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Reporting the Truth.
Restoring the Church.

about the roys report

The Roys Report is a Christian media outlet, reporting the unvarnished truth about what’s happening in the Christian community so the church can be reformed and restored.

Founded by investigative journalist Julie Roys, The Roys Report began as a personal blog where Julie published her commentaries and occasional investigative pieces while working as a national radio host on Moody Radio. However, in 2018, Julie published a series of articles on her website, exposing corruption and mission drift at the Moody Bible Institute. This led to the exit of three top officers at Moody. It also ended Julie’s relationship with Moody and changed the focus of Julie’s website—from a blog offering cultural commentary to an independent Christian media outlet exposing corruption, abuse, and what’s been termed the “evangelical industrial complex.” 

In 2018—2019, Julie wrote dozens of stories, revealing bullying, deceit, and financial abuse by celebrity preacher James MacDonald and Harvest Bible Chapel. In the course of her reporting, Harvest fired MacDonald and the entire board of elders at the church resigned.    

Other issues Julie has exposed include the sexual misconduct of Ravi Zacharias; protection of pedophiles and punishment of abuse victims by John MacArthur;  sexual abuse and mismanagement at Willow Creek Community Church; and a pattern of bullying and abuse within the Acts 29 church planting network. 

Julie Roys

Julie Roys is a veteran investigative reporter and founder of The Roys Report. Before that, she hosted a national talk show on the Moody Radio Network called Up For Debate. She’s also worked as a TV reporter for a CBS affiliate, and as a newswriter for both WGN-TV and Fox News Chicago. Julie is an author and has written for numerous periodicals, including WORLD Magazine, Christianity Today, Religion News Service, and The Federalist

Julie holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL, and a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from the prestigious Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. 

Julie and her husband, Neal, live in the Chicago suburbs and have three children and two grandchildren.

Julie is also a member of The Roys Report Board of Directors.

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Wendy Seidman

Wendy Seidman has been equipping and coaching church leaders for over 25 years. She was executive director of training and content development for what’s currently called the Global Leadership Network. She also served as a consultant and chief learning officer for Lead Like Jesus. And she worked as a consultant with Compassion International, co-leading a global cultural change initiative to equip leaders to live, love, and lead more like Jesus. She has personally experienced a toxic culture—what creates it and how it enables toxic leadership. And she has used that experience to help other leaders avoid making similar mistakes. Wendy lives in the Chicagoland area with her husband and three children. 

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Steve Joe

Steve Joe is a retired business and IT consultant. For over 30 years, he worked in operations and technology development in capital markets where he led small teams as a means of shaping the values and culture of an organization. From 2013-2020, he worked as a business analyst and consultant for The Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Before that, he managed quality assurance and support teams for NationsBank Corporation and The Bank of America Corporation. In these roles, Steve has learned the importance of reporting ‘showstoppers’ that could disrupt business and impact a firm’s reputation. These days, Steve seeks to pass on the lessons he has learned by mentoring local Christian leaders. Also a person of color, Steve is passionate about providing a voice to the voiceless. Steve is a never-married single and lives in the Chicagoland area. 

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Dr. Carol Ferrans

Dr. Carol Ferrans has been a university professor for more than 30 years at the University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Nursing.  She is a well-known researcher, author, and teacher, known internationally for her work in cancer and quality of life.  Her work has been instrumental in reducing deaths from breast cancer in Chicago, particularly for Black women, and has received numerous awards.  She brings a wealth of leadership and administrative experience to the board, sharing a passion for healing and restored health in the church.  She is married with two sons.

Christine N. Jones

Christine N. Jones is a top American litigator, business executive, and civic leader who has a passion to protect the vulnerable. Until 2012, she served as general counsel for GoDaddy. During her time there, she helped drive federal Internet-related legislation, including laws to keep the internet safe from child predators like the Protect Our Children Act and the Keeping the Internet Devoid of Sexual Predators Act. Christine also practiced law at Beus Gilbert, which has been ranked as one of the top law firms in the country. She also served several years as the COO of the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Christine recently launched her own firm, Newman Jones, a private law firm in Arizona, which specializes in representing victims of abuse in churches and Christian organizations. 

LANCE FORD

Lance Ford is an author, church planter, coach, and consultant who has designed unique training systems currently being used by networks, seminaries, and leaders throughout the world. He has written several books including UnLeaderThe Missional Quest, and The Starfish and the Spirit. His latest book is The Atlas Factor: Shifting Leadership Onto the Shoulders of Jesus. Lance holds a master’s degree in Global Leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary. Lance lives in the Florida Panhandle with his wife, Sherri, and their three goldendoodles.

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The Rev. Eirik Olsen

The Rev. Eirik Olsen has been a priest in the Anglican Church for the last 15 years, and in pastoral care ministry for over 25 years. He has theological training from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, and Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania. He also has an MBA from the University of Chicago and worked bi-vocationally for many years the healthcare industry. Eirik is married and has six grown children and five grandchildren. He currently pastors a small church in Kenosha, WI, and serves as the Dean of Wisconsin within the Upper MIdwest Diocese of the Anglican Church in America. Eirik provides spiritual care and direction for The Roys Report and very much shares the ministry’s desire for accountability, transformation, and healing in the church. 

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Hi. We see this is the third article this month you’ve found worth reading. Great! Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to help our journalists continue to report the truth and restore the church?

Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of “The Atlas Factor: Shifting Leadership Onto the Shoulders of Jesus” by Lance Ford.