Last week, Mark Galli, editor-in-chief of
Christianity Today, a theologically conservative publication,
took an unprecedented step in the evangelical community: He wrote an
op-ed calling for Donald Trump’s removal.
Galli contends Trump’s phone call with the Ukrainian president was a violation of the Constitution and “profoundly immoral.”
The op-ed ran a day after the House of Representatives impeached Trump.
Over 180 evangelical leaders disagreed with Galli’s editorial. The majority of white evangelicals voted for
Trump in 2016. But Galli, who is leaving the magazine founded by preacher Billy Graham, also found a hidden reserve of support.
In an MSNBC interview, he noted: “On the plus side,
although we’ve lost hundreds of subscribers — let’s be frank about it — we’ve gained three times as many subscribers. So I think overall, at least [in] the world we live
in, it’s been affirmative. … I was not aware of how deeply anxious so many people were that an evangelical magazine hadn’t come out and said this.”
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The magazine has a
print circulation of 120,000 per month, two-thirds of which come from paid subscribers, according to The Washington Post.
Timothy Dalrymple, president-CEO of Christianity
Today International, wrote in a Dec. 22 magazine editorial:
“We have received countless notes of encouragement from readers who were profoundly moved. They no longer feel alone. They have hope again.” He also added: “We have heard from many
readers who felt incensed and insulted.”
Dalrymple noted Christianity Today has no interest in partisan politics. It does not endorse candidates.
“We nevertheless
believe the evangelical alliance with this presidency has done damage to our witness here and abroad. The cost has been too high. American evangelicalism is not a Republican PAC,” he explained,
warning about the dangers of hyper-politicizing the American church.