NOTES ON AMERICA’S LEADERSHIP CRISIS II: DONALD TRUMP AND THE CULTIVATION OF ‘MEN WITHOUT CHESTS’ (WITH VIDEO)

1. THEOLOGY

SCRIPTURE. “For the overseer, as God’s steward, must be blameless, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain [but financially ethical]. And he must be hospitable [to believers, as well as strangers], a lover of what is good, sensible (upright), fair, devout, self-disciplined [above reproach—whether in public or in private].

He must hold firmly to the trustworthy word [of God] as it was taught to him, so that he will be able both to give accurate instruction in sound [reliable, error-free] doctrine and to refute those who contradict [it by explaining their error].” – TITUS 1:7-9, AMP

KEY TERM: “OVERSEER.” ‘Episkopos’ [ἐπίσκοπον]: “A Superintendent; a Christian official in general charge of the Church; a Bishop, a Watchman.” NOTE: “The term occurs five times and always describes a God-appointed ‘Guardian of people redeemed by Christ.’ In Acts 20:28 the Holy Spirit installs multiple ‘Overseers’ in one local flock, revealing a plurality of leaders rather than a solitary hierarchy. Philippians 1:1 places these Overseers alongside Deacons under the overarching category of ‘saints,’ stressing that their identity is rooted in shared salvation before it is expressed in service.”

QUOTATION. “‘In other words, in the long list, most everything is about a Leader’s Character.’ Only a single characteristic pertains to giftedness (teaching). Depending on how the traits are counted, the ratio is as drastic as twelve to one. There’s nothing on this list about being a strong leader, being able to cast a vision, or being charismatic or dynamic. I am not suggesting those aspects of leadership are irrelevant, but they certainly are not the heart of God’s concern for a Pastor. Nor are they ever to trump God’s concern over character.

As the Reformer MARTIN BUCER noted, ‘It is better to take those who may be lacking in eloquence and learning, but are genuinely concerned with the things of Christ.’When this God-given ratio is reversed and churches prefer giftedness over character, churches inevitably begin to overlook a Pastor’s character flaws because he’s so successful in other areas. Leadership performance becomes the shield that protects the Pastor from criticism. As MICHAEL JENSEN observed, ‘We frequently promote Narcissists and Psychopaths. Time and time again, we forgive them their Arrogance. We bracket out their abuses of their power, because we feel that we need that power to get things done.’” ― MICHAEL J. KRUGER, Bully Pulpit: Confronting the Problem of Spiritual Abuse in the Church, 2022; edited

COMMENTARY. “The Character and qualification of Pastors, here called Elders and Bishops, agree with what the Apostle wrote to Timothy. Being such Bishops and Overseers of the flock, to be Examples to them, and God’s Stewards to take care of the affairs of His household, there is great reason that they must be ‘BLAMELESS!’ [ἀνέγκλητον-‘unaccused, above any reproach whatsoever’]. What they are not to be, is plainly shown, as well as what they are to be, as Servants of Christ, and able Ministers of the letter and practice of the Gospel. ‘And here are described the Spirit and Practice becoming such as should be examples of good works.’” – MATTHEW HENRY, Exposition of the Old and New Testaments, 6 vols., 1708-1710; edited

II. TEACHING

I have been arguing rather forcefully and with increasing urgency for the past five years that the American (White) Church is in danger of complete collapse in the next few years. Some have listened, but only ‘Two Pastors’ have heeded these, and other, warnings. NOTE: One is being threatened with removal for speaking truthfully and compassionately about our immigrants].

So in the interests of investigating WHY this is so, I will first begin by summarizing a recent study earlier this year that captures current AMERICAN CHURCH HEALTH.

As you may well expect, it is not a pretty picture. Taken from a Survey Summary by attorney, podcaster, blogger, and author CAREY NIEUWHOF, in a piece titled: “Five Disruptive Church Trends that Will Disrupt 2025” (ret. Aug. 28, 2025; edited).

I will offer the objective data of the survey, then INTERPRET THE DATA according to a wonderful monograph that I read in graduate school back in the 1970s by JOHN TUKEY titled, “Analyzing Data: Sanctification or Detective Work? [American Psychologist, 24(2), 1969, 83–91].

