
Preacher Boys Podcast
An ex-fundamentalist sheds light on the dark side of the church… from the pulpit to the pews.
Latest episodes

Mar 3, 2024 • 1h 4min
287: Took a DNA Test, Turns Out I’m 100% Mormon | Shelise Ann Sola
Shelise Ann Sola was born and raised in Utah with a long ancestry in Mormonism. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was the only way to the highest level of heaven and she eagerly accepted the challenge.An unfortunate turn of events led her to feeling worthless, small, dirty and unloved. It was in those moments of desperate solitude, she finally asked herself if this is what God REALLY wanted for her. Desperate to find the truth, she uncovered pages and pages of LDS church history that shocked her, shaking her faith in a way she had never imagined. She realized the church that she held so dear to her heart had been lying to her, her whole life. Ten years later, she felt called to write her story in a memoir and decided to look further into the LDS history so she could accurately portray it in her book. With more and more shocking evidence unfolding, she became an ex-Mormon creator. Determined to expose the dark underbelly of these cults, with the help of her husband Jonathan, she amplifies the voices of other survivors of high control groups on Cults to Consciousness.✖️✖️✖️CONNECT WITH CULTS TO CONSCIOUSNESS@cultstoconsciousnesshttps://www.youtube.com/cultstoconsciousnessIG @cultstoconsciousnesshttps://www.instagram.com/cultstoconsciousness/✖️✖️✖️If you or someone you know has experienced abuse, visit courage365.org/need-help✖️✖️✖️CONNECT WITH THE SHOW:preacherboyspodcast.comhttps://www.youtube.com/@PreacherBoyshttps://www.facebook.com/preacherboysdoc/https://twitter.com/preacherboysdochttps://www.instagram.com/preacherboysdoc/https://www.tiktok.com/@preacherboyspodTo connect with a community that shares the Preacher Boys Podcast's mission to expose abuse in the IFB, join the OFFICIAL Preacher Boys Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1403898676438188/This episode is sponsored by/brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at
betterhelp.com/PreacherBoys and get on your way to being your best self.Our Sponsors:* Use promo code preacherboys at the link below to get an exclusive 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/preacherboysSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preacher-boys-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Feb 28, 2024 • 59min
286: Defending Democracy From Its Christian Enemies | David Gushee
Purchase a copy of Defending Democracy From Its Christian Enemies: https://amzn.to/3OS1ZpsAbout David Gushee:Rev. Prof. Dr. David P. Gushee (PhD, Union Theological Seminary, New York) is Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University, and Chair of Christian Social Ethics at Vrije Universiteit (“Free University”) Amsterdam, and Senior Research Fellow, International Baptist Theological Study Centre.Gushee is the elected Past-President of both the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Christian Ethics, signaling his role as one of America's leading Christian ethicists. He is the author, co-author, editor, or co-editor of more than 28 books and over 175 academic book chapters, journal articles, and reviews (see his full academic C.V.). His most recognized works include Kingdom Ethics, and Changing Our Mind. His other most notable works are Introducing Christian Ethics, Still Christian, After Evangelicalism, Righteous Gentiles of the Holocaust, and the recent Defending Democracy from Its Christian Enemies. Altogether his books have sold over 100,000 copies and been translated into a dozen languages.For the general media, Gushee has written hundreds of opinion pieces and given interviews to scores of major outlets and podcasts.With his works read around the world, and an active lecturing schedule on several continents, he has global impact in the field of Christian ethics. A leader in the growing post-evangelical movement, he has also put feet to his faith in several activist campaigns.David and his wife Jeanie live in Atlanta. He is a classic novel reader, world traveler, and tennis player, and awaits a call from his beloved Atlanta Braves to resume the baseball career he abandoned in college.About Defending Democracy From Its Christian Enemies:American democracy is in danger. How do we protect it from reactionary authoritarian Christianity? On January 6, 2021, hundreds of Americans stormed the Capitol to prevent the certification of their political opponent’s election. At the forefront were Christians claiming to act in the name of Jesus Christ and his supposed representative on earth, Donald Trump. How can this have happened? David P. Gushee tackles the question