When it comes to public Christians, they don’t come much bigger than Beth Moore.

The hugely successful speaker and author has sold over 17 million copies of her Bible Studies, headed up one of the biggest ministry movements of the century (Living Proof Ministries), and led arenas full of people through the study of scripture.

However, perhaps her most famous move – culturally speaking – was her decision to leave the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) in 2021.

Having been a major leader within the denomination, which she had called home her whole life, Moore’s decision to break ranks with the mega-denomination sent shockwaves through the evangelical world.

Her departure followed a difficult few years in the spotlight.

Things became particularly unsavoury for Moore during the 2016 Presidential Election, when she tweeted her outrage at the infamous ‘Access Hollywood’ tape, which broadcast a revolting historical conversation between television host Billy Bush and then-candidate Donald Trump.

Starting down a hail of criticism from within her own church due to critiquing a Republican candidate, Moore soldiered on, and two years later penned an open letter to the men within the SBC, condemning the misogyny she had experienced within the diases.

However, following an explosive series of reports by the Houston Chronicle on abuse within the SBC ($)- and a subsequent barrage of criticism that came her way when she tweeted about preparing an upcoming sermon for Mother’s Day –  Moore eventually made the difficult decision to leave.

This year, she released her memoir All My Knotted Up Life, in which she discusses (among other things) her departure from the SBC, her refusal to endorse Donald Trump, the abuse she survived in her childhood home, and the love she still holds for many of her Southern Baptist brothers and sisters.

Undeceptions was lucky enough to sit down with Moore to discuss her “knotted-up life”. You can access the entire episode here, or read on for some of the highlights from the conversation (note – some answers have been shortened or abbreviated for clarity).

Beth Moore in mid-flight during one of her many arena addresses

On the SBC

John Dickson: Can you describe what a Southern Baptist is? Because I don’t want our listeners to just think of Southern Baptist as they’ve heard it in the movies That might not be the most accurate.

Beth Moore: I come from a very conservative part of the evangelical world and when I say “Southern Baptist” what that would’ve said to someone with any knowledge of it – There are certain Pillars of beliefs that Southern Baptists would have that are very much also considered to be the pillars of conservative evangelicalism in general. That is, a very high value of scripture, belief in the fundamentals and first things, the sinless life, the death, and resurrection of Christ.

We are evangelical in nature, in that we share the gospel, and missions are very important to us. 

I would not have told you that we were the only ones who were right … but I would have told you and believed to my bones that we were the rightest of the right.”

On Childhood abuse

“I could not have been more profoundly shaped than by the abuse of my childhood … especially in those fundamental years when you’re putting together your approach to life, and you’re developing either what your boundaries will be, or your lack of boundaries will be.

“You’re learning how to do relationships and you’re defining what the world is like, and this is already happening. It is such a powerful, negative influence.

“Then of course at the same time … I was also being taken into what for me was the safest harbour of my life, and that was our local church.

“I felt like from the beginning if I could not tell that piece of my story, I would not be able to minister with authenticity, because it made too much difference in the way I saw the role of the scriptures.

“The word of God saved my mind … I wasn’t just the sum total of my poor decisions … I was who God said I was. How do I show the depths of how transformative that was to me, if (people) don’t know that piece? I don’t know how to be authentic in the ministry that I’ve been given.

John Dickson: Can I ask you just for a moment to speak to my listener who isn’t sure what to make of Christianity and yet has been abused? What would you say to them to help them navigate their experience?

Beth Moore:  “You were created in the image of God, precious and valuable and deeply loved by God, and you have the right to know that regardless of what steps you may take further than that in your belief system, you need to know you still have value.

“You are still a person of tremendous worth, and what happened to you was not your fault, and the shame that is on you is misplaced. 

“You really do have the right to say, this was something placed on me that is not me.”

On misogyny and women in ministry in the church

“The only reason I am not a cynic is because I know so many brothers who do not think that way, who are in the very conservative ranks.

“From my point of view, what was very much happening is (SBC) was pulling harder in the direction of hyper fundamentalism, especially in regard to women and in regard to people of colour.

“To me, it was moving in into a further extreme, and what became very important to me as a woman in ministry and as a woman who had called other women into the active ministry of the Gospel was to go ‘wait a second … in what world would Christ Jesus send us out in the Great Commission to take the witness of his life, death and resurrection to this entire globe, and he would knock out half the gospel force?’

“What was important to me as we’ve got 10-year-old, 16-year-old, 26-year-old, 36-year-old, 46-year-old, and 56-year-old women who love Jesus, who are developing a hunger and thirst for the scriptures and what is to come of them if they’re of conservative belief?”

On why she spoke up about the ‘Access Hollywood’ tapes

Wake up, Sleepers, to what women have dealt with all along in environments of gross entitlement & power. Are we sickened? Yes. Surprised? NO

— Beth Moore (@BethMooreLPM) October 9, 2016

“If anyone knew anything about the ministry that God had called me to, why on earth would I have ever considered keeping my mouth? If you have been called to women’s ministry and you have advocated for women for 40 solid years, in what world would I have kept my mouth shut?

“I don’t understand how that came as a surprise to anyone. This is my life. It is my calling to help women understand the dignity in the Gospels … how Jesus was forthright in bringing women into places where they could know the dignity that they had.

“To keep my mouth shut at a time like that would have been unspeakably irresponsible and I’ll stand by it forever. 

On the effect it had on her work

“It was standing in front of a firing squad, and one of the worst parts of it was the trouble I caused my own ministry. Those are the times when I wished so much that no one else was associated with me so that I could just be held responsible and be the only one held responsible for the words outta my mouth.

“We had many Pro-Trump staff, and I put them in a terrible position. I said those words on a Sunday and on Monday in my office, they couldn’t put down the phone because as soon as they put it down it rang again … there were days and days of it. (However) I would have had to of had a totally different brain, a totally different mind, a totally different life experience to have landed any, any different place.”

Adapted by Alasdair Belling. Hear the full interview – ‘With Beth‘  – on the Undeceptions podcast.

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