Evangelical Movement Dead

I share many of the same thoughts expressed in this New York Times op-ed. Like me, the authors are grappling with the realization that a major casualty of this election is the reputation of white evangelicals.

Moreover, the authors suggest a new movement is needed. I share their views. I've wondered in the days and weeks since the election if Trump's rise could ultimately serve as the primary catalyst for the next great schism in the church.

Could Trump's rise ultimately serve as the the primary catalyst for the next great schism in the church?  (Illustration created by ChatGPT 4 using prompts written by Darren Phillips on May 12, 2025. Illustration modified by Darren Phillips using Adobe Photoshop.)

White evangelicals cast their vote for Trump in overwhelming numbers. This is a hard and revealing fact that all of us — Christians and non-Christians alike — must process and accept. I, for one, cannot and will not overlook it; neither will the rest of the world, especially if Trump's rise to power leads to tyranny and/or widespread civil unrest.

Trump built his campaign on fear, bigotry, misogyny, violence, cruelty, lies and hubris. This is indisputable fact. He embodies abject moral failure. I'm sorry, but there is just no way to reconcile support for Trump with the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The "pro-life" case for Trump is even more tenuous and intellectually feeble, especially considering the number of times he's flip-flopped on the issue of abortion.

I understand it's not our place to judge one another, but when I see 80% of white evangelicals voting in support of an openly unrepentant, morally bankrupt man whose entire existence is defined by cruelty and greed, it casts doubt on whether the largest institutionalized church body in America is truly spirit-filled.

What I see in Trump's rise among evangelicals is political group think at its worst. I see a group of people that "came home" to a political party rather than a group that came home to Christ. Moreover, I see a group of people that has aligned itself with a political ideology rooted in fear and greed, that idolizes guns, views health care as a privilege rather than a right, that foolishly believes it can "Christianize" America by legislating morality, and that somehow believes building a giant wall is what a God of love would have us to do.

"What I see in Trump's rise among evangelicals is political group think at its worst. I see a group of people that 'came home' to a political party rather than a group that came home to Christ."

I understand many Christians could not in good conscience vote for Hillary Clinton, and I respect that, but to actively support a man like Donald Trump is akin to cutting off one's nose to spite the face. Surely anyone with an ounce of discernment or conviction who observed Trump closely on the campaign trail, who bothered to research his past behavior as a businessman and entertainer, who listened to the now infamous audio tapes or knew of his history of adultery and divorce, should have been compelled as true women and men of God to write in someone else or to simply abstain from voting altogether.

And, by the way, ignorance and misinformation are not viable excuses for making demonstrably poor choices. We all have a civic and moral obligation as citizens to either do our homework or opt out of the process.

But what's most disheartening about all this and dark and so contrary to the Great Commission, is the clear and obvious harm such highly visible and overwhelming evangelical support for Trump has brought to the faith both inside and outside the church body. How much damage will this do? How deep are the wounds? How many souls will turn away in disgust? We may never know.

Expropriation of Christianity by the GOP has finally resulted in the worst outcome imaginable. That's on all of us as citizens of this nation, but especially on those who voted for Trump, including the overwhelming majority of white evangelicals who appear to have sold their souls.

And it's on so-called leaders of the church who publicly endorsed Trump. I'm talking about Moral Majority holdovers like Pat Robertson, James Dobson, Jerry Falwell Jr. and Franklin Graham. Falwell, in particular, as president of the largest evangelical university in the world, not only cast his vote for Trump, but went out of his way to campaign on the candidate's behalf. How exactly does this bear witness for Christ?

In the context of Donald Trump's victory, as I reflect on what it means to be an evangelical Christian in America, what I see is a community of people largely ruled by fear and anger. Trump's entire 2016 campaign was defined by fear, grievance, and distrust. Many will say this is an unfair characterization of the contemporary evangelical worldview in America, but the proof is in the pudding. Again, 80% of white evangelical Christians in America voted for Donald Trump. Eighty percent. Let that sink in for a minute, and then tell me with a straight face the church is not in a state of crisis.

Is the next great schism close at hand? Only time will tell, but there's no denying Christians in 21st-century America are at a major crossroads, both collectively and as individual disciples of Christ. ✚

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author's employer(s) or any other organization, group or individual.

Note: Image and web links updated and/or added in 2025.

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