Chandler deceived church
Pastor emphasized ‘both sides are bad’ in sermon
This is a screenshot of Matt Chandler, pastor of The Village Church in Flower Mound, TX, who spoke on current American politics in his sermon on Oct. 6, 2024. Via The Village Church website.
There hasn’t been enough condemnation of Matt Chandler’s Oct. 6 sermon where he deceived The Village Church congregation for the sake of voter suppression.
In doing so, he also disrespected the countless sacrifices by conservative Christians and specific Republican politicians on the abortion issue since 1973.
Perhaps Chandler doesn’t think anyone believes he engaged in historical revisionism, and some would argue deception. After all, he believes Christians were easily manipulated, controlled, and found themselves co-opted by Republican politicians 50 years ago.
This is a screenshot of Jonny Ardavanis, pastor of Stonebridge Bible Church in Brentwood, TN, who recently spoke on the coming election. Via Dial In Ministries
Chandler’s sermon was just before Pastor Jonny Ardavanis, lead pastor at Stonebridge Bible Church in Brentwood, Tenn., shredded the Democratic party as “a demonic death cult under the power and influence of Satan.” He said their calling card is three things:
Mutilating children;
Annihilating children in the womb; and
Sexualizing children.
Ardavanis regards this election an easy decision.
Chandler is pastor of Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas–a church of about 14,000 attendees–and he is one of the leaders of the church-planting ministry called Acts 29. During the sermon, he engaged in an inexplicable leftist narrative about Republicans pursuing Christians as a voting bloc over abortion.
Chandler stated the following:
‘[The GOP] know we're easily manipulated. We are easily worked into a frenzy. We can be controlled by them. They can, and that's what they did, and they are not for us. They do not all believe what we believe. This is a strategy.’
Chandler properly tied abortion to the sacrifice of children in the Old Testament to Moloch. Chandler also rebuked the left’s pro-abortion policies as “morally reprehensible.” Chandler's motive in talking about the divisive political climate emphasized “both sides are bad.” Not too many people would disagree with him.
However, it’s a bad look for a preacher of the gospel to use the rhetoric Chandler used, including the tone he communicated, sending the message to a congregation–let alone a large megachurch–to dampen enthusiasm for voting. You would expect a preacher to want what’s best for the nation, including his flock being the salt and light that determines an election’s outcome.
Chandler destroyed 1970s political history. He said the Republicans latched on to the abortion issue because they “had been losing elections,” and chose to “co-opt Christians.”
It didn’t happen that way.
First, Chandler forgot that Richard Nixon was elected president in 1968 and re-elected in 1972. The idea that “Republicans weren’t winning elections,” isn’t true.
Early pro-life activity was by Catholics. However, the Moral Majority emerged before the 1980 election. Christians were not co-opted. They willingly participated in shaping “values issues” from pornography and abortion to school choice.
Several people in American Christendom saw the need for change. The Rev. Jerry Falwell led the Moral Majority, was pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, VA,, and was chancellor of Liberty Baptist College, which would become Liberty University. He was assisted by Paul Weyrich, Dr. D. James Kennedy, and several others.
Ralph Reed, who was active in both the Moral Majority and Christian Coalition, said the following in a Christian Post interview:
‘Falwell was an enormously influential figure in fundamentalist and Independent Baptist circles. He proved to be a remarkably adept strategist and operator who was able to build a broad coalition that included pro-Israel Jews, Mormons, and Southern Baptists, among others,’ Reed continued.
‘In other words, he showed himself to be far more ecumenical than I think anybody would have anticipated. In working with others whose theology he did not share, he blew the trumpet and issued the clarion call for Christians to come out of the pews and get into the precincts and make a difference.’
Republicans wanted Democrats to join them in the pro-life cause. Yet, Democrats denied the late PA Gov. Bob Casey Sr. taking the stage at the Democratic National Convention in 1992 to speak about his pro-life views.
Shame on Chandler for communicating his distorted version of reality.
Is Chandler quietly part of the group that believes to save the GOP one must vote for Kamala Harris? New York Times columnist David French and others are doing that.
The Village Church is a megachurch in Flower Mound, TX. From the church website.
Chandler’s timing was horrible. It comes as George Barna has found 104 million “people of faith,” including 32 million regular churchgoers, may sit out this election.
Better to have people with biblical morality decide our elections, than pagans. Additionally, voting respects the sacrifices of men and women who have served and died to protect America’s freedoms.
If Chandler doesn't humbly apologize for his remarks, it leads to a different set of issues.
Did he suppress voter participation in his church? Or do Village Church members and attendees ignore their pastor and vote anyway?
Barring an apology, how do those at Village Church take being thrown under the bus by their pastor?
How do people in Chandler’s church who understand the Moral Majority’s role in shaping conservative followers of Christ on abortion take their pastor’s deception just before this election?
For many, a pastor who behaved this way would lead to one thing: heading for the doors and never returning.
Chandler ought not be surprised if some do that.
