The New Evangelicals Podcast 172. I'm an Ex-Pastor and Happier Than Ever // Brian Recker
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Sep 28, 2023 
Ex-pastor Brian Recker discusses why he left his job and life after evangelicalism. Topics include homeschooling with Bob Jones University's curriculum, cracks in beliefs and congregational support, resigning in 2020, navigating family relationships with differing beliefs, future plans, and starting a podcast.
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From Bob Jones To Young Pastor
- Brian grew up in independent fundamentalist circles, attended Bob Jones University, then shifted into mainstream evangelicalism after discovering voices like Tim Keller and Mark Driscoll.
- He became a pastor by 25, helped start a church and served ~8.5 years before COVID catalyzed deeper reevaluation leading to his eventual resignation.
Trump As The Smelling Salts
- Trump's rise was the first major crack that forced Brian to reassess whom he trusted to interpret politics and morality for him.
- Watching churchgoers embrace Trump made him realize evangelical moral frameworks could be selective and politically driven.
Doctrine Over Neighbor As Evangelical Center
- Evangelicalism prioritizes doctrinal non-negotiables (eg. penal substitution, hell) over social justice, shaping what leaders deem 'bold.'
- That priority makes many churches avoid confronting political or racial harms even when moral clarity demands it.