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PJ Media’s recent roundup of viral sermon clips did what conservative readers expected: it held up a mirror to what some call “progressive Christianity” and found a theology that looks more like a social club than the church. The column collected short video moments from several pastors and public figures who use woke language, feminine images for God, and creative readings of Paul’s letters — and the result is a disturbing picture for anyone who cares about clear teaching.
What the PJ Media roundup showed
The roundup highlights a handful of clips that have been making the rounds on social media. One pastor from a self-described “radically inclusive” church in Florida, Pastor Hannah Siegmund of Different Church, pushes back on Paul’s instructions in Ephesians and 1 Timothy and treats those passages as sexist relics. Another clip quotes a Houston pastor saying, “God has a crush on you,” turning devotion into pop romance. A United Church of Christ pastor is filmed using maternal language for God — “Jesus had two mommies” — and an Iowa state senator and congressional candidate recounted officiating a wedding for a satanist couple while choosing 1 Corinthians 13 for the service. PJ Media packaged these moments together as a pattern: progressive clergy exchanging doctrine for trendiness.
Why orthodox Christians should care
There’s a real difference between pastoral creativity and theological drift. Yes, scholars debate how to interpret 1 Timothy and Ephesians — that’s been true for decades. But there’s a huge gap between careful exegesis and tossing aside apostolic teaching because it’s “sexist” or “exclusive.” When pastors start rewriting scripture to fit a cultural mood, they leave ordinary believers confused. Sermons should feed faith and strengthen doctrine, not add another layer of moral relativism masked as compassion.
Politics, pulpits, and social media
These clips aren’t happening in a vacuum. When clergy serve as public figures or when pastors become candidates or campaign surrogates, their theology matters beyond the congregation. Voters should know whether a public official believes in bedrock Christian truths or prefers fashionable metaphors. And while social media can and does chop clips for clicks, that only heightens the need for pastors to speak plainly and take responsibility for their words.
Bottom line: clarity, not catchphrases
Progressive Christianity’s temptation is to win applause by mirroring the culture instead of calling people to repentance and truth. PJ Media’s roundup didn’t invent the controversies; it simply collected the clips and asked a plain question: what are our pastors teaching? Conservatives should push back — not with caricature, but with clear teaching, patient scholarship, and the expectation that pulpits will preach the Gospel rather than the latest social slogan. If pastors want to be cultural icons, fine — but don’t be surprised when the church you lead starts to look more like a club than a congregation.
