For years now, I’ve said that Christianity wouldn’t exist today if it weren’t for its leaders grabbing and wielding legal powers of coercion 1800 years ago, then protecting it with everything they had. In recent decades, secular governments have been peeling away those powers bit by bit. But amid more Read more
You know it’s summer when we finally see our first SBC metrics drop! Last time we met up, I showed you some details of those metrics from the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)—and how those figures paint the picture of a struggling, rapidly-polarizing behemoth entering its managed-decline phase. But as we’ll Read more
Our Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Summer officially kicks off with the 2025 SBC metrics dropping at last! Today, let’s take a first look at the figures they shared—and talk about what those figures mean. (This post and its audio ‘cast first went live on Patreon on 5/12/2026. They’re both available Read more
On April 13, 2026, Baptist Press announced that Evan Lenow would be the new president of their beleaguered Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC). They’ve struggled for years to find one that seems to satisfy them, but this time the candidate might last more than a few years. That’s because Read more
As the decline of Christianity continues ever onward, let’s visit some beloved evangelical myths about how and why a small church grows—or withers on the vine. This goes far past what we talked about recently regarding church economics! The reality is far more pedestrian, of course, but it’s also something Read more
For a year now, many Christians have been thrilled about the so-called ‘Quiet Revival‘. This is a revival they think is happening behind the scenes all over the Western world. Even better (from their viewpoint), it mostly involves Gen Z too, meaning that Christianity’s demographics death spiral is reversing! Unfortunately, Read more
Churches have long been mainstays of American culture, particularly in smaller towns. But of late, churches have become a losing proposition for pastors. More and more of them are struggling to handle rising operational costs, not to mention dwindling membership. The worse Christianity’s decline gets, the more obvious it becomes Read more
A recent slew of changes to Jehovah’s Witnesses doctrines and practices has got people reeling in dizziness, and for good reason. It’s rare to see such a high-control religious group going this far to soften its weirder, more cultish aspects. But as we’ll see, they wouldn’t be doing it if Read more
Even before evangelicals realized they were in a full decline, they pushed hard on the idea of the offense of the gospel. This is the idea that somehow, their religion’s message massively offends normies. But ‘the gospel’ isn’t offensive at all. It’s evangelism that is offensive, and evangelicals have no Read more
Big-name Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) leader Richard Land had some sad news to share with the flocks last month: Jerry Johnson, a die-hard SBC culture warrior who held important leadership roles within the denomination, had converted to Catholicism. More than that, though, Richard Land had some opinions about this conversion. Read more