It is harmful for Christian YouTubers to build entire platforms around calling out other Christians and focusing on what they believe others are doing wrong. While accountability within the body of Christ is important, public call-outs and critiques that serve as the foundation of a ministry can create division, foster a spirit of judgment, and shift the focus away from the gospel. Christianity is not meant to be driven by controversy and correction at the expense of unity and love, but this trend of "discernment ministries" has made that a regular occurrence online.
1. Fostering Division Instead of Unity
When Christians publicly criticize one another, especially on large platforms like YouTube, it often creates a spectacle rather than constructive dialogue. The body of Christ is called to unity, not division (Ephesians 4:3), yet these public call-outs often breed contention and factionalism. Instead of building each other up in love (Ephesians 4:29), these ministries can cause believers to divide into camps and promote a critical spirit.
Online disputes, such as the recent argument between Preston Perry and Marcus Rogers, demonstrate how quickly theological debates can become public spectacles. While disagreements over doctrine or practice are inevitable, turning these conflicts into content for views and engagement cheapens the real work of discipleship and reconciliation. When believers take disagreements into the public arena, especially in a sensationalized way, it risks tarnishing the witness of the church, as the world sees more in-fighting than examples of grace, humility, and mutual respect.
2. Replacing Accountability with Judgment
Christian YouTubers who make it their mission to call out other believers often shift from healthy accountability to judgmentalism. Instead of engaging with love, correction, and gentleness as the Bible instructs (Galatians 6:1), these platforms can become spaces where the faults of others are magnified for content. This creates an unhealthy culture where the focus is on moral policing rather than spiritual growth.
The constant hunt for flaws to expose risks creating a mindset that no leader or believer is ever good enough. This can lead to a culture of suspicion, cynicism, and even disillusionment within the church. The more content that is focused on tearing down other Christians, the less focus there is on building up the faith of the audience or inviting them into deeper discipleship and Christlikeness.
3. Encouraging Celebrity Culture in the Church
Christianity has increasingly embraced a dangerous celebrity culture within the church, where pastors, worship leaders, and influencers become larger-than-life figures. This has led to a number of issues, including the temptation for leaders to build their own "brand" rather than serving humbly as shepherds of their congregations. The elevation of Christian leaders to celebrity status has, in too many cases, resulted in moral failings, abuse, and the misuse of power within the church. High-profile examples like the fall of Ravi Zacharias, Carl Lentz, and others have demonstrated how this celebrity culture can lead to devastating consequences.
The practice of Christian YouTubers calling out leaders only intensifies the problem, as it often feeds into the same celebrity culture it seeks to expose. By focusing on public figures and their faults, YouTubers can inadvertently contribute to the idea that church leadership is a spectacle, more about personality than servanthood. The result is that the church becomes more about public personas and less about the quiet, faithful work of pastoring, discipleship, and living out the gospel in everyday life.
4. Missing the Point of the Gospel
Jesus taught His followers to be known by their love for one another (John 13:35), yet when ministries are built around pointing out what’s wrong with others, it distorts the gospel’s message of grace and redemption. The gospel is fundamentally about the good news of Jesus Christ, His redemptive work on the cross, and the call to live transformed lives in Him. Constantly highlighting the flaws of others does not reflect the heart of the gospel, which is meant to lead people toward healing, repentance, and spiritual growth, not shame and public humiliation.
When platforms focus heavily on calling out other believers, they can draw attention away from what truly matters—the proclamation of the gospel, discipleship, and advancing God’s kingdom. Instead, the emphasis shifts toward fault-finding and public rebuke, which may gain attention online but does little to help people grow in their faith or bring people closer to Christ.
5. Failure to Recognize the Need for Restoration
The church is called to practice accountability with a goal of restoration, not condemnation. Matthew 18:15-17 outlines a process for dealing with sin within the church, emphasizing private confrontation and the goal of restoring the individual to fellowship. However, many of these YouTubers skip this biblically guided process, opting for public confrontation as content. This harms not only the individuals involved but the church at large.
True biblical correction should come from a place of love, with a desire to restore a fallen brother or sister, rather than to gain views or build a following. When call-out culture becomes a ministry model, it often loses sight of this restorative goal and can cause more harm than good.
Conclusion
While accountability and theological clarity are important in the church, the rise of Christian YouTubers who build their platforms by calling out other believers for their perceived errors does more harm than good. It fosters division, promotes judgment rather than growth, and reinforces the celebrity culture that has already harmed so many within the church. Instead of using public platforms to critique and divide, Christians should be encouraged to pursue loving accountability, discipleship, and the promotion of the gospel as the ultimate priority. The church is called to unity, restoration, and love, and these values should be at the center of every ministry platform.
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