Longtime Christian sketch-comedy team “The Skit Guys” has ended its nearly three-decade partnership after co-founder Eddie James abruptly stepped down in what the ministry described as an “ethical failure.”
The announcement was shared last week on SkitGuys.com and in a video message from co-founder Tommy Woodard. In its public statement, the ministry simply said that “After nearly 30 years of ministry, The Skit Guys, as you know us – it is coming to an end.”
It said, “We are not sharing specific details, except that Eddy had to step away from our ministry because he revealed choices he made that violated our ministry’s standards and God’s requirements for marriage and ministry.”
“Scripture is clear that leaders are called to be above reproach (1 Timothy 3:1-7), and we hold our ministry leaders to that high standard. We all fall short of God’s standards, and we remain supportive of Eddie and his family and respectful of their privacy.”
The ministry said “this has been an extremely painful season” for James’ family, adding: “We continue to pray for healing and God’s grace on his family. We ask that you do the same and respect their privacy.”
In his video message, Woodard told viewers that he planned to continue creating faith-based content under a new name, 231 Collective, and acknowledged that the change was triggered by James’ sudden departure. “Yeah, it surprised me too,” he said.
“I would love to sit down with each of you and explain everything, but I can’t do that,” Woodard said. He said he wished he could provide more information.
Woodard said that some existing content featuring James has already been removed while the organization reviews its entire catalog and stressed that the turmoil has not shaken his faith.
“It didn’t surprise God,” he said. “In ways I couldn’t see, He was leading me through some of the hardest days of my life.”
Founded in Oklahoma, The Skit Guys grew from youth-group performers to one of the most prolific church-media producers in evangelical circles. Their work gained even wider prominence during the COVID-19 shutdown, when free programs like Bedtime Bible Stories and SGTV provided a source of encouragement to families during months of isolation. The duo also released their first theatrical feature, “Family Camp”, in 2022.
Woodard and James previously told The Christian Post that they believe humor should be an essential part of a Christian’s life, as it “breaks down barriers and allows truth to penetrate.”
Woodard said, “If you can make people laugh, you can also make people listen, and then you should have something good to say.” “We like to say we’re more pastors than clowns, so at the end of the day, we get the local church, not just the big megachurch, but the local church, where they’re going day in and day out, and just trying to touch souls. We, for the last 30 years, have always been about them.”
He said, “We’ve always tried to walk that line where Christians can laugh at themselves and at pop culture and still say, ‘Those people are for us; those people are not against us. They’re not making fun of us, so we can laugh at ourselves.'” “I really believe that laughter can break down walls so God can come in.”
Woodard previously served as pastor at Newchurch in Oklahoma City, while James spent seven years on the staff at Saddleback Church in California before working with other Baptist-affiliated ministries.
In his video, Woodard explained that the name of the new ministry, 231 Collective, takes inspiration from Exodus 31, which describes the Spirit of God empowering the artisan Bezalel. “This call is not an individual one,” he said. “It is our job to respond collectively.”
Woodard said the new organization would pursue a broader range of creative projects and prioritize content that could be distributed at no cost. He said, “Our mission: to develop stories that change our vision, filling the world with art that disturbs, heals, and leads people to truth.”
He outlined plans for children’s series, reality programming, books, films, and other media, and said the ministry hoped to build a financial base of $500,000 to begin its next chapter. The change, he said, marks a major change from previous years, when limited budgets often dictated what teams would create.
“We spent years building what we could and then asked God for a blessing,” Woodard said. Going forward, he said, the goal is instead to ask, “What can we create that will bless you?”
“Our motivation is revival and revelation, not revenue,” he said.
On their website, Skitguys noted that the situation has had an immeasurable impact “on the life-long friendship” between James and Woodard, who wrote a book on the friendship together in 2021. Smells Like Bacon: The Skit Guy’s Guide to Lifelong Friendships.
“Both (James and Woodard) are processing this on their own terms and in their own ways, working their own way toward healing and forgiveness. Please pray for them both as they heal.”
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com
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