The 2026 Southern Baptist Convention in Orlando, Florida is here—and this episode is your go, vote, win battle plan. 

Executive Director William Wolfe sits down with Jon Whitehead and Sam Webb to break down the most consequential decisions messengers will make this year:

• Willie Rice vs. Josh Powell – what’s really at stake in the SBC presidential race
• Why the SBC presidency quietly shapes the convention for the next 5–10 years
• The ERLC and NAMB: accountability, transparency, and who can be trusted
• The fight over female pastors in the SBC and what to do with the Credentials Committee
• The Mohler Truth & Unity Amendment – what changed, why “such as” vs. “specifically” matters, and how moderates and conservatives are already trying to frame it

• Why this moment is a generational test of Baptist conviction, courage, and biblical fidelity

If you’re driving to Orlando, sitting in the airport, or still deciding whether it’s worth the trip:
this episode will clarify the stakes, sharpen your convictions, and help you vote with your eyes wide open.

––––––   Follow Center for Baptist Leadership across Social Media: X / Twitter – https://twitter.com/BaptistLeaders Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/people/Center-For-Baptist-Leadership/61556762144277/ Rumble – https://rumble.com/c/c-6157089 YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@CenterforBaptistLeadership Website – https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/   To book William for media appearances or speaking engagements, please contact him at media@centerfor­baptistleadership.org.   Follow Us on Twitter: William Wolfe - https://twitter.com/William_E_Wolfe Richard Henry - https://twitter.com/RThenry83   Renew the SBC from within and defend the SBC from those who seek its destruction, donate today: https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/donate/   The Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast is powered by American Reformer, recorded remotely in the United States by William Wolfe, and edited by Jared Cummings.   Subscribe to the Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast: Distribute our RSS Feed – https://centerforbaptistleadership.podbean.com/ Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/center-for-baptist-leadership/id1743074575 Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/0npXohTYKWYmWLsHkalF9t Amazon Music // Audible – https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ababbdd-6c6b-4ab9-b21a-eed951e1e67b BoomPlay – https://www.boomplaymusic.com/podcasts/96624 CastboxFM – https://castbox.fm/channel/id6132313 CastroFM – https://castro.fm/podcast/67110759-1bb9-4fd9-abcb-34113d42e945 CurioCaster – https://curiocaster.com/podcast/pi6894445 Fountain – https://fountain.fm/show/IURohE0rZPJr5h81wxbX Goodpods – https://goodpods.com/podcasts/center-for-baptist-leadership-565673 iHeartRadio – https://iheart.com/podcast/170321203 iVoox – https://www.ivoox.com/en/podcast-center-for-baptist-leadership_sq_f12419733_1.html Listen Notes – https://lnns.co/2Br0hw7p5R4 MoonFM – https://moon.fm/itunes/1743074575 PlayerFM – https://player.fm/series/3570081 PocketCasts – https://play.pocketcasts.com/podcasts/ddd92230-e3ff-013c-e7de-02cacb2c6223 PodcastAddict – https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/center-for-baptist-leadership/5090794 Podchaser – https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/the-center-for-baptist-leaders-5696654 PodcastRepublic – https://www.podcastrepublic.net/podcast/1743074575 TrueFans – https://truefans.fm/center-for-baptist-leadership YouTube Podcasts – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFMvfuzJKMICA7wi3CXvQxdNtA_lqDFV

Is the Southern Baptist Convention about to split over women pastors? In this episode, William Wolfe sits down with Sam Webb and Jon Whitehead to unpack the fight over the pastorate, Dr. Al Mohler’s Truth & Unity Amendment, and the vindication of Mike Law heading into Orlando. From Saddleback to the credentials committee, they explain why this is a first-order issue of biblical authority, anthropology, and SBC cooperation—and why 2026 may decide the fate of the SBC.

 

Timestamps:

0:00 – Intro: No More Women Pastors?

