On March 27, 2026, Samuel Holden, a notorious Christian Nationalist meme influencer, posted a four-minute video montage titled “When the laity began to hate.” It instantly resonsated and captured the frustrations of Reformed and Christian Nationalist laymen with what they see in Evangelical denominations. One of the key themes is the abuse of church discipline by managerial liberals, who weaponize Matthew 18 on issues like immigration and politically incorrect beliefs.
When the laity began to hate. pic.twitter.com/YvAGRmxyEH
— Samuel Holden (@SamuelHolden_) March 27, 2026
Set to the tune of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs,” the video opens with the “URC STRUGGLE SESSION:” where a laymen is being inquisitioned over his opposition to, specifically, Indian immigration to the United States. It then cuts rapidly between clips from church meetings, podcasts, and news segments.
Key moments include:
- A discussion where a speaker questions whether the Apostle Paul’s words would be deemed “racist” today, followed by lay concern: “I want my kids to grow up in America, not India.”
- References to Thomas Achord (a figure disciplined in 2022 over alleged racist tweets), now reportedly driving a FedEx truck, contrasted with the Union of Reformed Churches of North America (URCNA) finding that a pastor caught “watching pornography and masturbating in [the] church office” is not automatically deemed unfit for ministry.
- A mugshot and report on Lutheran Church Missouri-Synod (LCMS) pastor Michael Fickenscher, accused of serial child rape within his family.
- Clips of evangelical leaders on expense-paid Israel trips, accused of prioritizing foreign interests while labeling critics anti-Semites.
- Tobias Riemenschneider’s excommunication is highlighted as a vindication.
- Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison (LCMS president) and others discussing immigration as potentially “God’s plan to reverse secularization,” foreign pastors in U.S. churches, and reluctance to “clamp down on immigration laws” for safety.
- Accusations that figures like James White, Doug Wilson, Jeff Durbin, and Joe Boot have backed those facing discipline for “harshness.” Jeff Durbin is especially shown to be woke, as his comments on George Floyd are highlighted.
The Thomas Achord struggle session is highlighted as a pivotal moment where enemies within the church, particularly those who claim to have stood against Social Justice are mobilized against laymen who love God and love their nation.
