The white evangelical elite are saying the quiet part out loud
Empty pews are the future. Photo by Gregory Hayes on Unsplash.
If you gave a passing glance at the upper echelons of white American evangelicalism this week, you probably noticed that the movement’s elite are up in arms about women having a voice…again.
There’s a good chance you rolled your eyes and moved on with your life. I mean, why not? This regularly happens and follows a near-identical pattern each time:
A church ordains a female pastor or allows a woman to speak on a stage.
Well-known white evangelical men descend on the situation like vultures, eager to destroy unity and prove themselves in what they believe is a cataclysmic battle for truth.
They yell at everyone that their interpretation of the Bible is inerrant. Then, they deny the opportunity for good-faith questions to be asked.
They demand repentance in gossipy and abusive ways.
Repeat cycle.
In a level of tragic irony befitting white evangelicalism, the latest chapter of this story broke out on Mother’s Day. Saddleback Church, one of the largest churches in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), recently ordained three women as pastors and had a female-led message on May 9. While Saddleback noted that the moment was “historic” for their church, they did not rub these actions in anyone’s face and seemed prepared to move forward with business as usual. They even announced new male leaders.
The predictable cycle began almost immediately. SBC and other white evangelical leaders ascended their pedestals. In a callous display of power, they claimed that their way is the only way, warning their followers that even the slightest deviation from their cultural interpretation of the Bible is considered an apocalyptic event that will be met with brute force.
Pharisaical? Absolutely. Christlike? Of course not.
But something does feel different this time.
What makes this moment distinct
White evangelicalism is in the early stages of some kind of a grassroots-level reckoning, even though it’s hard to nail down exactly what it is and where it’s headed.
What we do know is that multiple crises brought on by the near-total intransigence of the movement’s elite are imploding simultaneously. Sexual abuse is endemic in the SBC. Coverups are being ripped wide open at a breakneck pace across the rest of white evangelical subculture, spread out among several denominations and many independent churches.
Many white evangelical leaders are engaged in severe political idolatry and the outright worship of social conservatism. Younger generations are citing spiritual abuse as they flee their churches. Well-known female leaders are reaching their breaking point. The white evangelical movement as a whole knows they are losing control of the narrative they tell about themselves.
The result is that the white evangelical elite — made up of virtually all wealthy, white men — are bringing down a sledgehammer on their movement. They are watching their coveted cultural power evaporate from their hands, and they are terrified of life without it. So, they are doubling down on the only real strategy they’ve ever had: enforce idolatry to cultural conformity instead of unity in Christ, even if it means crushing Christians who really do love Jesus.
It’s all happening over a term many people haven’t even heard of, though they are intimately familiar with its practice in the real world.
Defining Complementarianism
The white evangelical elite claim complementarianism is Bible-backed truth that men and women have different, but complementary roles in marriage, the Church, and on social questions of authority. They say that men and women have equal value in God’s eyes, but that does not mean they have the same responsibilities and duties.
White evangelicals who are familiar with this term often treat it as a static concept, but it’s more helpful to see complementarianism on a spectrum. It looks different in different places. Some common beliefs though are:
Only men can hold church leadership positions. Women may be allowed to lead, but cannot be given authority and teaching opportunities over men.
Men lead in the household, a system commonly referred to as patriarchy.
Women must submit to their husband’s leadership and needs, be it socially, culturally, or sexually.
The term complementarianism is not found in the Bible. Neither is the term egalitarianism, which also claims men and women are equal, but goes further by not restricting roles by gender. Both complementarians and egalitarians point to various passages in Scripture to back up their beliefs.
Rather than spend the rest of this piece explaining the differences between the two theological views, I’m going to push ahead to this current moment.
Complementarianism is defined chiefly by cultural idolatry and abuse, not theology
It’s important to note that what white evangelical leaders say complementarianism is and what it actually is in practice are often two very different experiences.