1. GEN Z. “‘Gen Z is in Revival and Retreat at the Same Time. On the one hand, clearly, the Renewal and Revival happening in some] Gen Z’s’ is real.’ Teens and college students are surrendering their lives to Christ, confessing their sins, and joining community by the thousands or tens of thousands. And that’s incredible and needs to continue. At the same time, ‘Other Gen Z’s’ are disengaging from the church and becoming less spiritually open as they get older.  The data starts to make sense when you realize there are almost 70 million Gen Zs in the US.  So, while the stories and movements of renewal are amazing, there is still much work ahead.”
2. EVANGELISM. “‘Evangelism is on Life Support in Most Churches.’ The number of Pastors who say their church is very effective at outreach to non-churchgoers dropped from 13% in 2015 to 1% in 2023. Did you catch that? ‘99% of Pastors say that their church is not very effective at outreach’ …  Some final evidence of this trend is found among Southern Baptists. 43% of Southern Baptist churches experienced no converts or baptisms in a calendar year. As in zero! An additional 34 percent baptized one to five people. In other words, 77% baptized zero to five people in an entire calendar year.  This is what we’re seeing now among American churches.”
3. CHURCH CLOSURES. “‘Church Closures Appear to Be Outpacing New Church Plants 3-to-1’ A few years ago, there were numerous calls to increase the number of church plants. Those calls are more needed now than ever. ‘There are several reasons for the urgency.’ First, there’s the sheer number of existing churches that are closing. In the United States, for example, approximately 4,000-10,000 churches close each year (yes, that’s a wide range, but it’s difficult to get accurate numbers).  Meanwhile, only ~3,000 churches were being planted each year prior to COVID, which resulted in a significant net loss of churches … Bottom Line? If you’re thinking of planting a church or launching a campus, the need has never been greater.’”
4. NON-DERIVATIVE CHURCHES. “‘The Rise of the Non-Derivative Church.’ This trend is a little hard to put a finger on, and I’ve completely made up the name for it (‘Non-Derivative Church’), but I sense something changing.  For several years, with the proliferation of social media and the rise of ‘Attractional Church,’ a lot of revitalized churches and church plants followed a ‘Just-Add-Water’ approach to their Model of Church. ‘A modern band that sings the same worship songs every other growing church is singing. A relevant and dynamic communicator preaching. A vibrant Kids Ministry (and perhaps Student Ministry). Upbeat serving teams and small groups. Boom. You’re good to go.’  Almost every growing church followed it. Except by the late 2010s, it was no longer producing the kind of growth that it once did. For a while, Attractional Church was cool, but as every church copied the formula, the uniqueness withered.”
5. CHURCH LEADERS. “‘The Church Leader Mental Health Crisis Is About to Get Worse.’ So, the good news is that the mental health of church leaders has rebounded somewhat from an all-time low during COVID. There are Storm Clouds brewing, though, and that’s why I’m not convinced we’re out of the woods yet. The number of Pastors who have given real, serious consideration to quitting full-time ministry within the last year dropped from an all-time high of 42% in 2022 to 33% in 2023. While that’s encouraging, it still means that: ‘A third of all pastors in America are contemplating packing it in’ … More alarmingly, though, according to Barna data, ‘18% of pastors have thought about suicide or self-harm in the last year.’ That’s a staggering statistic. Fueling this is a pervasive loneliness among senior Pastors that is intensifying, not abating. Today, more than ever, Pastors are unlikely to be getting the personal support and relationships they need to thrive. 

DOMINO EFFECT. So here are my point-by-point Interpretations of the findings of this excellent study. (1) GEN Z: Searchers with virtually ‘No Christian Witness’ due to the sedition of the Gospel by MAGA or Attractional Church. (2) EVANGELISM: As with the first point, the virtual ‘Death of Sound Doctrine and Preaching’ has left most churches bereft of new souls or spiritual fruit. Their Fire has gone out. (3) CHURCH PLANTS: Closed down 3 to 1 – ‘Lampstands being Removed’ [Revelation 2:5] – at a record rate for the reasons specified above. The only ones that remain will be like ‘Nazified Reich Churches;’ (4) NON-DERIVATIVE CHURCHES: The thought that comes here is ‘Stale Bread,’ or more accurately, ‘Salt without Savor.’ Thus, there is nothing to draw the seekers nor the saved, except the ‘Habituals.’ (5) CHURCH LEADERS: Without any pleasure here, I see vast increases in ‘Psychological and Spiritual Crisis’ among our Pastors who have abandoned their Call. Psychologists call this ‘Cognitive Dissonance.’

