used ministry funds to rent his own cabin in Montana for a ministry board meeting. Warren: Liam Bernard, who was a leader with Burn 24/7 in Oklahoma City and regionally, said he was forced to cover many of the costs of Burn events out of his own pocket. When he confronted Feucht about financial transparency and accountability, Bernard said he was called names like “fascist” and “communist,” after which he left the ministry. Sean Feucht Ministries earns an “F” transparency grade, no stars for financial efficiency, and a donor confidence score of 19 out of 100, meaning donors should withhold giving. Natasha: Next, The Rev. William J. Barber II’s ex-wife has asked a judge to look into allegations that the civil rights and anti-poverty leader has been paying her alimony from the finances of his nonprofit. Warren: Barber, who has been leading “Moral Mondays at the Capitol” to oppose the federal budget bill and was arrested as part of those demonstrations last month, is president of Repairers of the Breach, a nonprofit social change organization based in North Carolina. In a court filing in in Durham County, North Carolina, Rebecca Barber, the preacher’s ex-wife, alleges that since November 2023, Repairers of the Breach has issued William Barber monthly checks for $7,000 to a joint personal bank account shared by Barber and his ex-wife, “under the guise of alimony or financial support.” Natasha: Barber divorced his wife of 37 years in November 2024 after separating in 2022. The couple went through mediation to settle parts of the divorce, including alimony, in a process called equitable distribution. But the mediation failed. Warren: Barber may be best known for reviving the Poor People’s Campaign, an anti-poverty effort bearing the name and the goals of the movement launched by Martin Luther King Jr. shortly before his assassination. Barber has preached at several Democratic National Conventions and delivered the homily at President Joe Biden’s inauguration prayer service in 2021. Natasha: On May 3, he married the Rev. Della Owens in Wilmington, North Carolina. Warren: Repairers of the Breach paid Barber more than $224,000 in salary in 2023, according to the most recent Form 990. That year, the organization had $8.2 million in net assets. Natasha: Let’s look at one more story before we take a break, what do you have? Warren: Bryan Chappell has announced that he plans to retire as stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) following pushback from his recent appearance on the Gospelbound podcast with Collin Hansen. According to a statement published in byFaith, the denominational publication of the PCA,  Chappell said he plans to ask the Administrative Committee to approve his retirement at its meeting next week. During the podcast with Hansen, Chappell said he held up a small piece of paper that was a “list of social media ‘scandalizers’ who later experienced personal consequences from their commentary habits.” Chappell told Hansen, “I’m going to show this to you quickly. And every name on that list has either left his family, left the faith, or taken his life. Every name on that list.” Natasha: Who’s on the list? Warren: Screenshots of the enlarged list circulated on social media revealing some of the names, including Dr. Carl Trueman, Aimee Byrd, Tim Bayly, Michelle Higgins, Andy Webb, Dr. Wes White, and Dr. Peter Leithart. The podcast video was removed from the Gospel Coalition website and replaced by statements from Chappell and Hansen. Chappell said, “With deep regret for harm done to others, I am issuing a public apology for not taking proper care to protect the reputation of others.” “This podcast has been removed. I couldn’t read the names over video and did not check during editing to review the list. I apologize for neglecting that review,” Hansen wrote. Natasha: After criticism, Chappell issued the additional statement published in byFaith. Warren: Chappell said in his latest statement. “I brought unwarranted disrepute upon persons identified in the screenshot. For this wrongdoing I repent to my Lord and I apologize to the individuals, their families, and the church I serve. I have begun, and will continue, personally to ask forgiveness from those I harmed. I also confess the seriousness of these errors and sin,” Chappell was elected as the stated clerk of the PCA in 2021, served as the president of the PCA’s Covenant Seminary in St. Louis from 1994 to 2012, and is a founding council member of The Gospel Coalition. Natasha: Warren,...