in this timely work of Christian political ethics. Gushee calls us to preserve democratic norms, including constitutional government, the rule of law, and equal rights for all, even as many Christians take a reactionary and antidemocratic stance. He analyzes where Christians have discarded their commitment to democracy and bought into authoritarianism in the US and several other countries, both historically and today. He urgently argues that to defend against reactionary and authoritarian Christians, we must revive and draw on our hard-won traditions of congregational democracy, dissident Black Christian politics, and covenantal theology. Defending Democracy from Its Christian Enemies makes a robust case for the defense of democracy from its enemies—including Christians—arguing for a renewed commitment to democracy on the part of Christians, by drawing on our own best traditions, not succumbing to mere secular liberalism. Any concerned Christian will leave this audio with eyes wide open to the dangers of our current form of political engagement. Listeners will gain insight into what democracy is truly meant to be and why Christians once supported it wholeheartedly—and should do so again.(*as an Amazon affiliate, I receive a small commission from purchases made)✖️✖️✖️If you or someone you know has experienced abuse, visit courage365.org/need-help✖️✖️✖️CONNECT WITH THE SHOW:- preacherboyspodcast.com- https://www.facebook.com/preacherboysdoc/- https://twitter.com/preacherboysdoc- https://www.instagram.com/preacherboysdoc/To connect with a community that shares the Preacher Boys Podcast's mission to expose abuse in the IFB, join the OFFICIAL Preacher Boys Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1403898676438188/This episode is sponsored by/brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at
betterhelp.com/PreacherBoys and get on your way to being your best self.Our Sponsors:* Use promo code preacherboys at the link below to get an exclusive 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/preacherboysSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preacher-boys-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Feb 25, 2024 • 17min
285: NC Pastor Says Rapist Should Go Free if the Victim Wore Shorts
Support the podcast on Patreon.com/PreacherBoys✖️✖️✖️A sermon clip posted by "BadSermons" on X, featured Pastor Bobby Leonard, Pastor of Bible Baptist Tabernacle in Monroe, North Carolina saying, "You’ll find more women with shorts than pants and dresses combined. If you dress like that and you get raped, and I’m on the jury, he's gonna go free."The clip got a lot of exposure on social media - at the time of this recording, it has racked up nearly 200k views.It caught the attention of several news stations, including the North Carolina NBC affiliate WCNC, who put together a story that ran February 22, 2024. They reached out to me for comment on the clip, and I’ve linked to the article that features my interview with them in the description of this video.The biggest takeaway I hope people have from reading the article, watching the clip, or listening to this podcast is that this is not an isolated incident or a one-off comment. This is the rotten fruit of a corrupt religious system that has degraded, abused, and victim-blamed women for years.✖️✖️✖️Links referenced in the video:Original Clip: https://twitter.com/BadSermons/status/1760115548573085764My interview with WCNC: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/monroe/monroe-nc-pastor-sermon-outrage-2-22-2024/275-cbfc16ac-073b-4d03-b106-551367fe6b53?fbclid=IwAR0HkTi6qDwX9cnTFFMlZC-O9luU-Fnd-CqjPe8WL9B6VrfN-ruycgRyu3sArticle on abuse at BBT ministries: https://revealnews.org/article/whipped-hit-and-locked-in-closets-life-inside-some-religious-day-cares/Sheila Gregoire tweets:https://twitter.com/sheilagregoire/status/1760489060936601826Bobby Leonard Statement:https://twitter.com/BadSermons/status/1761235414482829544✖️✖️✖️If you or someone you know has experienced abuse, visit courage365.org/need-help✖️✖️✖️CONNECT WITH THE SHOW:- preacherboyspodcast.com- https://www.facebook.com/preacherboysdoc/- https://twitter.com/preacherboysdoc- https://www.instagram.com/preacherboysdoc/To connect with a community that shares the Preacher Boys Podcast's mission to expose abuse in the IFB, join the OFFICIAL Preacher Boys Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1403898676438188/This episode is sponsored by/brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at
betterhelp.com/PreacherBoys and get on your way to being your best self.Our Sponsors:* Use promo code preacherboys at the link below to get an exclusive 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/preacherboysSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preacher-boys-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Feb 21, 2024 • 44min
