How The SBC Got Played

How The SBC Got Played

From CrossPolitic Show by Pastor Toby, Choc Knox, Waterboy

March 18, 2026 · 42 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the internal takeover of the SBC using a five-phase playbook documented by economist Gary North.

July 23, 2019. Founders Ministry drops a documentary trailer that flashes a blurred silhouette for just over a second. Nine days later, three board members resign. Not over a scandal. Because they didn't want to be associated with questioning one woman. Four years later, court documents proved the questioning was right. An unlicensed investigation. A lead attorney wearing four hats simultaneously: advocate, editor, advisor, and opposing counsel. $1.05 million to her client. $13 million drained from the largest conservative Protestant denomination in America. This is a story about a five-phase playbook documented by economist Gary North in 1996 for taking over a conservative institution from the inside. With procedure. With moral pressure. With guilt. The SBC followed every step. Phase one: find the moral vulnerability they can't defend. Phase two: make institutional self-defense look like complicity. Phase three: force the procedural surrender. Phase four: use the surrendered weapons. Phase five: inherit everything. Harvard. Yale. Princeton Seminary. The PCUSA. Now the SBC. Same playbook. Every time. The question isn't whether it's coming for your institution. It is. The question…

People in this episode

Hosts: Pastor Toby, Choc Knox, Waterboy

Topics covered

  • SBC controversy
  • institutional takeover
  • moral vulnerability
  • investigation
  • Christian media

Keywords

  • SBC
  • Founders Ministry
  • Gary North
  • institutional self-defense
  • moral pressure
  • Christian media

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Founders Ministry, SBC, Harvard, Yale, Princeton Seminary, PCUSA

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