Christian Media Runs Cover For Andy Stanley

Every now and then, it’s good to take stock in the victories of discernment ministries. Truth be told, we put Andy Stanley on blast for his views on homosexuality. Andy Stanley would be in a shortlist of pastors most influential pastors in America. Truth be told, I attended a church heavily influenced by Stanley for a couple of years, and as a believer, I always felt that something wasn’t right. Prior to the launch of Evangelical Dark Web, there was a plethora of evidence that Andy Stanley was a false teacher.

Despite this, Big Eva has long tolerated the prodigal son of Charles Stanley. In 2019, JD Greear, then president of the Southern Baptist Convention, had an extended dialog with Stanley. But in 2023, a relatively small twitter account would go viral posting this video of Stanley.

What on earth… let this be a lesson. Much evil can be done against you, others and your church under the banner of evangelism. pic.twitter.com/EArWfpTc7r

— pagemasta (@AdamPage85) January 23, 2023

The discernment bloggers carried the story, and it eventually got responded to by Christian Post. Yet, Evangelical Dark Web showed that Stanley has been affirming of homosexuality for over a decade. Protestia furthermore did excellent reporting on the current extent of Stanley’s affirmation of homosexuality.

Yet legacy Christian media outlets like Christian Post do not call Andy Stanley a false teacher.

I fear the Rev. Stanley has drifted farther than he is aware from the biblical foundations of his youth, and all of his Christian brothers and sisters should pray for him, and all the Christians whom he influences, without ceasing.

Christian Post’s Richard Land, the former head of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, still calls Andy Stanley a believer, tacitly stating that he is a brother in Christ.

Yet in 2018, Christian Post would defend Andy Stanley against charges of marcionism. This was in relation to Andy Stanley’s “unhitched” views which were objectively unbiblical. Until recently, Christian Post periodically ran fluff pieces about Stanley.

Church Leaders reported the issue as a mere Twitter controversy. Jessica Lea the producer for notorious heretic, Ed Stetzer’s podcast, does no reporting on his actual positions. Ed Stetzer and his online rag are Side B, by the way, but that is an article for another day.

The Gospel Coalition is surprisingly radio silent on this issue. Their reticence is perhaps because they have said similar things about the faith of “gay Christians” in their past support of Side B theology.

Moreover, North Point Church is the tied 8th largest church in America, yet can it be said that any of the top ten are orthodox on this issue?

Craig Groeschel is part of the Evangelical Covenant Church, a Side B denomination. Brian Tome of Crossroads Church Ohio is Side B theology all the way and would even allow homosexuals access to children’s ministries. And Joel Osteen is notoriously weak on every issue.

None of this compromise is new. And while its great that Stanley’s longstanding compromise is getting the coverage it needs, aside from online discernment ministries, it’s not getting the coverage it deserves. Andy Stanley is a false teacher, and Christian news reporting needs to be clear on this.