284: Building a Supportive Community | Ashley Easter
Eric Skwarczynski sits down with Ashley Easter, the founder of Courage365, to discuss how survivors can build healthy community.✖️✖️✖️LINKS MENTIONED:Let Us Prey Q&A: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/let-us-prey-a-survivor-forum-tickets-824504313597?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurlNic Corl Sentencing: https://patch.com/california/banning-beaumont/ex-teacher-banning-christian-school-sentenced-molestation✖️✖️✖️If you or someone you know has experienced abuse, visit courage365.org/need-help.✖️✖️✖️CONNECT WITH THE SHOW:- preacherboyspodcast.com- https://www.facebook.com/preacherboysdoc/- https://twitter.com/preacherboysdoc- https://www.instagram.com/preacherboysdoc/To connect with a community that shares the Preacher Boys Podcast's mission to expose abuse in the IFB, join the OFFICIAL Preacher Boys Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1403898676438188/This episode is sponsored by/brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at
betterhelp.com/PreacherBoys and get on your way to being your best self.Our Sponsors:* Use promo code preacherboys at the link below to get an exclusive 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/preacherboysSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preacher-boys-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Feb 18, 2024 • 38min
283: The Election Cycle and Religious Trauma | Dr. Laura Anderson
Support the podcast on Patreon.com/PreacherBoys✖️✖️✖️Dr. Laura Anderson is a psychotherapist, trauma resolution coach and consultant, writer and educator specializing in complex and developmental trauma, dynamics of power and control and religious trauma based out of Nashville, TN. On this episode we are diving in to the 2024 election cycle.We will not be discussing political candidates or encouraging you to vote for a certain person or with a certain party. However, we will be discussing the various triggers, coping mechanisms, and relational confusion that comes up and how to navigate it in an embodied and safer way. For more from Dr. Laura Anderson on the subject, check out her course:https://ctrr.podia.com/religious-trauma-and-the-election-cycle✖️✖️✖️If you or someone you know has experienced abuse, visit courage365.org/need-help.✖️✖️✖️CONNECT WITH THE SHOW:- preacherboyspodcast.com- https://www.facebook.com/preacherboysdoc/- https://twitter.com/preacherboysdoc- https://www.instagram.com/preacherboysdoc/To connect with a community that shares the Preacher Boys Podcast's mission to expose abuse in the IFB, join the OFFICIAL Preacher Boys Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1403898676438188/This episode is sponsored by/brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at
betterhelp.com/PreacherBoys and get on your way to being your best self.Our Sponsors:* Use promo code preacherboys at the link below to get an exclusive 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/preacherboysSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preacher-boys-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Feb 14, 2024 • 18min
282: The Trauma of Purity Culture | Dr. Laura Anderson
UNLOCK my full conversation with Dr. Laura Anderson on Adverse Religious Experiences: https://www.patreon.com/posts/5-common-adverse-97677702Purchase a copy of When Religion Hurts: https://amzn.to/3uBgoiTAbout When Religion Hurts:Religious trauma is something that happens far more often than most people realize. But religious trauma is trauma.In When Religion Hurts You, Dr. Laura Anderson takes an honest look at a side of religion that few like to talk about. Drawing from her own life and therapy practice, she helps listeners understand what religious trauma is and isn't, and how high-control churches can be harmful and abusive, often resulting in trauma. She shows how elements of fundamentalist church life—such as fear of hell, purity culture, corporal punishment, and authoritarian leaders—can cause psychological, relational, physical, and spiritual damage.As she explores the growing phenomenon of religious trauma, Dr. Anderson helps listeners embark on a journey of living as healing individuals and finding a new foundation to stand on. Recognizing that healing is a lifelong rather than a linear process, she offers markers of healing for those coming out of painful religious experiences and hope for finding wholeness after religious trauma.✖️✖️✖️If you or someone you know has experienced abuse, visit courage365.org/need-help.✖️✖️✖️CONNECT WITH THE SHOW:- preacherboyspodcast.com- https://www.facebook.com/preacherboysdoc/- https://twitter.com/preacherboysdoc- https://www.instagram.com/preacherboysdoc/To connect with a community that shares the Preacher Boys Podcast's mission to expose abuse in the IFB, join the OFFICIAL Preacher Boys Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1403898676438188/*as an Amazon associate, I receive a small commission on purchases made.This episode is sponsored by/brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at
