Rock That Doesn't Roll: The Story of Christian Music

• Accountability for Michael Tait (DC Talk, Newsboys) and Sean Feucht (ft. Kelsey Kramer McGinnis)

  Michael Tait, most recently lead singer of The Newsboys and also well known as one third of DC Talk, confessed to accusations of sexual assault and drug abuse on June 10, 2025. This came after deeply reported investigations into his behavior were published first by The Roys Report and then by The Guardian. The day before this news broke, whistleblowers accused the worship leader best known for right wing political agitation, Sean Feucht, of financial misappropriation and spiritually coercive leadership tactics. Hosts Leah Payne and Andrew Gill discuss the two scandals and what each of these figures mean in the context of American evangelicalism. They're joined by Kelsey Kramer McGinnis, a musicologist and worship correspondent for Christianity Today. Her Substack piece on both men is very insightful.  Additional reading:Hayley Williams on Michael TaitKelsey's book "The Myth of Good Christian Parenting"Support this show:Patreon (join via the website, not the iOS app)

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• Season Three Update

  A short update on progress towards season three of Rock That Doesn't Roll. Leah's limited-run podcast, Spirit and Power.

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• Lo! A Christmas Special!

  Buy tickets for our live show in Chicago on January 5!It's the second annual Rock That Doesn't Roll CCM Christmas Song Awards!Listen to find out what awards Amy Grant, Sarah Masen, Carman, Stryper and David Meece won this year.Do you have a song that deserves an award? Leave us a message at (629) 777-6336.If you want more seasons of Rock That Doesn’t Roll, you can support us on Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/rtdrYou can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing [email protected] up for our Substack to keep up with show developments.Buy RTDR merch here.

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• The Art House (ft. Charlie Peacock and Andi Ashworth)

  Charlie Peacock is a renowned figure in the music industry for his solo albums, production work, songwriting and his record label RE:Think, which launched Switchfoot and Sarah Mason. Outside of the music industry spotlight he and his wife Andi Ashworth were creating a very unique space in Nashville called The Art House. Their experiences with The Art House inspired their recent book, "Why Everything That Doesn't Matter, Matters So Much: The Way of Love in a World of Hurt." Leah actually worked at The Art House more than 20 years ago, so we were eager to talk with Charlie and Andi about this book. To hear the full hour-long interview, visit our Patreon. In the Patreon-only version of this episode, Charlie also shares which collaborator he considers one of the best songwriters in the world.Do you have a Christian rock story to tell? Leave us a message at (629) 777-6336.If you want more seasons of Rock That Doesn’t Roll, you can support us on Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/rtdrYou can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing [email protected] up for our Substack to keep up with show developments.Buy RTDR merch here.

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• Youth Group Demon Hunting (ft. Jordan Morris)

  Jordan Morris is a long time podcaster, comedy writer and creator and co-writer of the two-time Eisner-nominated graphic novel Bubble (based on the hit podcast). His new graphic novel, co-written with artist Bowen McCurdy is Youth Group. It draws on Jordan's real life experiences in a Orange County California youth groups in the 1990s, but adds literal demon hunting to the list of church-approved activities. In the Patreon-only version of this episode, he also shares a story about Christian summer camp and we share ideas for casting a film adaptation of Youth Group.Do you have a Christian rock story to tell? Leave us a message at (629) 777-6336.If you want more seasons of Rock That Doesn’t Roll, you can support us on Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/rtdrYou can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing [email protected] up for our Substack to keep up with show developments.Buy RTDR merch here.

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