The backlash continues against Chip and Joanna Gaines for featuring a gay couple on their new show “Back to the Frontier,” with Christians offering their opinions in the form of social media posts, videos, articles, and open letters. Many see the Gaines as compromising Christian values, while others are questioning why believers expected so much of the Gaines in the first place.
“Praying that @chipgaines silence on social media the last few days is due to prayerful contemplation over the backlash of his upcoming show,” said Pastor Michael Moore, who runs the Honest Youth Pastor account. “Iron sharpening iron isn’t usually comfortable but it is necessary.”
RELATED: Chip and Joanna Gaines Draw Strong Criticism from Evangelicals for New Show Featuring Gay Couple
What Happened With Chip and Joanna Gaines and ‘Back to the Frontier’
Chip and Joanna Gaines, who became famous for flipping people’s houses on the reality show “Fixer Upper,” have built an empire under their lifestyle brand, Magnolia. On July 10, a new reality show premiered under a partnership between Magnolia Network and HBO Max.
Chip and Joanna Gaines are executive producers on “Back to the Frontier,” which follows three families as they “re-imagine their lives as 1880s homesteaders” and voluntarily give up the comforts of modern life.
One of the families is made up of a gay couple, Jason Hanna and Joe Riggs, and their 10-year-old boys, who were born via surrogacy. Hanna and Riggs have said that one reason they wanted to be on “Back to the Frontier” was to normalize same-sex families. Hanna also said that a flyer for the show caught his attention because it featured a gay couple.
Chip and Joanna Gaines are known for being Christians and have actually come under criticism in the past for not supporting the LGBTQ+ community.
A July 10 X post from Chip Gaines promoting “Back to the Frontier” received many comments from Christians asking why the Gaines are supporting a show featuring a gay couple when God’s design for marriage is one man and one woman.
Chip Gaines interacted with some of the commenters, quoting 1 Peter 3:15 and emphasizing the importance of listening and respect as opposed to being quick to judge. “Talk, ask [questions], listen.. maybe even learn. Too much to ask of modern American Christian culture. Judge 1st, understand later/never,” he said. He did not answer the question regarding why he and his wife decided to support a show featuring a gay couple.
Those who weighed in with concern and pushback included local pastors, American Family Association, cultural commentator Jon Root, Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham, Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood President Denny Burk, conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey, author Becket Cook, theologian Owen Strachan (who wrote the Gaines an open letter), and The Babylon Bee’s Joel Berry.
Worship leader and activist Sean Feucht called the show “filth.”
Dr. Christina Crenshaw, who said she and her husband have known the Gaines for 20 years, defended the Gaines. Progressive author and pastor Dr. Kevin M. Young suggested Franklin Graham was being hypocritical for critiquing the Gaines while supporting President Trump, who has bragged about groping women.
Chip and Joanna Gaines Continue To Draw Fire for ‘Back to the Frontier’
The furor over the Gaines’ show has not died down over the past week. With the passing of Grace Community Church Pastor John MacArthur on July 14, some are drawing a contrast between MacArthur and Chip and Joanna Gaines.