betterhelp.com/PreacherBoys and get on your way to being your best self.Our Sponsors:* Use promo code preacherboys at the link below to get an exclusive 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/preacherboysSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preacher-boys-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Feb 11, 2024 • 52min
281: Angela J. Herrington | Deconstructing Your Faith without Losing Yourself
Purchase a copy of Deconstructing Your Faith Without Losing Yourself here*: https://amzn.to/49afVTUAngela is a faith deconstruction coach and host of The Deconstructing Faith Summit who helps people break free from toxic religious culture & empowers them to recover from #churchhurt. She has led online ministries for a decade, enjoys working with clients 1:1, in groups, and is a dynamic conference speaker. She’s a Lark’s Song Certified Life Coach who reaches thousands of people in 40+ countries each month on Facebook, IG, Twitter, Pinterest, and her blog.She’s a firstborn, Enneagram 8, Gen Xer who loves to question everything. She holds a BA from Indiana Wesleyan and a Master in Leadership from Wesley Seminary. Her graduate research project focused on leadership development and opportunities for Gen X women in the US church.Angela and her unique online ministry were featured in Lyz Lenz’s 2019 book God Land: Story of Faith, Loss, and Renewal in Middle America. She has published articles in Hope for Women, and HOPE is Now magazines. Articles about her have been published in The New Republic, Publisher’s Today, and Religion News Service.Her first book, Deconstruct Your Faith Without Losing Yourself, Will be published by Eerdmans in February 2024.Angela is also a wife, mom to 5, and a proud resident of Marion, Indiana, with her family when they’re not traveling the US in their RV.✖️✖️✖️If you or someone you know has experienced abuse, visit courage365.org/need-help.✖️✖️✖️CONNECT WITH THE SHOW:- preacherboyspodcast.com- https://www.facebook.com/preacherboysdoc/- https://twitter.com/preacherboysdoc- https://www.instagram.com/preacherboysdoc/To connect with a community that shares the Preacher Boys Podcast's mission to expose abuse in the IFB, join the OFFICIAL Preacher Boys Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1403898676438188/*as an amazon associate, I receive a small commission on purchases made.This episode is sponsored by/brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at
betterhelp.com/PreacherBoys and get on your way to being your best self.Our Sponsors:* Use promo code preacherboys at the link below to get an exclusive 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/preacherboysSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preacher-boys-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Feb 8, 2024 • 4min
280: Bible Teacher Jared Kobernat Sentenced to Four Years in Prison
Jared Kobernat went to school at West Coast Baptist College in Lancaster, CA before becoming a staff member at First Baptist School in Plattsmouth, NE – a ministry of First Baptist Church.According to the First Baptist School website, they are a “K-12 educational institution” that recently added a pre-school.Jared Kobernat was ordained by the church and stepped into the role of 9-10th grade Bible teacher.On February 3rd, 2023, Kobernat was arrested for Intentional Child Abuse.Jared Kobernat was the second person from First Baptist Church to be put behind bars within a year.On March 17, 2022, 65 year old William Marks Sr, a Bob Jones University grad and Sunday school teacher at the church, was charged with two counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child and one count of third-degree sexual assault of a child.Investigators talked to several victims who described how Marks would rub their backs, necks, inner thighs and have sexually explicit conversations with them. (source: WOWT)His bond was set at $1 million.William Marks died 9 days later while still incarcerated.On February 7, 2024, almost two years since Mark’s death, and one year from Kobernat’s initial arrest, sentencing was carried out for Jared Kobernat.News Channel Nebraska reports, “Jared was sentenced to two years for child abuse, a consecutive year for unlawful intrusion and a fourth year for attempted unlawful intrusion. Kobernat was