But the Bible calls it ‘APOSTASY’ [apostasia;ἀποστασία; 2 Thess. 2:3] – “Defection or falling away from God’s Truth.’

 Selah.

III. CAUSES & CONSEQUENCES

I well remember a study done by DR. GEORGE BARNA in the Summer of 2014 – before Trump World became a phenomenon – that revealed the following Turmoil of the American Pastor back then. A Summary of his findings follow.

“When we ask them about all the key issues of the day, 90 percent of them are telling us, ‘Yes, the Bible speaks to every one of these issues.’  Then we ask them: ‘Well, are you teaching your people what the Bible says about those issues?’ and the numbers drop to less than 10 percent of Pastors who say they will speak to it!” – American Pastors Network, Aug. 21, 2014; edited

WHY? Over ten years later, I reinvestigated this deeply troubling finding to discover the Primary Reasons for this appalling trend. In the absence of a definitive piece that offers that information (though the Barna organization continues to lead in these studies), I once more settled on a COMPENDIUM codified by an AI Overview (ret. Aug. 29, 2025; edited substantially).

The results are in some ways even more astonishing than the earlier one by Dr. Barna when asked about their stance on PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP. So here are the TEN RATIONALES used by American Pastors to justify their support for or toleration of the Biblical Antichrist.

OPEN. “For Pastors, the decision to speak against or for a political figure like Donald Trump is complex and highly divisive. It involves a mix of theological convictions, strategic concerns about leading a polarized congregation, and a pragmatic focus on political outcomes that many conservative Christians prioritize. The topic creates deep rifts between the Pulpit and the Pews, leading many Pastors to either avoid the subject entirely or align with their congregants’ dominant views.”

• THE CYRUS NARRATIVE. “Some Evangelicals view Trump as a divinely appointed figure, a ‘King Cyrus,’chosen by God to protect His people and restore ‘Christian America.’ This despite what they euphemistically term his ‘personal shortcomings.’”

• STRATEGIC OUTCOMES. “For many conservative Christians, what matters most are Trump’s ‘political actions and the policies’ he champions. His appointments of conservative judges, ‘his promises’ on religious liberty, and ‘his stance’ on issues like abortion are seen as significant wins for the ‘Christian Agenda.’” [This despite Trump’s being confirmed as a ‘pathological liar’]!

• DEFENSE AGAINST PERCEIVED THREATS. “Many supporters believe that ‘American Christian Foundations are under assault’ and see their support for Trump as a last stand. His rhetoric about ‘Us versus Them’ and his fight against cultural and academic targets resonate with their feeling of being persecuted.”

• SHIFT IN PRIORITIES. “‘After 2016, many Evangelicals reevaluated the importance of a Leader’s Character, with some prioritizing policy achievements over personal ethics.’ This allowed them to reconcile their support for Trump with their traditional values. [Selah: Think very deeply about this finding].

• CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM. “A strong link exists between support for ‘Christian Nationalism’ and ‘Voting for Trump,’ according to a 2025 PRRI study. ‘Many Christian Nationalists also hold Conspiratorial and Racist views on immigration, which align with Trump’s rhetoric.’”

• FEAR OF LOSS. “Many Pastors serve politically divided congregations. Speaking out against a popular figure like Trump risks creating conflict, causing members to leave, and threatening the church’s financial stability. ‘In congregations with a strong pro-Trump majority, a dissenting Pastor may face intense pressure or even risk being removed.’”

• STRONGMAN IMAGE. “‘Supporters, including some Pastors, are drawn to Trump’s ‘brash’ and ‘tough’ persona,’ seeing him as a necessary fighter in what they perceive as a spiritual and cultural war. They believe he can stand up to political and cultural opponents more effectively than traditional politicians.”

• SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL. “‘Moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem was a key action that appealed to many Evangelicals,’ who are often fervent supporters of Israel. Some hold specific theological views regarding the significance of Israel in end-times prophecies.” [This despite Prime Minister Netanyahu’s scorched earth policy in the Gaza].

• ANTI-ABORTION STANCE.  “Trump’s appointment of conservative, anti-abortion judges to the Supreme Court was a major motivation for evangelical voters. His role in overturning Roe v. Wade [1973] is seen as a fulfillment of a long-term goal for the Christian Right.”

• OPPOSITION TO NON-CHRISTIANS. “‘Trump’s rhetoric and policies targeting perceived Liberal and Secular institutions’ resonate with conservative Christians who feel their values are under assault. Actions like ending federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies also appeal to this group.” [This despite Christ’s clear teaching that we are not to judge “Outsiders,” but only those inside the House of God. – 1 Cor. 5:9-12].

DK’S TAKE. In all of this mostly ‘Severe Rejection of Christian Principles’ we see at its center an ‘Elevation of Self and Power’ above any concerns whatsoever for those who disagree, even though they often suffer substantially. Many studies have shown that the entire MAGA Christian Nationalist Movement lacks Courage, Empathy, and Humility.

‘The very Trademarks of True Christianity!’

IV. LAST THOUGHTS

Though I always try to think of a way to conclude on a Note of Hope at the end of one of my polemics, it is becoming more and more challenging to do that. Therefore, I default into the only Antidote to our Darkening Condition:

TRUTH!

This time by turning to an exquisite piece by theologian, preacher and ethicist, DR. RUSSELL MOORE. He is current Editor in Chief of Christianity Today and leader of its Public Theology Project. His essay:

“Why Character Doesn’t Matter Anymore” (Mar. 2, 2024; edited).

THESIS. “‘Part of the Vulgarization of the [Christian] Right is due to the Barstool Sports / Joe Rogan Secularization of the Base, in which Kid Rock is an Avatar more than Lee Greenwood or Michael W. Smith.’ But much more alarmingly, the Coarsening and Character-Debasing is happening among politicized professing Christians. The member of Congress joking at a Prayer Breakfast about a turning her fiancé down for sex to get her there was ostensibly there to talk about her faith and the importance of Religious Faith and Values for America. The member of Congress telling a reporter to ‘f— off’ is a self-described ‘Christian Nationalist.’ We’ve seen ‘Let’s Go Brandon’—a Euphemism for a profanity that once would have resulted in Church discipline—‘chanted in churches!’”

• PASTORAL CRUDITY. “Pastor and aspiring theocrat Douglas Wilson publicly used a slur against women that not only will I not repeat here but that almost no secular media outlet would quote—and that’s without even referencing Wilson’s creepily coarse novel about a sex robot. Wilson, of course, cultivates a cartoonishly ‘Aren’t we naughty?’ vibe not representative of most Evangelical Christians. But the problem is the way many other Christians respond: ‘Well, I wouldn’t say things the way he says them, but …’”  [NOTE: This extremely controversial church is the spiritual home to Vice-President J.D. Vance among other celibrities].

• CHURCH HYPOCRISY. “What’s worse is that Evangelical Christians—including some I listened to pontificate endlessly about Bill Clinton’s sexual immorality (pontifications with which I agreed then and agree now)—ridicule as pearl-clutching moralists those who refuse to do exactly what they condemned Clinton’s defenders for doing, namely, ‘weighting policy agreement over personal character.’”

• CHURCH DUPLICITY. “Our situation today would be understandable in a world in which words that come out of a person don’t represent what’s present in the heart. Or in a world in which external conduct can be severed from internal character. The Problem is that such an imagined world is one in which there is no Word of God. ‘Jesus, after all, taught us the exact opposite, explicitly and repeatedly’ (Matt. 15:10–20; Luke 6:43–45).”

