January 1, 2026
The Solomon Foundation: An Example of Wise Succession
Joshua Means will succeed Doug Crozier as CEO of the Solomon Foundation.
Articles for tag: Doug Crozier
October 31, 2024
A Trustworthy Ministry
It’s hard to know which organizations to trust today, but you can tell much about an organization that pours into you when it has nothing to gain. The Solomon Foundation was encouraging me and mentoring me long before I worked for a church associated with their network of churches.
The Solomon Foundation’s Impact
A bottom line measured in outreach, church attendance, and baptisms . . .
December 13, 2023
‘A God Thing’: RENEW.org Helps Spur Dialogue Among Independent and Noninstrumental Church Leaders
The discipleship group RENEW.org on Dec. 5-6 organized a conference for young leaders in Independent Christian Churches, noninstrumental Churches of Christ, and African American Churches of Christ in an effort to bring greater unity to major streams of the Restoration Movement. They gathered at Harding University. . . .
October 23, 2023
Rusty George Becomes Lead Pastor at Crossroads Christian Church in Texas
Rusty George was welcomed as the new lead pastor of Crossroads Christian Church, Grand Prairie, Texas, on Oct. 15. He had served with Real Life Church in Valencia, Calif., for the past 20 years . . .
July 26, 2023
Riggins Named President of The Solomon Foundation (Plus News Briefs)
Ryan Riggins has joined The Solomon Foundation as president. He will work closely with CEO Doug Crozier to ensure the vision of the fast-growing church extension fund is translated into day-to-day operations. . . . Plus news briefs from Kentucky Christian University, Williamstown (Ky.) Christian Church, and more.
March 1, 2023
Living by Grace in a Challenging World
By Doug Crozier In his 2012 book titled Grace, Max Lucado wrote, “Grace is God’s best idea. His decision to ravage a people by love, to rescue passionately, and to restore justly—what rivals it? Of all his wondrous works, grace, in my estimation, is the magnum opus.” Our challenge as Christians in today’s world and culture is to live and breathe and exhibit God’s grace. We will do so by following the roadmap God gave us in the Old and New Testaments. The Bible is the inerrant Word of God! In my work with The Solomon Foundation, borrowers have a
January 1, 2023
Is There Still a Standard to Be Raised?
By Jerry Harris This issue marks the completion of six years since Christian Standard was faced with its consignment to history. In December 2016, Doug Crozier, CEO of The Solomon Foundation, received a phone call informing him of the impending shuttering of the magazine. First published in the spring of 1866, Christian Standard quickly became the voice of the fastest-growing religious movement of the 19th century; the publication was desperately needed after the ravages of the Civil War. It persevered through division, liberalism, two world wars, and the Great Depression. In 2006, Wicks Group, a private equity firm, purchased Standard
November 1, 2022
Dream a Dream So Big . . .
By Jerry Harris For almost two decades, Doug Crozier has had big dreams for The Crossing, my Midwestern church home for 25-plus years. And all during that time, Doug has worked with us to remove whatever obstacles stood in the way. When the idea of a multisite church was still in its infancy, The Crossing decided to reach out into micropolitan and rural communities with a fresh approach to the gospel. Conversations with Doug gave us the confidence to push forward beyond what we ever imagined. Eleven campuses and thousands of baptisms later, the dreams we dared to imagine have
Make Sure You and Your Ministry Are Healthy
By Doug Crozier You can’t avoid it. The health of your ministry is tied to your personal and professional health. Many leaders (me included) have learned this lesson too late; we continue to push harder because we passionately want to grow God’s kingdom. Working hard is one thing; overworking is another. Since transitioning from the corporate world almost 30 years ago, I have dedicated my life and ministry to the Restoration Movement. It was a big change, but I have never regretted it. After many periods of burnout in my life, I began to develop a plan to break these
Higher, Faster, Stronger, Smarter
Compiled by Renee Little Four church leaders who have worked with or are working with The Solomon Foundation on building projects offered to share their experiences. Here’s what they had to say. HIGHER Chad Goucher, The Refinery in Phoenix, Arizona Many times in my life I’ve felt as if, from a leadership perspective, I was hitting my head on the ceiling. I knew there was something “higher,” something more, something I couldn’t tap into on my own. As a pastor leading a church charged with helping people find and know Jesus, being able to break through that ceiling and finding
November 1, 2021
Joy Within Your Legacy
By Megan Rawlings Ministry requires money . . . sometimes, a lot of money. All churches and ministries have bills and payrolls and need to buy supplies. So, how can a Christian organization access funds to help with their expenses? Let’s first look to the ultimate role model. During his earthly ministry, Jesus had physical needs just as we all do. But he had consistent support from his followers. Everywhere he went, people were willing to take care of him and his disciples; they donated their time and personal possessions to further his calling. Men and women participated in his
September 1, 2021
Investing in Leadership
During COVID-19, church leaders experienced change, loss, and pain. Those who remained steadfast in their approach by setting goals and persevering ultimately made it through.
