Shepherds for Sale

If the Left is to ever accomplish its goal of ushering in a global governance and progressive utopia, there is one group of holdouts they will be forced to contend with – the church.

Believers, though comforted by the promise of Christ that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church, understand there is a spiritual dynamic at play, as the Enemy is ever seeking to halt the work of the Lord.

But for progressives, who are mostly spiritually devoid, it is simply a numbers game.

While the numbers vary, most reputable polling organizations indicate that 25% to 30% of Americans identify as “evangelical,” making them, as The Atlantic described in 2021, “America’s most powerful voting bloc.”

Since evangelicals – who mostly lean right, politically, according to Pew Research polls – are seen as perpetual roadblocks to the leftist agenda, Christians need to either get on board or get out of the way if the progressive utopian dream is to be realized.

There is a problem, however. Faithful evangelicals derive their values and morality from the Bible, which is diametrically opposed to nearly everything the Left represents. How then could those who use God’s Word as their guide for life

be convinced to vote against those morals and values taught in the Holy Writ?

Would persecuting the church and attacking it from the outside prove effective? Perhaps, but doubtful, given that external persecution historically has had the opposite effect and increases the success of the church rather than suppressing it.

As Latin theologian Tertullian is credited with saying: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”

But what if the church is being subverted from within?

What if leftist organizations and individuals with billions of dollars are co-opting evangelical power brokers with offers of financial grants, secular adulation, and opportunities to associate with America’s elite class?

And what if, in return, those co-opted influential evangelical leaders are subtly manipulating average churchgoers to change their minds, rather than attempting to force them to accept something they would never believe otherwise?

In her recently released book, Shepherds for Sale: How Evangelical Leaders Traded the Truth for a Leftist Agenda, that is precisely what Megan Basham suggests is taking place.

Tackling tough topics

Each of the book’s eight chapters is devoted to a single topic, such as climate change, illegal immigration, the pro-life movement, critical race theory, COVID-19 propaganda, and other hot-button issues that far too many evangelical leaders dare not address for fear of backlash and reprisal.

Though Basham prefaces the first chapter by stating her book is not intended to be a “theological treatise,” she navigates each topic with scriptural insight that often exceeds what is heard from many who grace the pulpits each week.

Naming names

With each topic, Basham lays bare prominent evangelical leaders and theologians who – for whatever reason, be it fortune, fame, or otherwise – have acquiesced to liberal talking points and progressive ideologies.

To be clear, Basham does not discuss so-called progressive Christians such as Jim Wallis or Al Sharpton, because she claims, “They have little to no sway among theological conservatives or with the broad swath of mainstream evangelicalism.

“Every name I put forward as evidence of liberal drift and infiltration is commonly trusted and welcomed by orthodox American Protestantism,” she wrote. “They are men and women who I, too, at one time trusted and still sometimes learn from, though with a much more cautious posture than I once had.”

Basham also makes clear that her calling these leaders out “is not a question of punishing or singling out, but of understanding what is taking place in the church so we can put it right.”

Well-known evangelical leaders such as Danny Akin, J.D. Greear, Tim Keller, Russell Moore, Rick Warren, and many others are put forth in the book as examples of those who have compromised to one degree or another.

Basham not only exposes individuals, but once-trusted organizations as well.

For example, through meticulous detail, she reveals what she believes to be concrete evidence that the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), the legislative lobbying arm of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), received indirect funding from leftist and atheist billionaire George Soros.

While the funding trickled down through various entities, and the ERLC has denied the allegations, Basham’s work will leave one hard-pressed to draw any conclusion other than her reporting being forthright.

Basham also highlights other institutions such as The Gospel Coalition, some SBC seminaries, Christian universities, and many others that have capitulated in some form or another on a host of issues, ranging from embracing critical race theory to softening on pro-life positions.

Provoking pushback

Some named in the book have defended themselves through writings and videos, while others have been defended by their followers. Critics of the book have charged Basham with everything from journalistic malpractice to defamation of character.

But it should come as no surprise that such an exposé would garner pushback, as it reveals the liberal drift and rot that have been lurking in the shadows of evangelicalism.

PASTOR’S PERSPECTIVE

It is true that before making accusations against others, believers should take seriously the command not to bear false witness against their neighbor (Exodus 20:16).

It is also true that believers are to expose the unfruitful works of darkness (Ephesians 5:11).

While Megan Basham accomplished the latter well in Shepherds for Sale, I, as a pastor of 18 years, believe there is merit to a few of the accusations made against her.

For example, Basham is accused of misrepresenting popular apologist and pastor Gavin Ortlund.

Basham addressed comments Ortlund made in a 2022 YouTube video titled Climate Change: Why
Christians Should Engage.

Basham is charged with piecing together selected quotes from Ortlund to make him say something he did not really say. In my opinion, that criticism is fair.

However, I do believe that Basham accurately captures the essence of Ortlund’s words, holding him up as an example of a young pastor who has been unwittingly influenced by the environmentalist propaganda that has crept into evangelicalism.

As a pastor who shares Basham’s concerns, I recommend reading Shepherds for Sale. If you have had an uneasy feeling for some time that your pastors, denominations, and institutions are seemingly drifting leftward, Basham’s book will confirm those feelings are not figments of your imagination; rather, they are based on reality.

As with anything one chooses to read, I encourage using discernment. And discerning whether Basham’s claims are credible will not be difficult to do, as she provides 50 pages citing her sources of information.

Though imperfect, as any book by any human author will be, Basham’s book thoroughly illustrates the big picture evangelicals need to heed: There is an agenda by leftists and progressive institutions to infiltrate the church through leaders who will do their bidding. And unfortunately, to a large degree, they have already been successful.

The sooner we become aware of leaders who have compromised God’s truth, the sooner we can correct course.

­­­­— Matthew White