Church-in-Check: Recent Episodes
Rabbit Hole Media
From Rabbit Hole Media, Church-in-Check is a church review show which seeks to take an honest and caring approach to the teachings being delivered from pulpits all across America. Join host Edd Wilson every Monday as we visit a new church and explore whether or not they are exploring the faith in an open, safe and loving way.
Join Edd this week as we visit Christian Life Fellowship in Cape Coral, Florida where we discuss rap music and the forgotten commandment of loving your neighbor as yourself.
SOURCES
1 https://kj52.com/resume
2 https://clflife.com/
3 https://www.facebook.com/david.comer.399/posts/10223249128759993
4 https://youtu.be/TQuzq4yc2Ms
5 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Florida#:~:text=2018%20American%20Community%20Survey,-Racial%20Makeup%20of&text=According%20to%20the%202018%20US,from%20two%20or%20more%20races.
This week, Edd heads to Decatur, Alabama to visit Central United Methodist Church and talk about the legacy of Dr. King and the bad fruit of the other prominent Christian leaders of his time.
SOURCES:
1 https://apnews.com/article/20d646efe23c469fbbc83cd04ec2fc17
2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Falwell_Sr.
3 https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/agent-intolerance/
4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Wallace
5 https://www.nytimes.com/1998/09/14/us/george-wallace-segregation-symbol-dies-at-79.html
6 https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/daily/sept98/wallace031795.htm
7 https://archives.alabama.gov/teacher/rights/lesson2/doc2.html
8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QExV7bAoqG8
This week, Edd visits the church home of Pastor Mark Driscoll, the former pastor of Mars Hills Church in Seattle, WA and leader of the emergent church movement of the early 21st century, and possibly one of the best examples of a modern day Pharisee who would have been first in line to crucify Jesus.
SOURCES
1 https://thetrinitychurch.com/who-we-are/senior-pastor/
2 http://www.driscollcontroversy.com/
3 https://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2014/10/19/the-pastors-persistent-sinful-behavior-why-driscoll-quit-mars-hill/
4 https://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2014/10/31/mars-hill-will-dissolve-into-individual-self-governed-churches/
5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2o7HYhjwTkQ&t=11s
6 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Bradford_Wilcox
This week, Edd visits the First Heavy Metal Church of Christ in Dayton, Ohio. Although it sounds like a parody of a church, this is a church body which focuses on a very specific demographic for it's congregation. We discuss if this is good or bad or even matters at all.
SOURCES
- https://www.facebook.com/Dudeism
- https://unitedchurchofbacon.org/
- https://www.spaghettimonster.org/
- http://subgenius.com/
- https://www.churchofeuthanasia.org/
- https://www.heavymetalchurch.com/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY75j5iCOCY
This week, Edd visits Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas to discuss the art of the grift of Pastor Joel Osteen, and whether or not this should draw righteous anger.
SOURCES:
1 https://www.theoi.com/Daimon/Lyssa.html
2 https://www.lakewoodchurch.com/about
3 https://www.lakewoodchurch.com/about/history
4 https://www.lakewoodchurch.com/watch-online/2020/December/2020-12-20-1100_maxlucado
This week, Edd visits Marble Collegiate Church in New York City, New York and discusses the churches impact on the history as well as the current state of American politics. Are they to blame for the current glut of Christian nationalism in the U.S.?
SOURCES:
1 https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/dutch-eastwest-india-companies#:~:text=In%201621%2C%20Dutch%20investors%20formed,Americas%20for%20twenty%2Done%20years.
2 https://www.marblechurch.org/about/history
3 https://www.britannica.com/topic/Dutch-West-India-Company
4 https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/columnists/iowa-view/2020/11/19/trump-after-losing-adheres-norman-vincent-peale-positive-thinking/6341449002/
5 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Vincent_Peale
6 https://www.marblechurch.org/watch/videos?category=2&preacher=
This week, Edd visits Solid Rock Church in Monroe, Ohio, a church which has refused to shutter services while a worldwide pandemic wreaks havoc, wrecks the economy, and takes lives.
SOURCES:
1 https://traveltips.usatoday.com/things-see-i75-michigan-florida-109220.html
2 https://maps.roadtrippers.com/trips/20461816
3 http://www.solidrockchurch.org/who-we-are/
4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lux_Mundi_(statue)
5 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_of_Kings_(statue)
6 http://content.usatoday.com/communities/Religion/post/2010/06/peta-nra-touchdown-jesus-/1#.X7VKp86Sk2w
7 https://rrohio.org/
8 Solid Rock Church to build new foster care facility (daytondailynews.com)
9 12-6-20 A Heart Divided Part 3 - SRC App (subsplash.com)
This week, Edd visits Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago, Illinois and discusses the accusations of ongoing abuse, sexual and otherwise, by the church's longtime pastor.
SOURCES:
1 https://www.areavibes.com/chicago-il/crime/#:~:text=1%20The%20overall%20crime%20rate%20in%20Chicago%20is,a%20victim%20of%20any%20crime.%20More%20items...%20
2 https://www.quora.com/How-many-churches-are-in-Chicago-and-surrounding-suburbs
3 Bill Hybels independent investigation finds allegations against Willow Creek founder credible - The Washington Post
4 https://www.willowcreek.org/en/blogs/willow-wide/2020-t3
5 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willow_Creek_Community_Church
https://youtu.be/qaUrqRj6JeM
Original article: https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-met-willow-creek-pastor-20171220-story.html
Hybels resigns: https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-met-hybels-willow-creek-resigns-20180410-story.html
CT investigations: https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2019/february/willow-creek-bill-hybels-investigation-iag-report.html
Willow Creek IAG Report: https://www.willowcreek.org/-/media/images/7-0-about/elders2019/iagreport-022819.pdf?la=en
This week, Edd visits Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California and discusses the church's remarkable efforts to confront the mental health crisis, despite the aversion to recognizing the legitimacy of mental illness by the majority of Christian churches.
SOURCES:
https://saddleback.com/visit/about/our-church
https://www.barna.com/research/survey-reveals-the-books-and-authors-that-have-most-influenced-pastors/
https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Rick-Warren/39904606
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/21/AR2006012100284_pf.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20140302061436/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/25/rick-warren-mental-health_n_4855909.html
Saddleback Church: This Weekend at Saddleback: The Power of a Gentle Answer
Welcome to Church-in-Check, from Rabbit Hole Media. This is a church review show. Each week, host Edd Wilson visits a new church, studies its history and listens to a recent teaching. During his visit, Edd looks for things hiding just below the surface, such as traits of toxic Christianity and personal opinions masquerading as biblical truth. In short, Edd's on the hunt for an honest exploration of the Christian faith in a loving, safe and supportive environment.