By Caitlyn Beebe, Juicy Ecumenism.
Conservative Christians collectively cower from reconquering their leftward-bound denominations. That’s according to Redeemed Zoomer, the online nom de guerre of Presbyterian YouTuber Richard Ackerman who recently faced off with Gavin Ortlund, a Baptist pastor and founder of Truth Unites, in a May 28 “respectful clash” on Ortlund’s YouTube channel.
Redeemed Zoomer, an influential figure in Operation Reconquista, warned that modern Protestants and evangelicals are too willing to break away from mainline churches. Specifically, he argued that Christians are only justified in leaving a church if they are either formally excommunicated or violently persecuted by that church.
In one of the most controversial moments of the video, Redeemed Zoomer stated that he would still attend a mainline congregation that denied the bodily resurrection of Christ if there were no other mainline congregations nearby. He maintained that conservative Christians must stay loyal to mainline denominations, even if it means fighting rampant heresies and liberalism from within.
Redeemed Zoomer allowed that attending a non-mainline church may be a necessary evil to preserve some congregants’ faith, but he considered it undesirable nonetheless.
“It’s a concession I make to people who are weak in their faith, basically. I wouldn’t go [away from the mainline]. I would go [to the mainline] no matter how liberal it gets,” the advocate of Reconquista insisted.
Redeemed Zoomer’s arguments stem from his broader critique of evangelicalism, which he defined as “non-institutional Christianity.” Instead, he advocated for theological conservatives to reclaim mainline denominations, which have not split illegitimately from their institutions. He listed the seven mainline churches as the United Methodist Church, Presbyterian Church (USA), Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Reformed Church in America, United Church of Christ, and American Baptist Churches (USA).