The Rise of the Viral Hate Preacher

Once upon a time, hate preachers from the radical fringe of evangelical Christianity were confined to the darkened corners of society. These wannabe prophets of doom existed in small churches with small pulpits preaching to small audiences who welcomed their small-minded bigotry and hatred. Their damaging rhetoric was, for the most part, confined — and mercifully so — within the four walls of their cult-like spiritual ghettos.

They insulated themselves from the supposed wickedness of “the world” and the influence of run-of-the-mill sinners like you and me. But the benefits of their isolation were also reciprocal. We were protected from them — from their radical homophobia, misogyny, sexism, Islamophobia, transphobia, racism, white supremacy, and exclusivist dogma. Their conspiracy theories and end-times hysteria bounced off the walls of their churches right back into their own itching ears.

But that was then.

Now, thanks to the marvels of social media — Youtube, Twitter, Tiktok and live streaming — these previously unplatformed, unheard-of hate preachers have gained unfettered access to the general population, with some assembling online congregations in the millions, even though their physical pastorates only consist of a few dozen faithful in-the-flesh followers.

And they are making their voices heard.

Take Pastor Gabriel Hughes, for example. He runs an obscure little Baptist church in Lindale, Texas. But he has over 18,000 Twitter followers, or at least he did until Twitter deleted his account for — you guessed it — hate speech. Pastor Gabe’s favorite topic was Hell… and how you’re going to end up there unless you believe the same things as him. He also had a problem with women in leadership and once said all female pastors were “under the influence of demons.” But the Tweet that finally got Pastor Gabe booted from the Twittersphere was this little beauty:

Then he acted surprised when Twitter told him he had violated their policies. Pastor Gabe has recently started a new Twitter account out of interest, but I wonder if he’s turned over a new leaf. We’ll see how long that lasts.

Pastor Nathaniel Jolly runs a tiny church in Alaska called Homer Reformed Baptist Church, where he would be lucky to preach the “word of God” to a few dozen people on an average Sunday morning. However, his 14,000 Twitter followers certainly seem to lap up his anti-LGBTQ rhetoric:

Oh, and Pastor Nate also has a big problem with women:

Duncan Urbanek and his Pure Words Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, have been in the news lately, thanks to the steady stream of live-streamed hate preaching delivered fresh to you from YouTube. This church holds an annual “False Bible Burning” event where they burn Bibles that aren’t the King James Version while they toast marshmallows on the glowing embers of the Lord’s false word. Sounds like a lovely family event.

When they aren’t destroying literature, they are destroying any faith that people might have in the goodness of humanity. According to Newsweek, In a recent sermon, Duncan Urbanek explained how he prays for gay people:

Hemant Mehta reposted some of this sermon on Twitter. Warning: You will probably be offended.

By the way, Duncan Urbanek and Pure Words Baptist Church are pretty much banned from most social media platforms these days, but it doesn’t stop them from trying to get their “word” out with new accounts popping up from time to time. It’s also interesting the Pure Words Baptist Church doesn’t currently have a building to meet in. It seems they aren’t all that popular in their community, and well… they keep getting evicted. I can’t imagine why.

Finally, no mention of viral hate preachers would be complete without a salute to Pastor Greg Locke. According to the Washington Post, Greg Locke has a social media following of around 4 million people across multiple platforms, which makes the rest seem like small fry.

Greg Locke is openly and unashamedly anti-gay, anti-trans, anti-vax, anti-abortion, anti-evolution, anti-critical race theory, anti-democrats, anti-woke, and anti-climate change. He attended the Capitol riots on January 6 and banned mask-wearing in his church during the height of the Covid pandemic.

Greg Locke is most infamous for once claiming that children with Autism are demonized and that people with mental health issues are just making themselves feel better by giving themselves a label.

Here’s a video of some of Pastor Greg’s “best work,” where he screams at his congregation, telling them “You can’t be a Christian and vote Democrat.”

Make of that what you will.

These are merely a handful of hate preachers that I could have mentioned. Sadly, many more are pacing the corridors of the interwebs waiting for their turn in the spotlight. In fact, every time YouTube, TikTok, or Twitter shuts one down, another two rise up and take their place.

The Pulpit of Distribution

The Pulpit of Distribution offers hate preachers a level of accessibility and reach that was previously unimaginable. With just a few clicks, they can disseminate their message to millions of people across the world. But what is most scary to me is that these men have found a willing audience beyond the confines of their church walls. There are many — too many — who welcome their words of intolerance and bigotry and toxic religion.

And it leaves me wondering why.

Why does their seed find such fertile fields? What are people looking for that these preachers seem to deliver? Is it a cause to believe in? An enemy to hate? A scapegoat to kill?

These are difficult questions to answer, but it is clear that hate preachers tap into a deep-seated fear and anger that seems to exist within some segments of society. They prey on individuals who feel left behind, marginalized, or disempowered, and offer them a sense of purpose and belonging. They use fear, anger, and resentment to manipulate their audience, creating a sense of “us” against “them.” And they do it all in the name of God.

So, you might ask, “Why are you giving them more air time here, Dan? Why write about them? Why mention their names at all?” It’s a fair question. The truth is that hate preachers and their toxic messages are a reality we cannot ignore. We cannot simply bury our heads in the sand and hope they will disappear. The Pulpit of Distribution enables their voice, just as it enables mine.

Therefore, I will use my pulpit to counter the hate. I will speak of a God who is indiscriminately gracious to all, not showing preference to one over another. I will speak of a faith that is inclusive and accepting, not one that judges and condemns. I use my pulpit to promote understanding, respect, and reconciliation. And I speak of a savior who is the embodiment of unconditional love.

And only love defeats hate, and those who preach it.

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This post was previously published on Backyard Church.

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