Christian YouTuber and Bible teacher Mike Winger, whose channel BibleThinker has surpassed 1 million subs, is stepping back from content creation for a three-month hiatus beginning June 1. The break, which he described as “long overdue,” follows months of work on his viral “cover-up culture” series examining accountability issues in segments of the charismatic church. This series has been criticized by JD Hall as being PR for charismatics.
Nevertheless, Mike Winger sought to assure his fans that the he is not feeling threatened due to the nature of his dangerous line of work. The former pastor-turned-YouTuber emphasized that the decision stems from exhaustion after years of ministry without a significant break, combined with a commitment to fulfill a book contract. He reassured his audience that the sabbatical is unrelated to safety concerns or backlash from his investigative work. “Please don’t worry about that,” he stated. “It’s not the kind of thing you can worry about anyway. But that has nothing to do with why I’m taking a break… I’ve got a book contract. I really want to honor my word… and I’m exhausted. I have been burning the candle at both ends for a very, very long time.”
During the sabbatical, Winger plans to limit new YouTube videos and podcast episodes, though he noted some unfinished elements of the cover-up series may remain on hold. He expressed mild nervousness about the length of the break, mentioning that a board member suggested it should be even longer. Part of the time will be dedicated to writing his first book, though he withheld specifics, saying the project could evolve.
