TJ, Bucky, and John Mark continue the conversation on Christian nationalism, patriotism, Trump, church culture, and the danger of confusing allegiance to Jesus with allegiance to America.

The conversation begins with our first viewer submission, then moves into the difference between patriotism and nationalism, how Christian symbols get wrapped into political identity, and why freedom of religion only works if it applies to everyone.

This is not an anti-American conversation. It is a conversation about whether the church has confused love of country with the gospel of Jesus.

TJ, Bucky, and John Mark continue their conversation on Christian nationalism and ask a harder question: what happens when faith, politics, patriotism, and power all get mixed together?

They discuss viewer feedback, patriotism vs. nationalism, Trump and evangelical culture, flags in sanctuaries, the Pledge of Allegiance, religious freedom, and why allegiance to Jesus should not be confused with allegiance to a nation.

That’s one of the most debated questions in modern politics and religion.

In this episode of Back Row Revival, TJ, Bucky, and John Mark tackle the history behind America’s founding, the role Christianity played in shaping the nation, and why Christians today often disagree so strongly about politics, nationalism, abortion, and religious freedom.

The conversation begins with an unexpected lesson from Doubting Thomas and ends with a much larger discussion about what it means to follow Jesus in a country that has always struggled to live up to its own ideals.

Whether you’re convinced America was founded as a Christian nation, convinced it wasn’t, or still trying to figure it out, this conversation is for you.

n this cabin wrap-up episode, TJ, Bucky, and John Mark talk honestly about where they are now with faith, church, belief, and community.

They discuss what they still believe, what no longer fits, why church can feel complicated after ministry, and why this podcast may be giving them the kind of honest community they have been missing.

This is a conversation about faith after the pulpit, friendship after isolation, and the search for a church experience that feels real again.

For years, TJ believed ministry was the calling on his life. The pulpit wasn’t just part of his upbringing. It became his identity.

In this episode of Back Row Revival, the conversation turns deeply personal as TJ reflects on growing up inside church culture, preparing for ministry, and slowly confronting the emotional weight that came with it.

From homeschool culture and Pentecostal churches to therapy, EMDR, and faith after deconstruction, this episode explores the questions many former church kids carry quietly for years.

Some of the hardest things to untangle are the things you were taught were sacred.

In This Episode

• Growing up in church culture
• Feeling called into ministry
• Religious conditioning and fear
• EMDR therapy and buried memories
• Identity outside the church
• Faith, trauma, and deconstruction
• Reprocessing childhood experiences as an adult

In this episode of Back Row Revival, Bucky Sitsler opens up about the pressure of ministry, identity, addiction, religious fear, losing everything, and the night he nearly ended his life.

From growing up terrified of being “left behind” during the rapture… to preaching from a platform while privately falling apart… this conversation is raw, uncomfortable, honest, and deeply human.

This is not a polished success story. It’s a conversation about shame, self-worth, collapse, faith, and what happens when the image everyone loves no longer matches the person inside.

Topics include:
• Growing up in church and fear-based Christianity• Ministry pressure and identity loss• Addiction and self-medication• Public failure• Suicidal thoughts and rock bottom• Church culture and accountability• Fatherhood and rebuilding life• Faith after collapse

Follow Back Row Revival for more long-form conversations about faith, life, failure, culture, and redemption.

#podcast #christianpodcast #mentalhealth #faith #deconstruction #church #testimony #addiction #selfworth #depression

Are Aliens Real? The Church, UFOs & the Perry Stone Controversy | Back Row Revival Podcast (Bonus Episode)

The internet is buzzing — Perry Stone claims pastors were secretly briefed by the government about an upcoming alien disclosure. But is this divine revelation, or just another distraction? TJ, John Mark, and Bucky break it all down in this unfiltered bonus episode.

In this episode:

- The Perry Stone "secret meeting" alien disclosure controversy

- UFOs, fallen angels, and the Book of Enoch — what's the connection?

- Why the government's alien file releases might just be a political distraction

- Should aliens threaten your faith? (Spoiler: No.)

- How celebrity pastors use fear and sensationalism to sell books and fill camp meetings

- Gen Z is done with the sensationalism — and that's a good thing

Our take: Love God, love people, think for yourself, and don't let social media steal your peace.

New episodes dropping soon — including Bucky's full story. Don't miss it!

Follow the show and leave us a review if you appreciate honest, grounded conversations about faith and culture.

What happens when a lifetime of belief starts to feel… empty?In this first episode of Back Row Revival, we talk to one of our hosts John Mark Smithson about growing up in church, inheriting faith, and the moment things stop making sense. This is a real conversation about doubt, identity, and what it feels like when belief no longer feels real.If you’ve ever questioned what you believe—or why you believe it—you’re not alone.⸻Timestamps00:01:06 — Raised in church: when faith isn’t a choice00:02:02 — “But what about your weed days?”00:08:36 — When belief is all you’ve ever known00:13:06 — The moment things stop making sense00:16:56 — A prayer, an expectation… and silence00:17:20 — “This is real… how could you love me?”00:26:06 — Are we choosing faith or inheriting it?00:32:06 — Seeing it differently from the outside00:39:06 — Learning to think for yourself00:45:06 — Honest disagreement and tension00:52:06 — Redefining what faith looks like01:09:56 — 51 years centered around Sunday⸻Topics Coveredfaith, doubt, deconstruction, church upbringing, questioning belief, identity, spirituality, leaving church, personal story, christianity discussion⸻About the PodcastBack Row Revival is a space for honest conversations about faith, doubt, and everything in between. No pressure, no pretending—just real talk.Subscribe for more conversations like this.Full episodes available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

Join the conversation with the team at Back Row Revival!