• CHURCH REVISIONISM. “Ironically, some of the very people who advance the ‘Myth of a Christian America,’ in which the American Founders are retrofitted as ‘Conservative Evangelicals,’ now embrace a view that both the Orthodox Christians and the Deist Unitarians of the Founding Era would, in full agreement, denounce. From The Federalist Papers to the debates around the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, virtually every Founding Father—even with all their differences on the specifics of Federalism—would argue that ‘Constitutional procedures and policies alone were not enough to conserve a republic: Moral Norms and Expectations of some level of personal character were necessary.’”

• POST-CHARACTER AMERICA. “What happens long-term with your policies in a ‘Post-Character Culture’ is important. What happens to your country is even more important. But consider also what happens to you.  ‘If individuals live only seventy years, then a State, or a Nation, or a Civilization, which may last for a thousand years, is more important than an individual,’ C. S. Lewis wrote. ‘But if Christianity is true, then the Individual is not only more important but incomparably more important, for he is Everlasting and the life of a State or a Civilization, compared with his, is only a Moment.’”

C.S. LEWIS’ LAST WORD. “It still remains true that no justification of Virtue will enable a man to be virtuous. Without the aid of trained emotions the intellect is powerless against the animal organism. I had sooner play cards against a man who was quite skeptical about ethics, but bred to believe that ‘A gentleman does not cheat,’ than against a moral philosopher who had been brought up among sharpers [swindlers] …

And all the time—such is the Tragi-Comedy of our [present] situation—We continue to clamour for those very qualities we are rendering impossible. You can hardly open a periodical without coming across the s’tatement that what our civilization needs is more Drive, or Dynamism, or Self-sacrifice, or Creativity. ‘In a sort of ghastly simplicity we remove the organ and demand the function. We make Men without Chests and expect of them Virtue and Enterprise. We laugh at Honour and are shocked to find Traitors in our midst. We castrate and bid the Geldings be fruitful!’” – The Abolition of Man, 1943; edited

CODA. As a university educator, I well recall a period of time during the 1990s when the academic and governmental sectors were altogether enthusiastic about something called “CHARACTER EDUCATION.”

A Review by Wikipedia (July 29, 2025) tells us that it is an umbrella term loosely used to describe the teaching of children and adults in a manner that will help them develop variously as moral, civic, good, mannered, behaved, non-bullying, healthy, critical, successful, traditional, compliant or socially acceptable beings. Concepts that now and in the past have fallen under this term include social and emotional learning, moral reasoning and cognitive development, life skills education, health education, violence prevention, critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and conflict resolution and mediation. 

However, they note, many of these are now considered failed programs; i.e., “religious education,” “moral development,” “values clarification.” The largest Federal Study, to-date, a 2010 report released under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Education found: “The vast majority of Character Education programs have failed to prove their effectiveness, producing no improvements in student behavior or academic performance.”

A PROPOSAL. The primary reason they failed was TWO-FOLD: (1) Of the plethora of programs that were constructed and in ones that still exist today, there as ‘No Unity of Agreement’ on what morally and ethically defines “Character.” (2) Beyond the Constitutional proscription of Human Rights, Government has ‘No Jurisdiction’ in matters of Personal Character definition.  

So, here’s AN IDEA: The only way to reeducate American citizens in the crucial matter of Character Education is for our Pastors to preach on what constitutes Moral Character.

And here is the KEY DOCTRINE for its foundation.

“And not only this, but [with joy] let us exult in our sufferings and rejoice in our hardships, knowing that hardship (distress, pressure, trouble) produces patient endurance; and endurance, proven character [spiritual maturity, authentic faith]; and proven character, hope and confident assurance [of eternal salvation]. 

Such hope [in God’s promises] never disappoints us, because God’s love has been abundantly poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” – ROMANS 5:3-5, AMP

CONCLUSION. While I do not believe that this Proposal will meet with much Pastoral Approval (if they even read it!), nor do I expect even if implemented it could save a Nation now held in the thrall of Antichrist, I do firmly believe this:

Every single one of us individually can commit to this DOCTRINAL IDEAL, with the clear understanding that it will involve suffering.’ If even a small number of Pastors would undertake this pursuit, and organize themselves into a network, we could see extraordinary change take place in many lives.

But without it, beloved, we become JUDAS to our King, and thereby we shall surely Reap the Whirlwind that we have sown for a century.

MEDIA

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/NLrxtNosR9Y