"Shepherds For Sale" A Bold Wake-Up Call for the American Church.
Pastor Scott Patton's Review of Megan Basham's best-selling book.
Luke 12:2-3
“Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.”
Megan Basham has performed a courageous act of service to the Church of America by fearlessly bringing to light some extremely concerning issues. Her work is exceptionally well-documented and researched, displaying grit, guts, and incredible reporting. Shepherds for Sale is loaded with postscripts linked to numerous articles and webpages that bring a plethora of receipts. And those leftists who are being exposed and say it's sloppy reporting are either lying or not reading the unmatched documentation.
Basham's work significantly impacts the Southern Baptist Industrial Establishment. As a pastor in the SBC for seven years, I saw firsthand how some deceitful individuals operated within the sacred spaces of Christ Church and hindered the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Basham’s book urgently demands a call to action and should serve as a wake-up call for the SBC and its members but, more importantly, for all evangelicals.
While reading "Shepherds for Sale," I unfortunately felt many of my assumptions were somewhat validated, but it made me sick to read about the sheer leftist politicization of the SBC. The national SBC operates like the movie "The Firm," where the Baptist Industrial Establishment is drowning out the voice of small, Bible-believing churches.
The reaction of the leftist pastors speaks volumes about the book 'Shepherds for Sale.' The extensive coverage from 'Christianity Today,' 'The Dispatch,' and a range of liberal media outlets and Twitter / X influencers underscores why 'Shepherds for Sale is not just a significant evangelical book but a game-changer for the millennium. If your pastor criticizes this book, it's worth asking serious questions about their commitment to Christ or worshipping secular politics. Basham uncovers troubling issues that the overwhelming majority of evangelical churches and those in the Southern Baptist Convention would find appalling.
'Shepherds for Sale' is not just a book about the Southern Baptist Convention. It's a wake-up call to the political left's infiltration of America's evangelical institutions. Basham's exposures are a stark reminder of how Christ's presence in America is being diminished, not from outside forces, but from inside the institutions we hold sacred. Her work exposes the wolves in shepherd’s clothes within the SBC, from the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission to the 'woking' of SBC seminaries and several SBC Presidents that she exposes as either complacent or compromising their faith based on a need for worldly approval. In her writing, Basham discusses how JD Greear, Kevin Ezel, and Southern Baptist entities use Chicago-style DEI politics to exert control over independent churches like First Baptist Naples, Florida.
These revelations are of utmost importance for the future of the SBC and the evangelical community at large, and should not be taken lightly.
She also reveals the unethical behavior of former ERLC President Russell Moore. Moore, a Democratic party operative, used his influence to advocate for leftist policies while leading the organization. Basham demonstrates how Moore leaked letters to liberal media outlets about #SBCTOO, using a surfeit of emotions to create a deception to shape the SBC Annual Meeting back in 2021. The aforementioned will have long-term implications for the SBC, both spiritually and financially.
Basham further highlights the hypocrisy of how the left politicizes every gospel issue in America, then uses that same analogy to shame and harass anyone who voices support for Donald Trump. She also gives abundant examples of evangelical organizations, including pro-choice and pro-LGBTQ organizations such as Embracing the Journey Evangelical Environmental Network and the Evangelical Immigration Table, and how leaders and institutions partner with SBC seminaries and mega-churches.
The bottom line from watching the “woke” bath the SBC has taken in the past ten years is that Basham nails most of the premises. She gets the facts right, and she has the receipts in hand! Despite the challenges that Basham exposes, it may serve as a wake-up call, and this awakening could be the catalyst for much-needed change within the evangelical institutions across America! I strongly recommend reading for Pastors, Deacons, and Elders! Every Evangelical Church should have a copy of this book!
