JD Greear has stepped up to the plate in an attempt to defend his reputation against Megan Basham’s allegations in Shepherds for Sale, but his response is more akin to a magician’s sleight of hand than a genuine rebuttal. In an article titled “An Open Response to Megan Basham’s Shepherd’s for Sale,” he takes a desperate stab at defending himself.

Having followed Greear’s teachings for years, I can’t say I’m surprised by his response. It’s filled with familiar tactics—deflection, straw man arguments, and a subtle appeal to his followers’ sympathies. But in this article, we’re going to zero in on his first contention out of six: his controversial statement about the Bible “whispering” about sexual sin. Before we dive into that, though, let’s briefly list the other five contentions Greear has promised to address, of which I will address in later articles:

1. Race, the SBC, and Black Lives Matter: Greear’s involvement in promoting certain racial ideologies within the SBC.
2. Ethnic diversity and SBC committee appointments: His approach to promoting diversity within the Southern Baptist Convention.
3. The “Eleventh Commandment” and calling those who disagree with him “demonic”: Greear’s alleged use of inflammatory language against his critics.
4. Immigration: His stance on immigration policies and how it aligns (or doesn’t) with biblical teaching.
5. First Baptist Church of Naples, Florida: Controversies surrounding his involvement with this church.

For now, let’s dissect his first point regarding the infamous “whispering” comment—a statement that has haunted him precisely because it reveals so much about his approach to sin, particularly the sin of homosexuality. For context, here’s the clip that Basham referenced, and Greear defends:

In self-defense mode, Greear stats that his “primary aim” is to “make sure the people of The Summit Church are equipped to answer any question they might receive about me or our ministry” and that “the shepherd that Basham describes in this book is not the pastor they have known for more than 20 years.”

Responding to Basham’s claim, Greear states that he has “not changed my position on homosexuality or changed how I encouraged our congregation to engage with it.” He then reminds us that he “apologized” for the use of the word “whisper” and that he had “acknowledged that faults in communication are almost always the fault of the communicator, and that I was guilty of using unwise and unhelpful words.”

The exact section in Basham’s book that Greear takes aim at regarding his stating that the Bible only whispers about sexual sin is the following:

Though he reversed his position after two years of pushback, North Carolina megachurch pastor J. D. Greear, while president of the Southern Baptist Convention, encouraged his congregation to minimize speaking about sexual sins like homosexuality, saying they should not “shout about what the Bible whispers about”—as if the destruction of Sodom and Paul’s description in Romans 1 of the progression of societal depravity were mere murmurs.

First, his main contention—painting Basham as having accused him of denying the sinfulness of homosexuality—reveals more about his tactics than his theology. It’s a classic straw man argument, diverting attention from the real issue. Greear has undeniably encouraged his congregation to minimize the severity of homosexuality by equating it with other sins like greed, and this is not an accident—it’s a strategy.

JD Greear’s central claim is that he was “misunderstood” or “misrepresented.” He insists that he never intended to minimize homosexuality’s sinfulness and that his choice of the word “whisper” was merely an unfortunate slip. But let’s not kid ourselves—Greear’s real objective was as clear as day.

Greear’s entire sermon was constructed to soften the perception of homosexuality by lumping it together with other, less shocking sins. Sure, homosexuality is sin, Greear concedes, but so is greed, so is pride, so is lying—so why not stop making such a big deal out of it? Why not downplay its severity so we can win a few more brownie points with the secular culture?

He knows exactly what he’s doing. This isn’t about an honest mistake or a slip of the tongue—this is about crafting a narrative in an attempt at pleasing both sides—a tactic that almost always lands in displeasing both sides.

Greear, as evidenced by the reputation of his ministry and former work—which we will cover in later articles—desperately wants to be a chameleon in the culture wars, blending in just enough to avoid getting noticed by the wrong crowd. And in doing so, Greear effectively neuters the gospel’s call to repentance.

Greear is fond of reiterating that Jesus spoke more harshly about pride and hypocrisy than sexual sin. But what exactly is the point he’s making here? That the flagrant promotion of sexual immorality in our culture today is no different than someone feeling a bit too smug about themselves? That having sex with sheep is morally equivalent to boasting? That we should respond to the moral freefall of society with a gentle whisper, as though we’re tiptoeing around someone’s ego?

It’s almost as if Greear wants us to believe that all sins are created equal—that telling a little white lie is no different in God’s eyes than reveling in the depravity of sexual immorality. Is that really the message the church should be sending? Should we equate the sins that lead a society to destruction with the minor moral failings that every person struggles with?

The Bible doesn’t leave us guessing about the gravity of homosexuality. Romans 1 doesn’t describe it as a mere slip-up on the moral spectrum—it’s depicted as a manifestation of God giving people over to their own depravity, the culmination of a society that has rejected God. The LGBTQ movement is not just another social cause—it’s a clear sign of a culture under judgment, the closest thing to Hell we can experience on Earth.

But don’t expect Greear to say this out loud as that would be bad for optics. He’s far too invested in staying in the good graces of a world that’s rushing headlong into the abyss. To acknowledge the truth would be to risk his standing with the very people he’s trying to please. And that’s something he’s simply not willing to do.

Greear tries to assure us that nobody in his congregation would have mistaken his words as a downplaying of sin. Really? Even as he admits that he received complaints from the LGBTQ community? Is it possible that his sermon was crafted precisely to send mixed signals—to appease both the church crowd and the woke mob?

The truth is, Greear’s whole approach is a textbook example of trying to serve two masters. He wants to hold onto biblical orthodoxy just enough to avoid complete outrage from the faithful, while simultaneously avoiding any real offense to the world.

And in doing so, he achieves neither. He neither satisfies the biblically faithful nor the pagan culture—he simply muddles the truth.

Greear’s claim that he hasn’t changed his position on homosexuality might be true in a technical sense, but it’s also irrelevant. His position, as he has articulated it, was never about outright denying that homosexuality is sin—it was about reducing the urgency of confronting it. By casting it as just another sin among many, he allows his congregation to rationalize their silence, to feel justified in saying nothing, or worse, in saying something affirming. After all, if we’re all equally depraved, why single out homosexuality at all? Why not just focus on being nice and hoping the world will like us a little more?

In reality, Greear’s message gives a free pass to sin under the guise of equality. If all sins are equal and no sin is worse than another, then why not indulge a little here and there? Why not continue living in sexual immorality if everyone is doing something wrong? This kind of reasoning doesn’t lead to repentance—it leads to complacency.

And that, ultimately, is the tragedy of Greear’s approach. By soft-pedaling the sinfulness of homosexuality, he is not leading people to repentance. He is leading them deeper into the very sin that separates them from God. He’s leading them down a path that, if left unchecked, ends in destruction—both spiritual and societal.

So, let’s call this what it is—a capitulation to culture, a failure to speak the truth with clarity and conviction. Greear’s attempt to defend his reputation only highlights how far he’s willing to go to preserve his image in the eyes of the world. He can claim all he wants that he’s been misunderstood, but the evidence speaks for itself. When you’re more concerned about how you’re perceived by the world than how you’re standing before God, you’ve already lost the battle.

Greear may not acknowledge the truth that the LGBTQ movement is a sign of cultural collapse, but that’s exactly what it is. And if the church is to remain faithful, it must speak that truth boldly, no matter how unpopular it may be. The stakes are too high to do otherwise.