Sarah Trone Garriott is a minister and a Democrat state legislator in Iowa. She was ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America in 2008.
While she is part of a church that has “Evangelical” in its name, it is anything but evangelical. In fact, it is considered the most theologically liberal Lutheran denomination in America. Garriott seems to fit right in with that. In 2023, when she was a minister-in-training, she participated in the wedding of a Satanist couple. She also defended a Wiccan-led prayer in the state legislature, and once, in a sermon, tied public displays of Christianity to political violence. During that sermon, she also criticized private schools and parental rights in education while highlighting her efforts to seek out prayers in the state legislature that were not from the "White American Christian variety." It is, in some ways, curious that she has chosen to be a Christian minister at all based on her seeming hatred for Christianity.
More recently, she has contributed to an anthology that is touted as a "resistance preaching" guide that encourages faith leaders to combat President Donald Trump and his supporters from the pulpit. The book is entitled: Preaching as Resistance: Voices of Hope, Justice, and Solidarity. The book’s editor is Phil Snider, senior minister at Brentwood Christian Church in Springfield, Missouri. In its introduction he wrote that "pastors of the resistance" were working against a Trump-led coalition rooted in "white supremacy," "exploitation," "greed," and "heteropatriarchy."
Rather than viewing her preaching opportunities as a way to reach people for Christ, Garriott views the pulpit as a political weapon to advance a far-left radical agenda. And to promote that agenda, she grabs proof texts out of context from the Bible in an attempt to give legitimacy to her anti-Christian causes. You can read about this at https://www.foxnews.com/politics/preaching-resistance-dem-minister-behind-satanist-wedding-now-linked-anti-trump-sermon-guide
Sadly, Garriott’s point of view is not an anomaly. She fits right in with a large number of other theologically liberal individuals and denominations. While the Bible is supposed to be the ultimate authority source for faith and practice for Christian churches, liberal theology has an entirely different authority source. It begins with the personal opinions of those who go that route, then attempts to interpret the Bible through their beliefs. In practical terms this plays out in ways that are contrary to the teachings of the Bible.
- They consider that the Bible contains historical and scientific errors.
- They consider Jesus to have been a social reformer rather than God incarnate who came to save the world from sin.
- They promote progressive stances on various social issues such as same-sex marriage, the ordination of LGBTQ+ individuals, and abortion.
- They are actively involved in ecumenical endeavors and have established full communion agreements with other theologically liberal denominations.
All of their stances would be bad enough just based on their basic beliefs. What makes it extra bad, however, is that they call themselves Christian and practice their false beliefs in the name of Christ.
All of this ties directly back to their view of the purpose of preaching mentioned earlier. Preaching in Christian churches is primarily centered on proclaiming God's Word to non-believers and fostering spiritual growth and transformation in believers. It serves a different purpose in theologically liberal churches. Rather than promoting traditional biblical purposes, liberal preachers promote:
- Social justice and liberal social values (racial justice, economic inequality, environmental concerns, immigration, gay rights)
- Inclusivity and affirmation of people with alternative lifestyles (accepting the moral values of all people regardless of how they align with biblical teachings)
- A search for meaning (as they look for meaning outside of a personal relationship with Christ)
- Cultural relevance (looking to make Christianity culturally relevant by somehow conforming it to the culture at large)
- Expanding the meaning of the Gospel (to include economic development, acceptance of non-biblical values in order to include more people, accepting alternative ways to attain salvation)
- Cohesion within the church - (Leading a congregation to remain cohesive while promoting issues that are culturally divisive)
Liberal theology, as mentioned before, is not based on the Bible as its ultimate authority source. In an ultimate sense, it is actually naturalistic belief disguised as Christianity. Its authority source is the opinions of those who hold the beliefs. They elevate their own beliefs above those of the Bible. The result is that it plays out not only in the values they hold and the activities they promote, but in the preaching they do from the pulpit. That is the way worldview beliefs work. They are the underlying beliefs that inform all of the beliefs and actions that people hold.
Freddy Davis is the president of MarketFaith Ministries. He is the author of numerous books entitled The Truth Mirage, Rules for Christians Radicals, Liberalism vs. Conservatism, and his latest book Shattering the Truth Mirage and has a background as an international missionary, pastor, radio host, worldview trainer, and entrepreneur. Freddy is a graduate of Florida State University with a BS in Communication, and holds MDiv and DMin degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a popular speaker, particularly on the topic of worldview and its practical implications for the Christian life. He lives in Tallahassee, FL, with his wife Deborah.
You may also contact Freddy at Leadership Speakers Bureau to schedule him for speaking or leadership engagements.
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