Chip and Joanna Gaines Draw Strong Criticism from Evangelicals for New Show Featuring Gay Couple

“You have succumbed to the world and shown where your true allegiance lies,” Peters said. “Cancel this and disavow it.”

“As someone who was an enormous fan and booster early in your careers (I wrote multiple positive articles in a Christian magazine when few knew who you were),” said the Daily Wire’s Megan Basham, “it is…incredibly disappointing to see you capitulate to the spirit of the age.”

After receiving extensive pushback for his July 10 post promoting “Back to the Frontier,” Chip posted his later comments about modern American Christians displaying “hate or vitriol.” The Babylon Bee’s Joel Berry responded, “You’ll see no hate from me. I’m just sad. I can’t let my kids watch your show now, since I’m trying to protect their eyes and hearts from the lies of the world—lies you’re now participating in.”

“Also, filter out some of the online vitriol and consider taking to heart some of the substantive concerns and heartbreak from the Christians who make up your fanbase,” Berry said. “We should love the sinner—that doesn’t mean we celebrate and promote the sin and participate in the multibillion dollar industry dedicated to destroying the family.”

“Don’t be sad Joel.. plenty of other stuff out there. I’m sure everyone will be fine,” Chip answered. “BUT I sincerely appreciate the advice about taking some of the thoughtful, heartfelt, encouraging constructive criticism to heart.. and I certainly will.”

In a separate post, Berry put the blame on the Gaines’ pastor for not keeping the couple accountable.

Author and theologian Owen Strachan linked to an open letter he has written to Chip and Joanna Gaines, telling Chip, “Dear @chipgaines: I wrote a brief piece on your promotion of this show. It’s not intended to cancel you; it’s to encourage you to follow Jesus and tell the truth about sexual sin.”

“I’m praying for you,” said Strachan. “You’re an immensely likeable, fun, and skilled guy!”

Becket Cook, author of “A Change of Affection: A Gay Man’s Incredible Story of Redemption,” told Chip, “Respectfully…that doesn’t work. You can’t platform a gay family on your show, further normalizing it, and cry foul. You’re intentionally or unintentionally leading many astray.” 

“Of course, we need to love our gay neighbors, but we also need to tell the truth,” said Cook. “This is how I was led to the Lord. Not by squishy Christians, but by loving Christians who told me the truth.”

Author and conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey posted in part, “Chip: You can’t out-love God. God is love, which means 2 things: 1) He gets to define it. 2) Everything He says and does He says and does in love.”

“Sin hurts people, and it angers the God you say you serve. The least loving thing possible is to normalize it,” she said.

Author and commentator Larry Alex Taunton said, “We are witnessing the Jenn Hatmaker-ing [sic] of @chipgaines and @joannagaines.”

“It’s one thing to sin. Heaven knows how I have needed God’s grace and mercy,” he said. “But it’s an altogether different category of sin to justify perversion as biblical.”

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Author and commentator Kira Davis wondered in a post if “Chip and Joanna were never who they sold to the public.”

Dr. Christina Crenshaw, who said she and her husband have known the Gaines for 20 years, reposted Chip’s post and defended the couple. “We’ve experienced a lot of life with them: baby showers, Bible studies, wives’ dinners, husbands’ hangs, shared child care, friendship with both their mothers, their sisters, too,” she said. “And I don’t see enough folks defending their character.”