The Fracturing of Evangelicalism & Bethlehem Baptist

Guest Bios Show Transcript When Jason Meyer, John Piper’s successor at Bethlehem Baptist Church, recently resigned, he claimed that a “neo-fundamentalism” had crept into the church. Others throughout evangelicalism have cited similar opposing factions in the church—white nationalists, “woke” Christians, and ex-evangelicals, for example. But what are these factions? And why is the evangelical movement—once united by firm theological convictions—now splitting apart? On this edition of The Roys Report, we explore the answers with Michael Graham and Skyler Flowers, two pastors who have authored a groundbreaking article entitled, “The Six-Way Fracturing of Evangelicalism.” Julie also presents new evidence, including leaked emails, revealing the deep divisions over racial and cultural issues at Bethlehem Baptist, which have led to major upheaval at the church. In some ways, what’s happening at Bethlehem is unique and spurred by alleged abuse. But in other ways, the factions at Bethlehem are a microcosm of a larger fracturing throughout the evangelical movement. If you’ve been wondering how Christians supposedly adhering to the same evangelical movement could believe and behave so differently, this podcast is for you. Graham and Flowers offer profound insights and aim to help believers understand each other better—and think deeply about where they stand. This Weeks Guests Skyler Flowers Skyler Flowers serves as an assistant pastor at Grace Bible Church in Oxford, Mississippi, where he lives with his wife, Brianna, and their pug, Sybil. Skyler received his MDiv from Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida. He also serves on the steering committee for Rooted and contributed to the As in Heaven podcast. Michael Graham Michael Graham is the executive producer and writer of As In Heaven and executive pastor at Orlando Grace Church (Acts 29). He received his MDiv at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando. He is married to Sara, and they have two kids. You can follow him at @msgwrites. Show Transcript SPEAKERS JULIE ROYS, SKYLER FLOWERS, MICHAEL GRAHAM JULIE ROYS Recently, John Piper’s successor at Bethlehem Baptist Church stepped down, citing numerous issues, including a neo-fundamentalism that had crept into the church. But what is neo-fundamentalism? And why is the evangelical movement—once united by firm theological convictions—now splitting apart? Welcome to The Roys Report—a podcast dedicated to reporting the truth and restoring the church. I’m Julie Roys. If you’ve been following my reporting, you know that three pastors—including Jason Meyer, the successor to John Piper—recently resigned from Bethlehem Baptist Church. And a main issue cited by the pastors was spiritual abuse. But also prominent in Pastor Meyer’s resignation letter was a complaint that the church had become neo-fundamentalist. And today, I’m going to present new evidence revealing more about this neo-fundamentalism—and the deep divisions at Bethlehem over racial and cultural issues that led to Pastor Meyer’s resignation. But beyond that, I’m going to explore how what’s happening at Bethlehem is just a microcosm of a much larger fracturing across evangelicalism. There are now not just neo-fundamentalists, but neo-evangelicals, post-evangelicals, and even de-churched evangelicals! If you’ve been scratching your head, wondering how Christians subscribing to the same movement could believe and behave so differently, you’re going to really appreciate this podcast. Joining me are Michael Graham and Skyler Flowers—two pastors who have authored a groundbreaking article, entitled, “The Six-Way Fracturing of Evangelicalism.” Their insights on this topic are profound, and I’m so looking forward to this conversation. But first, I want to thank the sponsors of this podcast—Judson University and Marquardt of Barrington. Judson is a top-ranked Christian University providing a caring community and an excellent college experience. Plus,