0:38 – Meet Sam Webb & Jon Whitehead

3:40 – How Mike Law Discovered the Women Pastor Problem

8:30 – The Rise of the Law Amendment in the SBC

13:40 – Why SBC Leaders Resisted for So Long

20:55 – Is This a Primary Theological Issue? Scripture & Sufficiency

27:40 – Anthropology, Gender, and the Battle for the SBC

32:45 – Mohler’s Truth & Unity Amendment Explained

41:00 – Sam Webb's Warning to SBC, The Slippery Slope

45:40 – Call to Orlando: Final Challenge to Southern Baptists

 

––––––

 

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To book William for media appearances or speaking engagements, please contact him at media@centerfor­baptistleadership.org.

 

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Renew the SBC from within and defend the SBC from those who seek its destruction, donate today:

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The Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast is powered by American Reformer, recorded remotely in the United States by William Wolfe, and edited by Jared Cummings.

 

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Is a conservative reform wave about to flip the Southern Baptist Convention? In this episode of the Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast, William Wolfe sits down with pastor and writer Michael Clary to unpack his now-famous “taxonomy” of SBC factions—Platform, Loyalists, Reformers, Normies, and Absentees—and why Orlando 2026 could be a make-or-break moment.

 

They dive into:

• Why the reformers are actually winning (ERLC, Brent Leatherwood, and beyond)

• The battle over women pastors and the Truth & Unity Amendment led by Dr. Al Mohler

• Why Willie Rice may be the SBC president reformers have been praying for

• How normies and absentees can decide the future of the SBC in Orlando and Indianapolis

 

If you care about Baptist identity, institutional reform, biblical complementarianism, and the future of the SBC, this is your pre-Orlando briefing.

 

👉 Watch, share, and send this to every SBC pastor headed to Orlando.

👉 Learn more and sign up for updates at CenterForBaptistLeadership.com

 

––––––

 

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Renew the SBC from within and defend the SBC from those who seek its destruction, donate today:

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The Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast is powered by American Reformer, recorded remotely in the United States by William Wolfe, and edited by Jared Cummings.

 

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A local Florida SBC church just held a two‑day “church trial” over the long-running conflict between Will McRaney and the North American Mission Board (NAMB) and its president Kevin Ezell—and assessed $80 million in damages. Attorney Jon Whitehead walks through the backstory, the failed civil lawsuit, why the Fifth Circuit said “take it to the church,” how Island Church structured the proceeding, the evidence presented, the verdict, and why many SBC elites are now mocking this attempt at Matthew 18 accountability through the local-church.

 

Read Jon Whitehead's Article:

https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/80-million-in-damages-what-happened-at-the-namb-church-trial/

 

Timestamps:

0:00 – Introduction

0:39 – Why the 2026 SBC Meeting Is “For All the Marbles”

2:35 – Introducing Attorney Jon Whitehead

3:59 – Who Is Will McRaney and What Happened in 2015?

6:24 – How NAMB Allegedly Used Funding to Force a Firing

9:51 – Autonomy, State Conventions, and NAMB’s Leverage

18:12 – Internal Emails: “Then If He Is Removed, We Can…”

24:19 – Why McRaney Initially Tried to Drop the Matter

31:50 – The “Wanted Poster” at NAMB HQ

35:14 – Years of Lost Jobs and Speaking Opportunities

38:49 – Fifth Circuit Ruling: Courts Won’t Touch It

49:04 – Why Island Church Held a “Church Trial”

1:02:49 – Evidence, Witnesses, and Pattern of Retaliation

1:14:18 – Jury Findings: Slander, Interference, and Leadership Disqualification

1:33:08 – SBC Reactions, Mockery, and the Role of the Local Church

 

––––––

 

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To book William for media appearances or speaking engagements, please contact him at media@centerfor­baptistleadership.org.

 

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Renew the SBC from within and defend the SBC from those who seek its destruction, donate today:

https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/donate/

 

The Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast is powered by American Reformer, recorded remotely in the United States by William Wolfe, and edited by Jared Cummings.

