The Churches Who Pretend

📓Church History: Abortion wasn't always the big church issue it is today. Years after Roe v. Wade, leaders of the “Religious Right” picked it as their rallying cry – not because it was their main concern, but because they needed something to unite churches behind them. Their real worry? Religious schools were about to lose their tax breaks over discrimination issues. The moral outrage was strategic; the money was the real motivation. Before tax their exemption status was threatened, organizations like the Southern Baptist Convention endorsed a woman’s right to choose abortion and then reaffirmed that again in a second resolution. (SBC 1) (SBC 2)

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• Main Article- The Churches Who Pretend

• Book Suggestions

• Documentary Highlight

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THE CHURCHES WHO PRETEND

By Kenton Farr

Back in Bible college, I had a professor who gave me advice I'll never forget. "When leading in your church," he said, "remember you can only spend the change you have in your pocket. If you spend more, you overdraw and too much will get you fired." He was talking about a church's tolerance for change - or being challenged. The idea was simple: the longer you're there, the better you do, the more currency you build up to make changes.

Years later, I found myself living that lesson in the hardest way. Picture this: I'm sitting in a meeting with my volunteer leaders, and someone excitedly suggests a new Bible study they swear is "simply amazing." My stomach drops because I instantly recognize its ties to Christian nationalism. And there it is - that split-second decision every pastor dreads. Do I nod politely and say I'll look into it, knowing I'll never approve it? Or do I speak up right there and address the false teaching taking root in this leader's life? In my head, I'm counting my change: do I have enough to spend on this battle? Should I save it for something bigger down the road? Do I even care?

I'm ashamed to admit that most times, I chose silence. I deflected. I minimized. I told myself it wasn't that big a deal. But here's the thing about Christian nationalism: it's everywhere these days - in politics, in our social media feeds, and woven throughout our churches. And when church leaders do what I did - when we choose silence over truth-telling - we're letting something dangerous grow unchecked.

Here's what's actually happening in our churches when we stay quiet:

First off, we play the "not our problem" game. You know how it goes: "Oh, that's just happening in those other churches." But let me tell you something I've learned the hard way: pretending something isn't in your church doesn't make it disappear. It just gives it more room to grow when nobody's looking.

And here's something most congregants don't realize: Christian nationalism isn't always wearing a name tag. It shows up in those little comments during Bible study. It's in those "casual" political conversations before service starts. It's even hiding in some of our sermons, twisting Jesus's messages about love and humility into something that looks more like power and control. That's not just getting the Bible wrong - it's leading people away from what Jesus actually taught.

Remember that change in my pocket my professor talked about? Here's the brutal truth: sometimes we're not just saving it - we're hoarding it. We're so worried about spending our influence that we forget why we have it in the first place. When churches stay quiet about Christian nationalism, we're basically giving it our blessing. I know that sounds harsh, but think about it - if we're not speaking against it, we're letting it blend right into our church culture.

So what's the answer? Churches need to start calling this out for what it is. This isn't about picking political sides - it's about protecting what Jesus actually taught. Every time we let those little comments slide, every time we avoid the hard conversations, we're letting this problem grow bigger.

Let's be real: speaking up isn't easy. Trust me, I know. No one wants to get fired, destroy the church, or have to lay off staff. But if we're serious about following Jesus, we can't keep pretending this isn't our problem. Friends, it's time to spend some of that change in our pockets, even if it makes us uncomfortable. For sure, it’s a risk, but what is the cost of silence? That's a debt our churches can't afford to keep carrying.

BOOK SUGGESTION

• The Power Worshippers by Katherine Stewart- [View on Amazon]

• Jesus & John Wayne- [View on Amazon] (Previous recommendation)

DOCUMENTARY HIGHLIGHT