April 7, 2021
Defining Moments: Celebrating a 155-Year Anniversary that Almost Didn’t Happen
In early 2017, if The Solomon Foundation not come to the rescue, Christian Standard would not be celebrating its 155th anniversary today.
February 1, 2021
Talk About It
At some point we stopped talking to one another. Communication has become a mesh of texting, social media posts, and emails—all of it one-way dialogue that doesn’t involve seeing a face or hearing a voice. Gone are the days of eating meals together and hanging around the table long after the food has disappeared from our plates. Faded are the memories of stopping by a friend’s house just to say hello, or of picking up the phone on Sunday afternoon to call home to update Mom on the events of the week. The forced isolation imposed by the coronavirus surely
December 2, 2020
The Solomon Foundation Celebrating 10 Years (Plus News Briefs)
This coming Monday marks one of three key dates in the 10-year anniversary celebration of The Solomon Foundation, the nation’s fastest-growing church extension fund. On Dec. 7, 2010, TSF had its first board meeting in Indianapolis. Elected to that first board were Barry Cameron, Jerry Harris, Chris Philbeck, Jim Putman, Tony Burgarello, Gary Beyschau, Jim Tune, and Doug Crozier (ex officio). Crozier was appointed chief executive officer and Cameron was elected as the first chairman of the board. Two other key events in the history of TSF occurred about that same time. On Oct. 29, 2010, in the Green Room
September 29, 2020
News Briefs for Sept. 29
Compiled by Jim Nieman Several people who serve with Ozark Christian College and Christ In Youth described the close ties between the school and ministry in a video posted on their respective Facebook pages. Bob Stacy started CIY in 1968 while serving as a professor at Ozark. Through the years, many CIY participants have been inspired to attend OCC. (Many other Christian universities also have reaped a harvest that CIY helped to plant and water.) COVID-19 hit CIY particularly hard, forcing cancellation of all of its summer conferences. The video also serves as an appeal for support for CIY. (We described the
August 5, 2020
Best Christian Workplaces Listed (Plus News Briefs)
Compiled by Jim Nieman The Best Christian Workplace Institute has honored 76 faith-based organizations as Certified Best Christian Workplaces for 2020. Among those churches, mission organizations, and parachurch ministries honored: • 2|42 Community Church, Brighton, Mich. • Canyon Ridge Christian Church, Las Vegas, Nev. • Compass Christian Church, Chandler, Ariz. • Northridge Christian Church, Milledgeville, Ga. • StoneBridge Christian Church, Omaha, Neb. • CDF Capital, Irvine, Calif. • Christian Children’s Home of Ohio, Wooster, Ohio • Cookson Hills, Kansas, Okla. _ _ _ News Briefs Hope International University, Fullerton, Calif., will begin fall semester in a remote learning arrangement. In
July 22, 2020
News Briefs for July 22
Compiled by Jim Nieman Kentucky Christian University president Terry Allcorn hosts A Restoration Podcast weekly to learn from Christian leaders who are moving the Restoration Movement forward. Among those he has interviewed recently: Matt Wilson of Ekklesia Christian Church in Conway, S.C. (the fastest-growing large church in our most recent survey); Doug Crozier, CEO of The Solomon Foundation; and Douglas Foster, a leading Restoration Movement scholar. _ _ _ Restoration House Ministries’ next church plant—scheduled for 2021—will be Beacon Church in southern New Hampshire. Calvin and Tara Daly are serving as planters. A video about the plant is available at
TSF, CDF, CFR Helping Partner Churches to Weather COVID-19
The three church extension funds that provide loans to independent Christian churches and churches of Christ have been working to accommodate and help their partner churches during the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Solomon Foundation has thus far helped 34 churches secure $8.4 million in SBA Payroll Protection Program forgivable loans through its bank partnerships. TSF also initiated a special program for those unable to obtain PPP funds which has provided grants totaling more than $425,000 to 26 churches and organizations. (TSF and 13 partnering churches provided funds for this endeavor.) Additionally, the TSF Tithe program disbursed