 

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The rising tide of egalitarianism will sink the SBC unless messengers act in Orlando! Highlight clip from episode seven of SBC's Weekly Roundup: Coundown to Orlando featuring Jon Whitehead.

––––––
 
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To book William for media appearances or speaking engagements, please contact him at media@centerfor­baptistleadership.org.
 
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Renew the SBC from within and defend the SBC from those who seek its destruction, donate today:
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The Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast is powered by American Reformer, recorded remotely in the United States by William Wolfe, and edited by Jared Cummings.

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In this special "SBC Weekly Roundup" edition of the CBL Podcast, William Wolfe and Jon Whitehead break down seismic news in Southern Baptist life including the ERLC’s new president Evan Lenoe, trustee failures and need for reform, as well as post–Cooperative Program “secret” strategy meetings and what it means for the future of the SBC.

 

Read Jon Whitehead's Article:

https://christoverall.com/article/concise/whats-trusty-about-sbc-trustees-does-trustee-training-fix-ailing-entities-or-institutionalize-passivity/

 

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction

00:38 – Why Orlando 2026 Could Be “Nashville 2.0” for Conservatives

02:30 – SBC News Rundown: ERLC, VP Race, Willie Rice, Mohler

05:24 – Life Updates & Kansas City “Potato-Sized Hail”

05:46 – Inside the White House Faith Office Briefing

07:33 – How a Faith Friendly Administration Changes Outlook for Religious Liberty

10:07 – Meet the New ERLC President: Dr. Evan Lenoe's First Message

11:42 – Can the ERLC Regain Trust? Past Controversies & Need for Repentance

20:38 – Trustee 101: Care, Loyalty, and the Missing Duty of Candor

24:34 – Who Do Trustees Really Serve—Entities or the SBC?

41:25 – How a Few People Can Effectively Control an Entire SBC Entity

49:57 – Secret Post–Cooperative Program Meetings: What’s Going On?

56:03 – Willie Rice vs. the EC: SBC Meeting Locations & Small Churches

1:19:54 – Women "Pastors" Crisis, the Law Amendment, and Why You Must Come to Orlando

 

 

––––––

 

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Renew the SBC from within and defend the SBC from those who seek its destruction, donate today:

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The Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast is powered by American Reformer, recorded remotely in the United States by William Wolfe, and edited by Jared Cummings.

 

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SBC Weekly Roundup: Countdown to Orlando | Ep.6

 

In this special "SBC Weekly Roundup" edition of the CBL Podcast, William Wolfe and Jon Whitehead break down a seismic week in Southern Baptist life—new seminary and ERLC presidents, the future of Baptist politics, and a behind-the-scenes immigration info op. Hard-hitting, insider analysis for conservatives gearing up for Orlando and determined to reform the SBC from within.

 

Read Jon Whitehead's X Thread exposing the Immigration Info Op:

https://x.com/jrwhitehead/status/2039186576719089678?s=20

 

Timestamps:

0:00 – Welcome & Mission of CBL

0:39 – Seismic News! Major changes throughout SBC

4:07 – “Changing of the Guard” in SBC Leadership

4:50 – Is Scott Pace a good choice at Southeastern?

10:33 – What Should Change at Southeastern?

11:54 – Walter Strickland, Wokeness, and DEI Debates

13:57 – Who Is Evan Lenow? ERLC’s Surprise Pick

24:16 – How Grassroots Reform Forced Change at the ERLC

32:02 – Can the ERLC Be Fixed? Staff, Trustees & Strategy

43:32 – Immigration, Lifeway Misleading Polls, and the SBC “Info Op”

 

––––––

 

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To book William for media appearances or speaking engagements, please contact him at media@centerfor­baptistleadership.org.

 

Follow Us on Twitter:

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Renew the SBC from within and defend the SBC from those who seek its destruction, donate today:

https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/donate/

 

The Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast is powered by American Reformer, recorded remotely in the United States by William Wolfe, and edited by Jared Cummings.