Broadly speaking, men are supposed to be the leaders, protectors, and providers in white evangelical subculture. Women are supposed to take on a more nurturing role that includes caring for children and creating a loving household. On paper, this can sound more “traditional” than anything else.
As I noted above though, history shows that what often happens is systems of abuse and idolatry emerge. Complementarianism, in practice, is focused on establishing patriarchal supremacy. When power is this heavily concentrated in one man or small, homogenous groups of men, some level of abuse becomes inevitable. And when you’re focused on living a certain way based on gender first — not Jesus — this lifestyle becomes an idol.
Complementarianism is heralded loudly throughout white evangelical subculture, even though it is rarely named. It shows up in books about Christian living and how to be a good Christian man or woman. Elder boards and pastoral staff are entirely male. Men are encouraged to “lead” their family in prayer and worship at home. Complementarianism is everywhere, in all facets of life.
But it’s really when people see the patriarchal family and church structures as the linchpin of social order that this all gets truly dangerous. For many white evangelicals, enforcing patriarchal authority is linked to fighting for Western civilization itself, or defending the “nuclear family.” It’s a core part of Christian nationalism — a whole other problem too big to get into here — that explains why white evangelicals react aggressively to changes in broader American culture and traffic in America is in decline porn.
This reality ends in a massive cultural blindspot that props up the very systems of abuse and idolatry that emerge from it. When evidence of abuse arises, white evangelical leaders often cover it up because they genuinely believe their system is all that is staving off social collapse, be it at the national level, in their church, or in families. Instead of recognizing that accountability and abuse prevention are Bible-supported actions (see Proverbs 19:19 and 1 Corinthians 13), they blame abuse and idolatry on “a few bad apples,” claiming no broader, systemic changes are needed.
What many people have noticed over the last few years especially though is that there are a lot of bad apples out there, so many in fact that one is forced to ask if the tree itself is rotting.
Because the idea of biblical inerrancy is often replaced in practice with a certain interpretation of Scripture being inerrant, white patriarchal adherents actively fight making even the most mundane of changes to their system. Change would be unpatriotic. Change would be unbiblical, and no amount of Bible verses or stories of abuse will change that belief.
Some white evangelical leaders are completely embarrassing themselves right now
Parts of this particular moment would be hilarious if they weren’t so disturbing. Al Mohler especially seems dead set on embarrassing himself, sharing this unsolicited opinion on Mother’s Day:
Oh, the cultural blindspots and idolatry here. For starters, there is no mention of Jesus.
A quote from 141 years ago is not old. The Church has been around roughly 2,000 years, meaning this statement was only written down in the last 7% of Church history. Mohler’s use of it also makes clear that even good-faith questions & curiosity about complementarianism should not be allowed. Trust me above all others, he is essentially saying.
Mohler posted this on a day celebrating mothers. A day born out of women making our world a better place. That’s a special kind of messed up.
But the cherry on top of this milkshake of horrors is a real doozy. John Broadus, the man Mohler is staking his argument on, was a chaplain in Lee’s Confederate Army in Northern Virginia. He was a slave owner. That’s Mohler’s star witness in this debate, if it can even be called a debate.
Meanwhile, Owen Strachan, who has played several roles across the SBC and larger white evangelical subculture, apparently believes that we should all live in a lighter version of The Handmaid’s Tale:
Like most humans, I believe that if you are a woman who genuienly desires to be a homemaker, that’s perfectly fine. Heck, if you’re a dad and want to live that lifestyle, that’s fine too. I was a stay-at-home dad for several months when our first child was born. It’s hard work that doesn’t come with a paycheck. I have tremendous respect for parents who make the decision to stay at home.
But this becomes a problem when being a homemaker is the only life offered to women. To be blunt, that’s the only experience that large swaths of white evangelicalism provides them.
Yesterday, I was talking to an acquaintance who happens to be a Southern Baptist complementarian. He knows I’m neither Southern Baptist nor a complementarian and — to his credit — he sincerely wanted my thoughts on the recent events in white evangelicalism that brought us to yet another moment like this.
