Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, reflects on the story that “Dragevangelist” Ms. Penny Cost (Isaac Simmons) is the first drag queen to be a certified candidate for ordination in the United Methodist Church—one of the largest evangelical denominations in the world. The name “Penny Cost” comes from the biblical story of Pentecost, and Ms. Penny Cost frequently dons bright red wigs emblematic of “tongues of fire.” But what all this is actually emblematic of is the erosion of the foundation of life in western civilization. The pillars that stand on that foundation are crumbling. Marriage redefined. Gender decoupled from biological sex. Pagans will always exercise their job description—what else can they do? The question is will Christians exercise their job description to be salt and light in a lost and searching world?

See Caroline Brew, “Ms. Penny Cost Discusses Being the First Drag Queen Certified Candidate for Ordination in the United Methodist Church,” Daily Northwestern, February 25, 2022, https://dailynorthwestern.com/2022/02/25/lateststories/ms-penny-cost-discusses-being-the-first-drag-queen-certified-candidate-for-ordination-in-the-united-methodist-church/.

Emily McFarlan Miller, “First Drag Queen Certified as a Candidate for United Methodist Ministry ‘Speaking In a New Way to New People,” April 15, 2021, https://religionnews.com/2021/04/15/first-drag-queen-certified-as-a-candidate-for-united-methodist-ministry-speaking-in-a-new-way-to-new-people/.