316 episodes
Preacher Boys Podcast Preacher Boys
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- True Crime
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4.5 • 661 Ratings
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Join your host, Eric Skwarczynski, as he sits down with brave survivors who are shedding light on decades of physical, mental, and sexual abuse within the Independent Fundamental Baptist movement.
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311: Erica Smith, M. Ed | The Sex Educator Taking on Purity Culture
I’m so glad to welcome Erica Smith, M. Ed to today’s episode of the Preacher Boys Podcast. Erica is an experienced, award-winning, and internationally recognized sexuality educator whose main area of focus is sex education for people leaving high-control religions.
Connect with her here: https://www.ericasmitheac.com/
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Support the Show: Patreon.com/PreacherBoys
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If you or someone you know has experienced abuse, visit courage365.org/need-help
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CONNECT WITH THE SHOW:
preacherboyspodcast.com
https://www.youtube.com/@PreacherBoys
https://www.facebook.com/preacherboysdoc/
https://twitter.com/preacherboysdoc
https://www.instagram.com/preacherboysdoc/
https://www.tiktok.com/@preacherboyspod
To connect with a community that shares the Preacher Boys Podcast's mission to expose abuse in the IFB, join the OFFICIAL Preacher Boys Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1403898676438188/
*as an amazon associate I may receive a small commission on purchases made through links in these show notes
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preacher-boys-podcast/donations
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy -
310: Ryan George | I Discovered My Father Was a Serial Predator
I highly encourage you to watch the past interview with Cathy that we referenced in the episode: https://youtu.be/DoPQVDE9c7k
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Grab a copy of Ryan's book: https://amzn.to/45j7dl4
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BOOK DESCRIPTION: What would you do if you learned—from a podcast—that your dad (a pastor) was a serial sexual abuser?
For Ryan George, this isn't a hypothetical question. He knew the faces behind the stories he heard. In fact, his mind flashed with memories of the abuse he'd endured from that same pastor as he listened to news that would change his life. In time, as he processed the destruction rampant in the cult of his youth, he found predatory behavior to be more of a feature than a bug of his former religion as both abuse and coverups were baked into its theology.
Rather than spiral into an understandable deconstruction of his faith, Ryan instead leaned into the intimate embrace of a winsome Jesus. His book, Hurt and Healed by the Church details how he untangled Jesus from the harmful tenets of American fundamentalism. Ryan describes the mental shifts and the restorative relationships he experienced on his journey of healing from church trauma and spiritual manipulation. If you are someone looking to heal church hurt—by leaders or institutions—Ryan shows how rebuilding your faith doesn't have to look like abandonment. He offers hope and inspiration through his story of an unorthodox redemption.
If Ryan could find a thriving and contagious faith after experiencing deep church wounds, so can you.
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Support the Show: Patreon.com/PreacherBoys
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If you or someone you know has experienced abuse, visit courage365.org/need-help
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CONNECT WITH THE SHOW:
preacherboyspodcast.com
https://www.youtube.com/@PreacherBoys
https://www.facebook.com/preacherboysdoc/
https://twitter.com/preacherboysdoc
https://www.instagram.com/preacherboysdoc/
https://www.tiktok.com/@preacherboyspod
To connect with a community that shares the Preacher Boys Podcast's mission to expose abuse in the IFB, join the OFFICIAL Preacher Boys Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1403898676438188/
*as an amazon associate I may receive a small commission on purchases made through links in these show notes
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preacher-boys-podcast/donations
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy -
309: "Not Safe for Bill Gothard Headquarters" | Lindsey Williams
On June 2nd, 2023, the documentary series "Shiny Happy People" premiered on Amazon Prime. While the series' tagline promised to expose some Duggar family secrets, it ended up revealing much more, particularly the work and philosophy of Bill Gothard, the creator of the Institute in Basic Life Principles and the Advanced Training Institute. Gothard's curriculum was marketed as extremely helpful for families in protecting their children, but it ultimately caused incredible harm.
Today, a year after the series premiered on Amazon Prime, I'm sitting down with one of the cast members of "Shiny Happy People," Lindsay Williams, to discuss her life journey from starting in IBGP at the age of eight to working alongside Bill Gothard one-on-one at headquarters. We even spent a good chunk of the conversation discussing Lindsay Williams' life now, both as an advocate and as a successful makeup artist who has worked with brands like Vogue and GQ. We explore what it's like transitioning from being a repressed homeschooler to working in the fast-paced world of beauty and fashion.
