The Christian sketch-comedy and drama duo “The Skit Guys” ended its nearly 30-year ministry partnership, following the abrupt departure of co-founder Eddie James over an unspecified moral failure.
The announcement was posted last week on SkitGuys.com and in a video address by co-founder Tommy Woodard. It surprised supporters who have followed the team since its 1990s emergence as one of the most widely used church-content sources in the evangelical world.
According to the ministry’s public statement, “after almost 30 years of ministry together, The Skit Guys, as you know us — that’s coming to an end.”
Woodard explained that his creative ministry will continue under a new banner, 231 Collective. He also explained that the change followed James’ sudden exit.
“Yeah, it caught me off guard, too,” Woodard told supporters.
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Tommy Woodard, left, and Eddie James of The Skit Guys in a promotional image. (Video screengrab)
He added he wished for greater transparency: “I would love to sit down with each of you and explain everything, but I can’t.”
The online statement said James’ departure was the result of “a moral failure,” without further explanation.
Woodard told viewers, “But what I can do is tell you this did not catch God off guard. Yeah, he saw it coming and and in ways that I couldn’t see, he has been carrying me through some of the most difficult days in life.”
The video revealed that James “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.” As to online content featuring James’ contributions, “We’ve made difficult decisions to remove certain content while carefully reviewing our entire library.”
Widely known for their blend of comedy, relational themes, and accessible storytelling, The Skit Guys grew from performing youth-group sketches in Oklahoma to producing one of the most extensive catalogs of sermon illustrations, short films, seasonal mini-movies and scripts used by churches nationwide.
Their videos have accumulated tens of millions of views online, and their feature film “Family Camp” (2022) marked their entry into theatrical comedy.
Promotional image for film ‘Family Camp’ (Courtesy image)
For many churches — large and small — the pair’s work became a staple resource, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their free online programming, including Bedtime Bible Stories and SGTV, offered family-oriented encouragement during nationwide lockdowns.
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, Oklahoma, 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.
Their careers and early spiritual formation place both men within the Baptist and Baptist-rooted evangelical world, even as their public-facing ministry functioned as broadly non-denominational.
Eddia James in a video posted in spring 2020. (Video screengrab)
Woodard explained that the new name, 231 Collective, was inspired by an Old Testament artistic calling.
“That name comes from Exodus, the second book of the Bible, chapter 31. This is the first place that we see God’s Spirit poured out on someone. And it’s not a prophet, a priest or king, it’s an artist. His name’s Bezalel.”
He added, “This calling is not singular. It’s ours to answer together collectively.”
Woodard described the new organization’s purpose as one committed to culture-shaping creative output. “Our mission: cultivate stories that transform our vision, flood the world with art that disrupts heals and points people to the truth.”
Woodard said the next phase of ministry will include a larger slate of productions and a new financial model that emphasizes freely distributed content. “We will build a foundation for long term cultural impact, and we will launch a new wave of transformational content that includes original children’s series, reality TV shows, books, films and much more.”
He said the new work requires a strong financial foundation. “To do this, we want to start by building a foundational base of $500,000.”
Tommy Woodard promotes 231 Collective (Video screengrab)
The shift involves a significant departure from previous production practices. Woodard acknowledged that the team had often limited their creative scope because of financial concerns.
“We spent way too many years creating what we could afford to create, and then asking God to bless it. And while there may be some wisdom in that, I promise you, our motivation was more based on fear and a lack of faith.”
The goal now, he said, is to ask a different question: “Instead of creating and asking God to bless, we’re going to say to God, what can we create that blesses you?”
The new ministry, he added, aims to move toward generosity-funded media. “We’re working towards a future where all of this content is generosity funded and freely shared. Ultimately, we want to give it all away. Why? Because our motivation is revival and revelation, not revenue.”
Woodard acknowledged the emotional difficulty and uncertainty surrounding the transition. “I know this is a lot to take in, and you probably have questions,” he said.
Eddie James, right, and Tommy Woodard of The Skit Guys performing in 2023. (Photo: Facebook)
He directed viewers to the “change” webpage on which his video appears.
He closed the message by asking supporters to intercede for the ministry’s future, saying, “We do ask that you be praying for us as we start this new endeavor that God has for us.”
As of publication, James has not released his own public statement, and the ministry has not offered further details about the circumstances of his exit. The change marks the first time the organization has functioned without both of its co-founders since its earliest days in Oklahoma youth ministry.
Still, Woodard urged supporters to join the next phase of the journey. “So, let’s do it. Let’s answer Bezalel’s call again. Let’s flood the world with stories that transform.”
Mark A. Kellner is a reporter based in Mesquite, Nevada. He most recently covered statewide elections for the New York Post and was for three years the Faith & Family Reporter for The Washington Times. Mark is a graduate of the University of the Cumberlands and also attended Boston University’s College of Communication.
