Disinformation Fuels A White Evangelical Movement. It Led One Virginia Pastor To Quit

Protesters gather at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. A violent mob later breached the Capitol’s security driven by what’s commonly known as “the big lie:” that President Biden wasn’t legitimately elected.

Jack Gruber / USA TODAY Network via Reuters

Jared Stacy is still processing his decision to leave Spotswood Baptist Church in Fredericksburg, Va., last year. Until November, he was ministering to young parishioners in their 20s and 30s.

But in the four years since he joined the church as a pastor, Stacy found himself increasingly up against an invisible, powerful force taking hold of members of his congregation: conspiracy theories, disinformation and lies.

Stacy has seen the real consequences of these lies build up over the years; he says it’s tainted the name of his faith.