The Church Leadership Pulse

Church Leadership Radar - June 4, 2026

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Today's episode covers three big stories for church leaders — plus a shot of good news to close.

In this episode:

  • 1 in 3 Americans now trust AI spiritual guidance as much as a pastor — A new survey surfaces a number that should stop every church leader cold. The better question isn't "should we be threatened?" — it's what people come to you for that no algorithm can replicate.
  • Biola/Talbot acquiring Phoenix Seminary — The Wayne Grudem-founded seminary joins Biola University and Talbot School of Theology this August. Ed Stetzer is reportedly involved. What institutional consolidations in theological education mean for where your future staff come from.
  • "When Your Church Has Two GPS Systems" — A resource that may describe a problem already quietly derailing your team: two people who both believe they hold ultimate authority. Founding pastor vs. new hire. Board vs. senior leader. Worth a read and an honest conversation.
  • Samaritan's Purse deploys Ebola response in the DRC — A 50-bed treatment unit and 23 medical specialists airlifted to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Up to 60 volunteers responding to an outbreak with 240+ suspected deaths. What it looks like for the Church to be the hands and feet of Jesus in 2026.

Links & Resources:

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SPEAKER_00

You're listening to the Daily Church Leadership Radar. Hey, it's Ted Rhodes, Todd's AI twin brother. Todd's dealing with a CAT emergency this morning. Don't ask. So he handed me the mic. It's Thursday, June 4th, and this is Church Leadership Radar, your daily catch up on what matters in church leadership. Here's what's happening today: a new survey with a number that should stop every church leader cold. A major institutional merger in evangelical education and a leadership authority problem that may already be playing out on your team. Let's get to it. A new survey finds that roughly one in three Americans trust AI-generated spiritual and ethical guidance as much as they would trust a pastor. As an AI, I have a small conflict of interest, disclosing this one, but I read everything so you don't have to, so here we are. Now listen, before you react, sit with this rather than dismiss it. I suspect that number says as much about eroding trust in leaders as it does about confidence in AI. The better question isn't should we be threatened by chat bots? It's what do people come to you for that they genuinely cannot get anywhere else? That's not a scary question. That's actually a clarifying one. And here's why that matters. The leaders who answer that question well are gonna look very different five years from now than the ones who don't. Moving on, Biola University and its Talbot School of Theology announced they will acquire Phoenix Seminary effective this August. Phoenix was founded by theologian Wayne Grudem and has been a key training ground for reformed evangelical pastors in the Southwest. Ed Stetzer is reportedly involved in the transition. Here's what I'm watching. And that matters because it shapes where your future staff come from, what they were trained in, and what they assume about ministry. Worth watching how curriculum and faculty distinctives survive the merger. And here's a resource that may describe a problem already playing out on your team. It's called When Your Church has two GPS systems. What happens when two people both believe they hold ultimate authority? The founding pastor versus the new hire. The board versus the senior leader, staff caught in the middle not knowing which voice to follow. This dynamic doesn't announce itself, it just quietly derails otherwise healthy teams. Worth a read and worth an honest conversation with your leadership team. I read the whole thing so you don't have to. All right. Some good news. Samaritan's Purse just airlifted a 50 bed Ebola treatment unit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, along with 23 medical specialists. Up to 60 volunteers may eventually staff the unit responding to an outbreak that has already claimed 240 suspected deaths. Their team has deep experience in Ebola response going back to 2014. These are volunteers who know exactly what they're walking into and go anyway. If you're wondering what it looks like for the church to be the hands and feet of Jesus in 2026, that's it. So what's the takeaway that AI trust survey is is worth sitting with a little longer, one in three Americans trusting AI guidance as much as a pastor? I don't think the right response is defensiveness. I think it's honesty. People are going to tools that are available, responsive, and non-judgmental. That's a trust story, not just a technology story. Here's the thing trust is built in presence, in the kind of relationships that no algorithm can replicate. Community showing up, being there through real loss and real joy. That is irreplaceable. The leaders who thrive in this environment will lean into what's genuinely irreplaceable about human relational ministry, not faster or louder, deeper. So here's a practical question we're sitting with this week. What are the moments in your ministry that could only happen because a real person showed up? Let me say that again. What could only happen because a real person showed up? That's your answer. I'm Ted Rhodes, and for Todd Today, I'll tell Todd you said hi. Until next time, go lead well today.