 

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PodcastAddict – https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/center-for-baptist-leadership/5090794

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YouTube Podcasts – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFMvfuzJKMICA7wi3CXvQxdNtA_lqDFV

In this special "SBC Weekly Roundup" edition of the CBL Podcast, William Wolfe and Jon Whitehead are joined by David Schrock, Michael Clary, and Rhett Burns to discuss Christ Over All's monthly focus on "Can the Center Hold? The Southern Baptist Convention in the 21st Century."

 

Explore the theme:

https://christoverall.com/theme/can-the-center-hold-the-southern-baptist-convention-in-the-21st-century/

 

By David Schrock - "Seeking a Convention That Is Not Southern Baptist In Name Only"

https://christoverall.com/article/longform/seeking-a-convention-that-is-not-southern-baptist-in-name-only-how-to-regain-trust-rebuild-the-trustee-system-and-avoid-an-impending-exodus-of-vocal-conservatives/

 

By Michael Clary - "More Money Than Men"

https://christoverall.com/theme/can-the-center-hold-the-southern-baptist-convention-in-the-21st-century/#pp-toc__heading-anchor-6

 

By Rhett Burns - "Whoever Holds the Purse, Holds the Strings"

https://christoverall.com/theme/can-the-center-hold-the-southern-baptist-convention-in-the-21st-century/#pp-toc__heading-anchor-10

 

––––––

 

Follow Center for Baptist Leadership across Social Media:

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Website – https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/

 

To book William for media appearances or speaking engagements, please contact him at media@centerfor­baptistleadership.org.

 

Follow Us on Twitter:

William Wolfe - https://twitter.com/William_E_Wolfe

Richard Henry - https://twitter.com/RThenry83

 

Renew the SBC from within and defend the SBC from those who seek its destruction, donate today:

https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/donate/

 

The Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast is powered by American Reformer, recorded remotely in the United States by William Wolfe, and edited by Jared Cummings.

 

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Distribute our RSS Feed – https://centerforbaptistleadership.podbean.com/

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YouTube Podcasts – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFMvfuzJKMICA7wi3CXvQxdNtA_lqDFV

In this special "SBC Weekly Roundup" edition of the CBL Podcast, William Wolfe and Jon Whitehead analyze the SBC presidential race between Willy Rice and Josh Powell, paying particular attention to Willy's latest appearance on "The Baptist Review" podcast. They discuss the decline in Cooperative Program giving by 8% in February 2026 compared to the previous year, citing unaccountable entities, lack of transparency, theological liberalism, and trustee failure.

 

Follow CBL's "SBC Weekly RoundUp" to stay informed on:

• SBC Presidential Race

• Entity Controversies (ERLC, Executive Committee, seminaries, and more)

• The future of the Cooperative Program

• How your church can prepare to engage faithfully and effectively at the SBC Annual Meeting

 

Timestamps:

00:00 - 00:39 – Welcome & Mission of the Center for Baptist Leadership

00:39 - 05:00 – SBC News Roundup: CP Decline, Candidates, Lawsuits

05:00 - 06:36 – Personal Updates & Trip to New Bern, NC

06:36 - 16:28 – Willie Rice on Baptist Review: Women on Committees & DEI Quotas

16:28 - 23:18 – Financial Transparency, 990s, and Trustees “In the Dark”

23:18 - 30:56 – Trustee Failure and ‘Managerial Presbyterianism’ in the SBC

30:56 - 42:50 – Tone vs Truth: ERLC Vote, Fire-Alarms, and SBC ‘Manners’

42:50 - 55:00 – David French, James Talarico, and SBC's liberal drift

55:00 - 59:20 – Heath Lambert’s Four Lessons from the SBC Abuse Crisis Hoax

59:20 - 1:02:00 – Orlando 2026: Why Your Vote and Messengers Matter

 

––––––

 

Follow Center for Baptist Leadership across Social Media:

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Website – https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/

 

To book William for media appearances or speaking engagements, please contact him at media@centerfor­baptistleadership.org.

