Reminder: Ed Stetzer is not a trusted voice

Wokeness & questionable ethics illustrate why Ed Stetzer is not a reliable voice for Christians in America.

During the peak pandemic panic, Ed Stetzer and Christianity Today derided claims that China and the Chinese Communist Party’s research facilities might be responsible for the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. In fact, Stetzer alleged anyone believing the lab was the point of origin was spreading conspiracy theories. However, within hours of the column’s publication, it was reported the lab origin theory was believed likely by US intelligence.

Now, the intelligence community believes the lab origin to be the most likely source.

According to reports, “Matthew Pottinger, who is President Donald Trump’s respected Deputy National Security Adviser, told politicians from around the world that even China’s leaders now openly admit their previous claims that the virus originated in a Wuhan market are false. Mr. Pottinger said that the latest intelligence points to the virus leaking from the top-secret Wuhan Institute of Virology, 11 miles from the market, saying: ‘There is a growing body of evidence that the lab is likely the most credible source of the virus.’”

So much for a conspiracy theory.

Of course, in a display of true Christian leadership, CT and Stetzer secretly edited the column to obscure the false claims once it was reported the US was investigating the lab as a point of origin. This newest report further highlights just how wrong Stetzer was to label the lab origin as a conspiracy theory.

At the time, Janet Mefferd, an experienced print reporter and radio host, pointed out the issues with Christianity Today’s actions. She wrote, “It’s just a matter of ethical journalism. If you change a story, you print a clarification to explain why you changed it. When you don’t do that, you look shady. What’s so ironic is they dodged this transparency in a piece that argued CT is your ‘trusted source’ for news!”

You should check out the earlier report on this controversy. It exposes the complete moral bankruptcy of Stetzer’s and Christianity Today’s journalism in action.

Additionally, there are other troubles that should have Christians dubious of Stetzer’s reliability.

Dr. Josh Buice named Stetzer as one of the leaders responsible for the Woke infiltration of the Southern Baptist Convention.

And there is evidence to support this.

Stetzer was the architect of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Woke church planting strategy pursued under the embattled and deceitful Kevin Ezell at the North American Mission Board (NAMB). As early as 2010, Stetzer promoted the reimagination of SBC church planting to appeal to hipsters in bit cities, immigration and refugee population and minorities. In other words, the failed strategy of the last decade is a direct result of Stetzer—who has a questionable record planting churches, according to SBC observers.

Stetzer’s ties to the embattled Ezell is only one such questionable link. Stetzer accepted the gift of a car from disgraced megachurch pastor James MacDonald. This tie was not disclosed even though journalistic ethics seemed to warrant that—as Julie Roys reported.

A closer examination of Stetzer’s ties with Ezell and the deep pockets of the SBC’s NAMB is warranted. Just how far has Woke church planting shaped NAMB policy under Ezell? And was this embrace of Wokeness a reason for the absolute failure of SBC church planting strategy over the last decade?

Ultimately, Stetzer’s Woke church planting strategy was as much a failure as his slander about conservatives who worried the Chinese Communist Party’s research lab was the source for the virus.

You just cannot trust Woke voices like Ed Stetzer.