It's an incredible conversation. I thoroughly enjoyed talking to Lindsay; we instantly became friends, and I'm certain you'll love hearing from her in this episode of the Preacher Boys podcast.
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Resources Mentioned:
Lindsey Williams' Linktree – https://linktr.ee/Cultchronicles
Recovering Grace – https://www.recoveringgrace.org/
Jill Duggar's Book – https://amzn.to/3KtcvB2
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Support the Show: Patreon.com/PreacherBoys
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If you or someone you know has experienced abuse, visit courage365.org/need-help
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CONNECT WITH THE SHOW:
preacherboyspodcast.com
https://www.youtube.com/@PreacherBoys
https://www.facebook.com/preacherboysdoc/
https://twitter.com/preacherboysdoc
https://www.instagram.com/preacherboysdoc/
https://www.tiktok.com/@preacherboyspod
To connect with a community that shares the Preacher Boys Podcast's mission to expose abuse in the IFB, join the OFFICIAL Preacher Boys Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1403898676438188/
*as an amazon associate I may receive a small commission on purchases made through links in these show notes
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preacher-boys-podcast/donations
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy -
308: Surviving Abuse and Betrayal by the Southern Baptist Convention | Christa Brown
Purchase a copy of Baptistland: https://amzn.to/3R6MzP2
About the Book:
It began with just wanting to tell the truth. But truth-telling has a way of snowballing.
When Christa Brown first spoke out about the sexual abuse she endured in her Texas childhood church, she never imagined it would expose the ethical chasm at the core of the Southern Baptist Convention: male religious leaders so focused on institutional protection that they sacrifice the safety of children.
A book about speaking out and speaking up, Baptistland weaves together Christa’s revealing story of hope amid Southern patriarchy and religious fundamentalism. You’ll meet the young Christa who endures family dysfunction, the trauma of bodily desecration, and the death blows of a gaslighting church and faith community. Then you’ll meet the Christa transformed who finds her voice and rises above the limited expectations of her given culture, becoming a successful attorney and earning the title of advocate for clergy sex abuse survivors.
Ultimately, Christa Brown grows into a vivid tree of life, rooted in love, individuality, beauty, and goodness. But it was unrelenting honesty, to herself and others, that guided her to this ordinary paradise. Baptistland speaks to the power of truth-telling—to ourselves, our relationships, and our institutions.
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Support the Show: Patreon.com/PreacherBoys
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If you or someone you know has experienced abuse, visit courage365.org/need-help
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CONNECT WITH THE SHOW:
preacherboyspodcast.com
https://www.youtube.com/@PreacherBoys
https://www.facebook.com/preacherboysdoc/
https://twitter.com/preacherboysdoc
https://www.instagram.com/preacherboysdoc/
https://www.tiktok.com/@preacherboyspod
To connect with a community that shares the Preacher Boys Podcast's mission to expose abuse in the IFB, join the OFFICIAL Preacher Boys Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1403898676438188/
*as an amazon associate I may receive a small commission on purchases made through links in these show notes
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preacher-boys-podcast/donations
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy -
307: Escaping Christian Patriarchy | Cait West
Grab a copy of Cait's book, Rift: https://amzn.to/4dMIoBN
Raised in the Christian patriarchy movement, Cait West was homeschooled and could only wear clothes her father deemed modest. She was five years old the first time she was told her swimsuit was too revealing and to go change. There would be no college in her future, no career. She was a stay-at-home daughter and would move out only when her father allowed her to become a wife. She was trained to serve men, and her life would never be hers.
Until she escaped.
In her gripping memoir, Rift, Cait West tells a harrowing story of chaos and control hidden beneath the facade of a happy family. Weaving together lyrical meditations on the geology of the places her family lived with her story of spiritual and emotional manipulation as a stay-at-home daughter, Cait creates a stirring portrait of one young woman's growing awareness that she is experiencing abuse. With the ground shifting beneath her feet, Cait mustered the courage to break free from all she had ever known and choose a future of her own.