ordered to register as a sex offender in Nebraska.”The case started in 2022 as a stalking investigation – leading to a search of Kobernat's cell phone.Police found approximately 27,000 photographs of females ranging from adolescence to middle age on Jared’s devices.Kobernat admitted to following women at shopping centers and also confessed to creating a fake Facebook page in an attempt to obtain photos.Preacher Boys is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.A female victim, who had known Kobernat since his high school sophomore years, received a message from a fake Facebook account, purportedly from another former classmate.The message solicited her assistance with an academic project on workout effects, leading her to share embarrassing photos.When she said she would not send any further photos, she received threats that the images would be passed along to her family and entire Facebook friends list.She threatened to involve the police, and then began receiving messages from other accounts asking for explicit photos.Some of the photos on Kobernat’s cell phone had been altered to include text. One photo in particular was labeled to identify the individual shown as a student in Plattsmouth.Investigators also found images of two females that were taken at First Baptist Church.✖️✖️✖️If you or someone you know has experienced abuse, visit courage365.org/need-help.✖️✖️✖️CONNECT WITH THE SHOW:- preacherboyspodcast.com- https://www.facebook.com/preacherboysdoc/- https://twitter.com/preacherboysdoc- https://www.instagram.com/preacherboysdoc/To connect with a community that shares the Preacher Boys Podcast's mission to expose abuse in the IFB, join the OFFICIAL Preacher Boys Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1403898676438188/This episode is sponsored by/brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at
betterhelp.com/PreacherBoys and get on your way to being your best self.Our Sponsors:* Use promo code preacherboys at the link below to get an exclusive 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/preacherboysSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preacher-boys-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Feb 4, 2024 • 1h 16min
279: Alice Greczyn | When God Becomes Chaos
Purchase a copy of Wayward here*: https://amzn.to/499MuB3When Alice Greczyn's parents felt called by God to exchange worldly employment for heavenly provision, they followed their faith into homelessness with five children and a cat in tow. Homeschooled and avowed never to kiss a man until her wedding day, Alice had plans to escape the instability by becoming a missionary nurse--plans that were put on hold with the opening of an unexpected door: the opportunity to be an actress in Hollywood. What followed was a test of faith unlike any she had prepared for, an arranged betrothal she never saw coming, and a psychological shattering that forced her to learn how to survive without the only framework for life she had ever known.✖️✖️✖️CONNECT WITH THE SHOW:- preacherboyspodcast.com- https://www.facebook.com/preacherboysdoc/- https://twitter.com/preacherboysdoc- https://www.instagram.com/preacherboysdoc/To connect with a community that shares the Preacher Boys Podcast's mission to expose abuse in the IFB, join the OFFICIAL Preacher Boys Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1403898676438188/*Note, as an amazon associate I receive a small commission from any purchases.This episode is sponsored by/brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at
betterhelp.com/PreacherBoys and get on your way to being your best self.Our Sponsors:* Use promo code preacherboys at the link below to get an exclusive 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/preacherboysSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preacher-boys-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Jan 28, 2024 • 1h 19min
278: Sadie Carpenter | We Shall All Be Groomed
✖️✖️✖️CONNECT WITH THE SHOW:- preacherboyspodcast.com- https://www.facebook.com/preacherboysdoc/- https://twitter.com/preacherboysdoc- https://www.instagram.com/preacherboysdoc/To connect with a community that shares the Preacher Boys Podcast's mission to expose abuse in the IFB, join the OFFICIAL Preacher Boys Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1403898676438188/This episode is sponsored by/brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at
betterhelp.com/PreacherBoys and get on your way to being your best self.Our Sponsors:* Use promo code preacherboys at the link below to get an exclusive 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/preacherboysSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preacher-boys-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy