The Skit Guys, a comedy and teaching ministry founded three decades ago by two Baptists, has called it quits after co-founder Eddie James “had to resign from our ministry based on choices he made,” according to a statement.
“We are not sharing specific details, other than to say that Eddie had to step away from our ministry after he revealed choices he had made leading to a violation of our ministry’s standards and God’s requirements for marriage and ministry,” said the statement.
James has not commented on his departure, which Skit Guys co-founder Tommy Woodard referenced in his talk at the Celebrate Recovery 2025 Summit, held July 30–Aug. 1 at Saddleback Church in California. The pair normally appeared together at Celebrate Recovery events.
Neither bloggers nor media outlets reported on James’ departure, leading the ministry’s board to issue an announcement in November.
Woodard had been friends with James since high school, and in the statement he said his partner’s failure “caught me off guard,” adding, “I would love to sit down with each of you and explain everything, but I can’t.”
In Woodard’s brief Facebook video announcing the “bittersweet” news, he said he would continue and even expand the work, which has made the ministry one of the most popular sources for church videos, skits and scripts and other content used in evangelical churches, some of it made available for free on the ministry’s website and on YouTube.
“We’ll continue to be accessible,” said the statement. The ministry will rebrand as 231 Collective, which “is picking up this mantle and expanding the mission.” The store’s name will change in January, with purchases and subscriptions to continue, along with new weekly content.
James’ departure was first reported Nov. 24 by The Roys Report. Reporter Mark A. Kellner devoted a significant portion of his story to the Skit Guys’ Baptist roots and connections:
“The roots of The Skit Guys lie firmly in the Baptist tradition, according to biographical material and previous published interviews. Both Woodard and James have stated they were ‘raised Baptist,’ and their earliest performances were at First Baptist Church of Edmond, Okla., a congregation affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.”
“Woodard later became a pastor at Newchurch in Oklahoma City, a congregation that publicly presents itself as broadly evangelical and non-denominational in style, though it appears in Oklahoma Baptist (SBC state convention) listings.”
“James spent seven years on staff at Saddleback Church in California — long one of the SBC’s largest churches prior to its 2023 removal — before working with other Baptist and Baptist-affiliated congregations.”
Kellner pointed out that the Skit Guys’ audience transcended these Baptist ties, “as their public-facing ministry functioned as broadly non-denominational.”
Skit Guys is a tax-exempt nonprofit ministry that in 2024 had income of $1.5 million with $1.6 million in expenses. The bulk of its income came from product sales and subscriptions, with only $12,224 in contributions. Woodard hopes the new 231 Collective will increase its contributions income and create a foundation with $500,000 in funds.
In 2024, Skit Guys spent $543,192 on salaries, $379,200 on program services and $163,992 on overhead. James received $192,665 in compensation and other income while Woodard received $187,985.
Income surged to $2 million in fiscal year 2021 as the COVID pandemic kept many believers out of churches. In 2022, the Skit Guys released “Family Camp,” a full-length feature that earned $4 million at the box office and earned a 4.8 out of 10 rating on IMDB.