Rift is a story of survival. It's also a story about what happens after you survive. With compassion and clarity, Cait explores the complex legacy of patriarchal religious trauma in her life, including the ways she has also been complicit in systems of oppression. A remarkable literary debut, Rift offers an essential personal perspective on the fraught legacy of purity culture and recent reckonings with abuse in Christian communities.
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Support the Show: Patreon.com/PreacherBoys
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If you or someone you know has experienced abuse, visit courage365.org/need-help
✖️✖️✖️
CONNECT WITH THE SHOW:
preacherboyspodcast.com
https://www.youtube.com/@PreacherBoys
https://www.facebook.com/preacherboysdoc/
https://twitter.com/preacherboysdoc
https://www.instagram.com/preacherboysdoc/
https://www.tiktok.com/@preacherboyspod
To connect with a community that shares the Preacher Boys Podcast's mission to expose abuse in the IFB, join the OFFICIAL Preacher Boys Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1403898676438188/
*as an amazon associate I may receive a small commission on purchases made through links in these show notes
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preacher-boys-podcast/donations
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy -
306: Avoiding The Cult of Trauma | Joe Nucci
Joe Nucci is a psychotherapist and writer whose content contextualizes mental health misinformation, pop-psychology facts and fallacies, and culturally misconstrued ideas. Joe’s debut book will be released in 2025.
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Support the Show: Patreon.com/PreacherBoys
✖️✖️✖️
If you or someone you know has experienced abuse, visit courage365.org/need-help
✖️✖️✖️
CONNECT WITH THE SHOW:
preacherboyspodcast.com
https://www.youtube.com/@PreacherBoys
https://www.facebook.com/preacherboysdoc/
https://twitter.com/preacherboysdoc
https://www.instagram.com/preacherboysdoc/
https://www.tiktok.com/@preacherboyspod
To connect with a community that shares the Preacher Boys Podcast's mission to expose abuse in the IFB, join the OFFICIAL Preacher Boys Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1403898676438188/
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preacher-boys-podcast/donations
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Customer Reviews
Shining a Light
Podcasts such as this one shine such an important light on the hypocrisy and toxicity of high-demand religions and sects like the IFB. Bravo, and keep up the good work.
Telling the truth with love in order to help with healing
I’ve been listening to this pod since 2020. I felt like I was alone with my religious experiences. On my own, I was trying to find some sort of healing for my religious trauma and the abuse that was facilitated and encouraged by the doctrine being taught in IFB and in the general evangelical Christian world. When I heard familiar names of preachers that I had encountered and heard hard evidence and testimonies of survivors I knew in my heart that I wasn’t alone. I wasn’t the only one and that my concerns were 100% valid. Throughout my time being a listener and apart of the Facebook group, I’ve had my ups and downs through out my journey. I didn’t realize how steeped I was in religious dogma and that the chains of religious oppression and abuse were still on my wrists and that I have been carrying them around even years after leaving church life. I was like a Christian refugee. I didn’t fit in anywhere. Now I know why. Truth isn’t welcome where protecting lies is the top priority and order of the day. Thank you for giving survivors a voice. Thank you for helping us find one another so we can have a support group. Thank you for platforming people like Ashley Easter and Courage 365. That free support group and resources literally saved my life. You all saved my life. I am so proud of all of you. Thank you Eric for your kindness, boldness, bravery, discernment, compassion, and undying quest to uncover the lies and help educate people so they can protect themselves and their children. I am so thankful for you and all your hard work and being honest about your personal faith journey. I know that was a challenge for you to be public about that and got back lash but seeing your example of being honest no matter what has helped me find freedom in my own life. I hope that I can follow your example of bravery and truth telling. Much love to you. Keep up the good work.
Former First Baptist attendee
Amen preacher, amen. As an individual raised as fem in First Baptist Church of Hammond, I know first hand how toxic and dehumanizing IFB can be for all, not just women. I remember how frowned upon speaking up in service was for women ( this knowledge came to me as a four year old). I say amen to not just voice my agreement for everything you’ve done for those leaving IFB, but to acknowledge how much work you’ve don’t to help us realize or reclaim our voice. Thank you for providing a platform for women. Thank you for giving us the space and power to feel like we can say “amen.”