 

Follow Us on Twitter:

William Wolfe - https://twitter.com/William_E_Wolfe

Richard Henry - https://twitter.com/RThenry83

 

Renew the SBC from within and defend the SBC from those who seek its destruction, donate today:

https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/donate/

 

The Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast is powered by American Reformer, recorded remotely in the United States by William Wolfe, and edited by Jared Cummings.

 

Subscribe to the Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast:

Distribute our RSS Feed – https://centerforbaptistleadership.podbean.com/

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YouTube Podcasts – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFMvfuzJKMICA7wi3CXvQxdNtA_lqDFV

In this special "SBC Weekly Roundup" edition of the CBL Podcast, William Wolfe and Jon Whitehead unpack breaking news within the Southern Baptist Convention, including the Executive Committee’s new $186M Cooperative Program budget and ongoing financial strain on the EC. They discuss the disfellowshipping of two churches over female pastors and broader concerns about egalitarianism. A major focus is the McRaney v. NAMB case and the Supreme Court’s denial of review, which Whitehead argues reshapes Baptist polity and weakens ordinary Baptists’ civil recourse against defamation. The future of the SBC hangs in the balance as we countdown to the SBC Annual Meeting in Orlando.

 

Follow CBL's "SBC Weekly RoundUp" to stay informed on:

• SBC Presidential Race

• Entity Controversies (ERLC, Executive Committee, seminaries, and more)

• The future of the Cooperative Program

• How your church can prepare to engage faithfully and effectively at the SBC Annual Meeting

 

Timestamps:

00:00 - 02:37 – Introduction & Preview of SBC Weekly Roundup

02:37 - 05:00 – Executive Committee Budget Cuts & continuing financial strain

05:00 - 06:02 – Two SBC churches disfellowshipped, egalitarianism, and the Law Amendment gap

06:02 - 09:35 – McRaney v. NAMB: Overview of the case, SCOTUS denial, and NAMB’s public spin

09:35 - 15:00 – Initial Takeaways from the EC Meeting: “Everything Is Awesome” deception

15:00 - 24:42 – Lifeway CP Survey vs. Financial Reality

24:42 - 36:52 – Disturbing Twist: Vance Pitman’s NAMB contract as ‘National Mobilizer’

36:52 - 40:00 – Have We Lost Our Baptist Polity? Today vs. Historic SBC Church Planting Rates

40:00 - 1:20:00 – Church autonomy, civil justice, and courts treating Baptists like Catholics

1:20:00 - 1:25:00 – Orlando or Bust: Why This SBC Meeting Is Pivotal

 

––––––

 

Follow Center for Baptist Leadership across Social Media:

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YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@CenterforBaptistLeadership

Website – https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/

 

To book William for media appearances or speaking engagements, please contact him at media@centerfor­baptistleadership.org.

 

Follow Us on Twitter:

William Wolfe - https://twitter.com/William_E_Wolfe

Richard Henry - https://twitter.com/RThenry83

 

Renew the SBC from within and defend the SBC from those who seek its destruction, donate today:

https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/donate/

 

The Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast is powered by American Reformer, recorded remotely in the United States by William Wolfe, and edited by Jared Cummings.

 

Subscribe to the Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast:

Distribute our RSS Feed – https://centerforbaptistleadership.podbean.com/

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CurioCaster – https://curiocaster.com/podcast/pi6894445

Fountain – https://fountain.fm/show/IURohE0rZPJr5h81wxbX

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YouTube Podcasts – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFMvfuzJKMICA7wi3CXvQxdNtA_lqDFV

In this special "SBC Weekly Roundup" edition of the CBL Podcast, William Wolfe and Jon Whitehead dive deep into breaking news about a quiet gathering of roughly 30 of the SBC’s largest Cooperative Program–giving churches and what it may signal about a post–Cooperative Program future for Southern Baptists. Wolfe & Whitehead analyze the growing dominance of designated giving, new SBC legal battles (including the McRaney and Garner cases), and what these lawsuits mean for church autonomy and trust.

