Today, we’re tackling a conversation that’s been making waves in certain evangelical circles.

I’m talking about the recent YouTube video “Controversial Pastors Predict Last Hope for America (Trump?)”. In it, Mark Driscoll and Josh McPherson of Grace City Church discuss what they believe to be the downfall of America and the American church. They take some pretty extreme positions—calling pastors cowards, equating the Democratic Party with satanic forces, and suggesting that Christian nationalism is not only biblical but necessary.

Now, I want to approach this with a spirit of both truth and love, because bad theology hurts people. And this kind of rhetoric? It’s not just misguided—it’s dangerous. So let’s get into it.

“Pastors Are Cowards” vs. Courageous Leadership

Driscoll and McPherson say that pastors who don’t talk about politics the way they do are cowards. That’s their word—cowards. They suggest that real leadership means standing against “woke evangelicals” and being aggressive in the political sphere.

But let me tell you something: courage in ministry doesn’t look like yelling from a pulpit about who people should vote for. It looks like walking alongside the people who’ve been marginalized, standing with the oppressed, and creating space for dialogue instead of division.

Jesus was a courageous leader, but he wasn’t out here trying to establish a theocratic government. He refused to be used as a political pawn. When people tried to make him king by force, he ran away from it (John 6:15). He wasn’t about seizing power—he was about serving people.

“Satan’s Closet” and Demonizing Democrats

Another wild claim they make is that any pastor who supports Democrats has come out of “Satan’s closet.” I mean… really?

Let’s be clear: Christianity is not a political party. Jesus didn’t check a box for the Roman Empire, and he certainly didn’t align himself with the religious and political elites of his time. If anything, he constantly challenged the people in power.

Reducing Christian faithfulness to voting Republican is theologically bankrupt. What about the Beatitudes? What about the prophets’ calls for justice? What about Jesus saying, “Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40)?

Loving your neighbor isn’t about enforcing a conservative agenda. It’s about advocating for policies that care for the poor, the sick, the immigrant, and the outcast. If that’s “woke,” then Jesus was woke.

“Big Eva and Soft Woke Seminaries”

They also attack seminaries and Christian institutions for supposedly making pastors weak. The idea here is that theological education makes pastors hesitant to take strong political stances.

Look, I’m a United Methodist pastor. Our tradition believes in reason as a key part of faith. John Wesley himself was deeply committed to education and critical thinking. Faith that doesn’t allow for questioning, growth, or study is not faith—it’s fundamentalism.

When they mock scholars and pastors who engage in thoughtful theology, what they’re really doing is dismissing the entire tradition of Christian intellectual thought. This is how you end up with bad theology that justifies Christian nationalism instead of the gospel of Jesus.

“Jesus is the Solution, You Are the Problem”

At one point, they basically say, “You’re a piece of crap and you need to change.” That’s how they frame evangelism. The problem with that? It’s not good news!

Wesleyan theology teaches that God’s grace is already at work in every person’s life before they even know it. That’s what we call prevenient grace. God doesn’t look at you and say, “You’re garbage.” God looks at you and says, “You are beloved, and I’m calling you into something greater.”

Shame-based evangelism is not the gospel. It’s spiritual abuse. The gospel is an invitation into transformation, not condemnation.

“Voting for Democrats is the Greatest Evil”

They frame voting as a clear-cut battle between good and evil. You either vote Republican, or you’re complicit in satanic evil.

Friends, this is not how faith works. There are faithful Christians who vote Democrat, Republican, Independent, or don’t vote at all. A faithful vote is one that is prayerful, informed, and based on your convictions about justice, love, and human dignity.

No political party fully represents the kingdom of God. If anything, we should all be skeptical of any party that claims to have a monopoly on righteousness.

“America is a Christian Nation and Nationalism is Biblical”

They also push this idea that America was founded as a Christian nation and that nationalism is God’s plan. They even argue that the Tower of Babel proves God is against globalism.

Here’s the problem: that’s not biblical.

The Tower of Babel story isn’t about nationalism—it’s about human arrogance. And Jesus? He was constantly breaking down barriers between nations and ethnic groups. The gospel is about all people, not just one country.

Christian nationalism is idolatry. It replaces the kingdom of God with the empire of America. And let’s be honest—America has never fully lived up to Christian values. Slavery? Genocide of Indigenous people? Systemic racism? We have a long way to go before we can call ourselves a Christian nation in any meaningful way.

“If You Separate from Evangelicalism, You’re Anointed”

Another dangerous claim they make is that if you get “cut off” from mainstream evangelicalism, it means you’re anointed. This idea feeds into a persecution complex, where anyone who criticizes them is proof that they’re “right.”

That’s not anointing—that’s self-isolation.

Jesus built community. He didn’t retreat into a bunker of people who agreed with him. He sat at tables with Pharisees, tax collectors, sinners, and seekers. He engaged in conversation, not just monologues.

Healthy faith is about connection, not cultish isolation.

“Forgiveness Is Required for Anointing” (But Not for Political Enemies?)

They talk a lot about forgiveness being essential for God’s blessing. And you know what? That part is actually true.

But here’s the thing—they don’t apply it to their political enemies.

Jesus calls us to forgive everyone. That includes people who disagree with us politically. That includes people we don’t like. If they were serious about this theology, they wouldn’t spend an hour demonizing Democrats, progressive Christians, and seminary-trained pastors.

Forgiveness isn’t just personal—it’s systemic. It means working toward reconciliation, justice, and healing in our communities.

Final Thoughts: A Call to True Discipleship

Look, I know that fear-based Christianity is loud right now. And I know that a lot of people feel like the world is changing in ways that make them uncomfortable.

But discipleship isn’t about clinging to power. It’s about love. It’s about grace. It’s about building the kingdom of God, not enforcing a political agenda.

So if you’re hearing messages that make you feel afraid, that tell you that you have to vote a certain way or be on the “right team” to be saved, take a step back. Ask yourself: Is this the way of Jesus?

Because the way of Jesus is not control. It’s liberation. It’s justice. It’s radical love.

So go be Jesus in the world. Not in fear, but in hope. Not in power, but in love. Not in nationalism, but in the kingdom of God.

Thanks for reading, and as always—Go Be Jesus to someone today.