
Ep. 581: Elevation Church, Humanitarian Crisis in Lebanon, Texas Summer Camps Fight to Survive
From MinistryWatch Podcast by Warren Smith and Natasha Smith
April 17, 2026 · 25 min
About this episode
This episode discusses a church theft case, a humanitarian crisis in Lebanon, and the impact of Texas floods on summer camps, along with updates on Elevation Church's expansion amidst declining tithes and attendance.
On this week’s program, a church child care director has been charged with stealing $500,000 from a Georgia United Methodist Church. Investigators went so far as to call it a ‘criminal enterprise’—and because of it, the church was forced to shut its doors. We’ll have details. Plus, war in the Middle East has led to a humanitarian crisis for the Lebanese people caught in the crossfire. MinistryWatch reporter Tony Mator rounded up a number of Christian aid organizations rushing to help. We’ll take a look. And, last year’s deadly Texas floods have led to safety legislation intended to increase safety for campers. But measures meant to make camps safer may instead cause some to close permanently. But first, Elevation Church increases the number of its campuses across the country. Meanwhile, tithes and attendance are decreasing. 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, Stacey Horton, Scott Barkley, Tony Mator, Cheryl Mann Bacon, Makella Knowles, and Jessica Eturralde. A special thanks to Baptist Press and The…
Topics covered
- Elevation Church
- humanitarian crisis
- Lebanon
- Texas summer camps
- church theft
Keywords
- criminal enterprise
- Christian aid organizations
- safety legislation
- camp closures
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Lebanon, Texas, the Middle East
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