 

Follow CBL's "SBC Weekly RoundUp" to stay informed on:

• SBC Presidential Race

• Entity Controversies (ERLC, Executive Committee, seminaries, and more)

• The future of the Cooperative Program

• How your church can prepare to engage faithfully and effectively at the SBC Annual Meeting

Timestamps:
0:00 - 0:38 – Intro & Podcast Mission
0:38 - 6:01 – This Week’s SBC News Headlines
6:01 - 7:00 – Jon Whitehead Joins the Conversation
7:00 - 12:24 – The Secret Dallas Meeting & Post-CP Future
12:24 - 27:26 – Cooperative Program vs. Designated Giving
27:26 - 39:58 – NAMB, Vance Pitman & ‘Send Ventures’
39:58 - 46:15 – Heath Lambert's SBC Name Change Video & Women Pastors
46:15 - 59:19 – Law Amendment, Willy Rice & SBC Presidency Stakes
59:19 - 1:05:24 – The McRaney Case: Church Autonomy & Defamation
1:05:24 - 1:17:04 – The Garner Case & SBC Abuse Response Fallout
1:17:04 - 1:19:58 – Time to Prepare for Orlando

 

––––––

 

Follow Center for Baptist Leadership across Social Media:

X / Twitter – https://twitter.com/BaptistLeaders

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/people/Center-For-Baptist-Leadership/61556762144277/

Rumble – https://rumble.com/c/c-6157089

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@CenterforBaptistLeadership

Website – https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/

 

To book William for media appearances or speaking engagements, please contact him at media@centerfor­baptistleadership.org.

 

Follow Us on Twitter:

William Wolfe - https://twitter.com/William_E_Wolfe

Richard Henry - https://twitter.com/RThenry83

 

Renew the SBC from within and defend the SBC from those who seek its destruction, donate today:

https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/donate/

 

The Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast is powered by American Reformer, recorded remotely in the United States by William Wolfe, and edited by Jared Cummings.

 

Subscribe to the Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast:

Distribute our RSS Feed – https://centerforbaptistleadership.podbean.com/

Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/center-for-baptist-leadership/id1743074575

Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/0npXohTYKWYmWLsHkalF9t

Amazon Music // Audible – https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ababbdd-6c6b-4ab9-b21a-eed951e1e67b

BoomPlay – https://www.boomplaymusic.com/podcasts/96624

CastboxFM – https://castbox.fm/channel/id6132313

CastroFM – https://castro.fm/podcast/67110759-1bb9-4fd9-abcb-34113d42e945

CurioCaster – https://curiocaster.com/podcast/pi6894445

Fountain – https://fountain.fm/show/IURohE0rZPJr5h81wxbX

Goodpods – https://goodpods.com/podcasts/center-for-baptist-leadership-565673

iHeartRadio – https://iheart.com/podcast/170321203

iVoox – https://www.ivoox.com/en/podcast-center-for-baptist-leadership_sq_f12419733_1.html

Listen Notes – https://lnns.co/2Br0hw7p5R4

MoonFM – https://moon.fm/itunes/1743074575

PlayerFM – https://player.fm/series/3570081

PocketCasts – https://play.pocketcasts.com/podcasts/ddd92230-e3ff-013c-e7de-02cacb2c6223

PodcastAddict – https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/center-for-baptist-leadership/5090794

Podchaser – https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/the-center-for-baptist-leaders-5696654

PodcastRepublic – https://www.podcastrepublic.net/podcast/1743074575

TrueFans – https://truefans.fm/center-for-baptist-leadership

YouTube Podcasts – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFMvfuzJKMICA7wi3CXvQxdNtA_lqDFV