Much of the current infighting in Reformed Evangelicalism falls under what AD Robles has called Woke Wars II which he said, spoiler alert is the same as the first Woke Wars. Whereas the church split over wokeness throughout the last decade, the current divide is more about leadership and less about theology. Joel Webbon has risen to prominence, as a Texas pastor who founded his church during covid, following a split. The issue of Covid accountability is one that Webbon has championed to become a force of his own. Currently, his ministry Right Response Ministries has more subs than Doug Wilson’s Canon Press and James White’s Alpha and Omega Ministries. Right Response is large enough to host a major Evangelical conference.
Recently a German pastor, Tobias Riemenschneider debuted a podcast on Eschatology Matters attacking Joel Webbon. Eschatology Matters apologized and pulled the episode for slander. What was slanderous?
- Tobias Riemenschneider claimed that he never called for excommunication or church discipline over a meme.
- Tobias Riemenschneider claimed that a member of Joel Webbon’s church quoted a racist tweet from Corey Mahler affirmatively.
Reimenschneider did not anticipate the Zoom call he had with Joel Webbon and his church member being secretly recorded, and his lies were exposed. Now the Zoom call has been leaked revealing that Tobias Riemenschneider has fewer convictions against noticing, and a lot of convictions about conforming to the images of Doug Wilson and James White. Tobias Riemenschneider is living in high school, and he wants to fit in with the popular kids. This is Mean Girls: Big Eva Edition.
While Tobias Riemenschneider and the church member disagree on the Holocaust Narrative, the label of “Talmudic Jews,” what they agreed on revealed a lack of real conviction on the part of Reimenschneider.
The first hilarious instance is when Riemenschneider’s British co-elder agrees that Bonhoeffer was a heretic and then asked the church member what justification the Nazis had for killing him. He answers, “He was a spy and a traitor” causing them to realize they had asked a stupid question.
Secondly, they agreed on Corey Mahler. At 37:45 is the first mention of Corey Mahler and Stone Choir. The church member said he has listened to 4 episodes, a long time ago. He is not a Stone Choir fan and agrees that Mahler is racist. Tobias then accuses Mahler of having connections with [Stephen] Wolfe. Joel Webbon interjects to refute that. “We both think he’s a fool.” He adds, “Neither of us have ever recommended him.” Tobias is making an argument based on associations. Both sides also agree on the hostility of Islam.
Things take an unexpected turn an hour and a half in. Tobias said of Nazi Germany, “My grandma thought it was a great time.” The off-the-cuff remark was serious, and undermined much of what Riemenschneider and his co-elder had argued for much of the call. Following up one surprise, with another, Tobias Riemenschneider said that if he were a Christian king, he would “If I’m the king of a Christian nation, I would ask all non-Christians to leave. I would not ask all Jews to leave.” Joel Webbon is incredulous at this statement. When clarifying, Riemenschneider uses the term Jew almost exclusively in an ethnic context. Riemenschneider then states that a nation can’t have places of idolatry like synagogues.
Twenty minutes later, Riemenschneider claimed, “Of course, I would excommunicate [Martin Luther.]” Apparently, burning synagogues is excommunicable but what Riemenschneder said was righteous.
Lastly, they agree that Doug Wilson’s “Covenant of Hagar” is nonsense.
Riemenschneider repeatedly praises the credibility of Doug Wilson, James White, Joe Boot, and Jeff Durbin. He asked Joel Webbon why he would platform Stephen Wolfe over Joe Boot? Of Brian Sauve and Andrew Isker, Riemenschneider said he “can’t associate with those guys.” He called Brian Sauve and Eric Conn fools multiple times. He asked Webbon why he didn’t defend White from Stephen Wolfe’s meme.
It is readily apparent in the call, that Tobias Riemenschneider is upset that Joel Webbon is leaving the clique. Tobias argued, “We have a split in the church” Doug Wilson, James White, Jeff Durbin, Joe Boot, Peter [surname unknown] and Tobias. The other side: Brian Sauve, Eric Conn, Andrew Isker, Stephen Wolfe, AD Robles, Jon Harris, and Joel Webbon. [These were the names and sides mentioned in the call.] By the end, Tobias Riemenschneider made it abundantly clear that he was upset that Joel Webbon did not choose his side.
Joel Webbon triumphantly states that he will not be “a company man” and “tow the line.” “And the fact that you went and tattletailed to Doug Wilson and James White with a meme that was privately shared with you, and then these men, passive-aggressively without naming me, are blogging about it and podcasting about it.” Webbon chides Riemenschneider for his immaturity in handling this.
Riemenschneider insisted that in telling James White in Doug Wilson he meant no harm to Webbon. Laughing, he said, “I was surprised how harsh [James White] went.”
Majority of this two-hour struggle session was focused on Joel Webbon with the emphasis of Tobias Riemenschneider’s “concern” being focused on Webbon’s associations with other leading Christian Nationalist figures. On the issue of Jews, Riemenschneider has no coherent objection, not even a boomer adherence to the Post-War Consensus. This was hardly about unsavory memes and largely about high school level conformity.
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Well analysed. Pastor Riemenschneider should amend all the damage and confusion. James White needs to be more objective and not go nasal complacent and complaianing…