I expressed my concern about how so many systems of abuse have emerged from complementarian theology, as well as my long-held belief that the inability to ask good-faith questions about beliefs like these was dangerous. I was a little surprised when he said that he shares my concerns.
What really surprised me though was what came next. He broke with his usually reserved personality to vent a long-building frustration:
“I think the Bible says that women are not allowed to be pastors or elders. I know we disagree on that. But it’s hard to defend my belief when selfish idiots like Al Mohler use the words of a Confederate slaveholder to claim we aren’t allowed to even ask questions. It’s embarrassing. He’s an embarrassment. We need better leaders.”
My speechlessness was noted. He responded:
“I know Southern Baptists aren’t supposed to talk that way about our leaders, but I’ve had it. I’ve had it with these old guys who believe they are God’s gift to the world. I’ve had it with men telling my wife her sole purpose in life is to meet my needs and raise our kids. People like Mohler should shut up or someone should shut them up. I don’t care which one it is. He’s ruining church for those of us who live out here in the real world.”
I imagine the intensity of that opinion is in the minority within the SBC and broader white evangelical subculture. Regardless, it’s a searing indictment — from inside white evangelicalism — of the massive cultural blindspots that are bringing all these problems home to roost.
Closing Thoughts
This week, I watched the already-heavy burden on many of my sisters in Christ be weighed down even more. Exhausted by the unrealistic cultural expectations forced on them, they’ve felt attacked and oppressed, including those who have no desire to be a pastor, elder, or teacher. It’s disheartening and leaves me wondering if this subculture will ever change. It’s hard to believe it can when so many of the white evangelical elite are incapable of even softening their tone.
Al Mohler is far from the only elitist who has made it clear that they are as entrenched against any and all change as they have ever been. Understanding why is an effortless exercise. A cursory look at his blog and Twitter feed exposes the truth that, if Mohler had lived during Jesus’s time, he would count himself among the Pharisees. They chose abusive culture, politics, and tradition over Jesus, and Mohler has made it clear in his extensive rants that’s where he stands too (see Mark 7:1–13).
I’ve also seen something else though, and it gives me hope. An increasing number of women are now refusing to back down. I’ve seen husbands stand by their wives as they speak out, and plenty of single men and women have stepped up as well. There’s a righteous anger in all of them that is now a lit match and — out of all of the American subcultures — white evangelicalism is sitting on a mountain of dry tinder like no other. It is a brittle, legalistic system of idolatry that is ready to go up in fire and smoke.
This doesn’t mean change is coming overnight. White evangelical institutions will endure for years to come merely because they are well-funded. But that doesn’t mean their ranks of adherents will grow. In fact, the decline is already well underway. Instead of throwing the lit match, most people are snuffing it out and just walking away from white evangelicalism. And it’s not just egalitarians who are leaving.
Complementarians who are exhausted by the idolatry of the white evangelical elite are leaving too. Even men and women who embrace strict gender roles are demanding accountability and systems to protect women, children, and families from the decadence of the white patriarchal authority the likes of Al Mohler fervently worship. That’s a reasonable request that they are being denied. And they are leaving because it has been denied.
Whether you believe progress is preserving complementarianism with more accountability and abuse prevention mechanisms or moving to egalitarianism altogether — or land somewhere in between — progress is necessary. Why? Because unity born out of abuse isn’t unity. It’s coerced cultural conformity that leads to oppressive idolatry.
White evangelical leaders like Al Mohler would serve themselves well if they cared more about following Jesus and loving others — as He commands them to do — rather than obsessively thinking about what it means to be a Christian man and Christian woman dedicated to achieving cultural supremacy.
Maybe if, as my friend suggested, the white evangelical elite spent some time out in the real world with Christians who have to live with the consequences of their words and actions, they would realize that it’s past time to close their mouths or, at the very least, change their tone.
I explore faith and American church culture from Memphis, TN. Never miss an article by signing up for my free newsletter or becoming a member. You can also subscribe to my podcast.
