Josh Howerton, a Southern Baptist pastor in the Dallas area, has landed a deal with Blaze Media to expand the reach of his podcast "Live Free."

Josh Howerton, a Southern Baptist pastor in the Dallas area, has landed a deal with Blaze Media to expand the reach of his podcast “Live Free.”

Blaze Media

An evangelical Dallas-area pastor has landed a deal with an influential conservative media company to expand the reach of his podcast.

Josh Howerton, senior pastor of Rockwall-based Lakepointe Church and host of the “Live Free” podcast, is joining the lineup of Glenn Beck’s Blaze Media. Howerton and the company announced the new partnership this month.

Howerton, who leads one of the largest Southern Baptist megachurch networks in Texas, has emerged in recent years as a controversial leader in conservative Christian circles. 

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In sermons and on his weekly podcast, Howerton explores scripture and biblical teachings, but frequently delves into politics and culture, including his support for President Donald Trump and the administration’s mass deportation of migrants and opposition to abortion and gay rights. Howerton leads a congregation of more than 20,000 at numerous locations across North Texas, including Dallas, Forney and Mesquite.

Related: Dallas-area megachurch pastor draws criticism online for wedding night ‘joke’

Howerton did not respond Tuesday to a phone call or a message sent through his website. The 43-year-old pastor said on X last week that he looks forward to “telling everybody everywhere the good news of Jesus Christ” and applying “the whole word of God to the issues of the whole world.”

“Live Free” has more than 1 million subscribers on YouTube and is currently ranked 2nd in Apple Podcasts’ religion and spirituality category and 39th overall. 

“Josh has built something rare: a podcast with genuine chart momentum and a growing audience that’s actively looking for clarity on faith and culture,” said Tyler Cardon, CEO of Blaze Media. “‘Live Free’ fits naturally into our lineup, and we think our distribution can help Josh reach even more people hungry for the truth.”

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Details of the contract were not made available, and Blaze Media did not respond to an email seeking more information.

The company was founded in 2011 as TheBlaze by Beck, a conservative media personality who previously worked for Fox News. It became Blaze News in 2018 after merging with another media group.

Howerton appears a natural fit for the Irving-based company, whose podcast lineup includes several conservative commentators, including Beck, Allie Beth Stuckey and Jason Whitlock. 

Howerton said on X his content will remain the same. On his podcast and on the pulpit, he often wades into issues of sex, marriage and relationships.

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In a 2024 sermon, he told women they should do whatever their husbands want on their wedding night: “stand where he tells you to stand, wear what he tells you to wear and do what he tells you to do.”

The sermon sparked an uproar online, with accusations that Howerton sought to normalize or make light of sexual coercion.

Howerton defended the remarks, which he called an “old preacher joke,” but later apologized for the wording.

Howerton has spoken frequently about the role women should play in marriage, which he calls a “godly wife,” who is a “sexual blessing” to her husband, avoids quarreling with him and chooses godly friends. 

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Related: Texas has more than 200 megachurches. Here are the biggest