An Open Letter to Evangelical Pastors: The Crisis We Can No Longer Ignore

Dear Pastor,

Several years ago, my friend Whit George, pastor of Church on the Move in Tulsa, stood before his congregation and declared war on pornography.

Then he did something even more courageous. He shared his own story of being set free from pornography as a younger man.

Men responded.

Not because he had all the answers, but because he was honest.

For the last five years, Church on the Move has offered our Katharos pathway to freedom every spring and fall. Hundreds of men have gone through it. Marriages have been restored. Men have found freedom.

Why? Because the church acknowledged the battle and provided a pathway.

Sadly, that is still the exception.

I spent 23 years addicted to pornography and sexual lust. During those years, I traveled to hundreds of churches. Looking back, I can hardly remember a single church that intentionally offered help to men and women struggling with pornography.

Today, more than 15 years after Jesus set me free, I am doing everything I know to change that.

The reality is sobering. Numerous studies suggest that well over half of Christian men regularly view pornography. The numbers among younger men are often even higher. Women are struggling. Teenagers are struggling. Pastors are struggling.

Yet most churches have little or no plan in place to address it.

Before we criticize the Church, let's be honest. Most pastors are not silent because they don't care.

They're overwhelmed.

Many have never been trained to help someone with addiction. Some are afraid of saying the wrong thing. Others don't want to create controversy. And if we're honest, some are fighting the same battle themselves.

So the silence continues.

Meanwhile, children are being discipled by the internet. Marriages are quietly eroding. Men are living double lives. Women are carrying shame in secret. And churches are often preaching general truths to a very specific battle.

Pastor, if we do not address this issue directly, we will raise a generation whose understanding of sexuality is shaped more by pornography than by Jesus.

Perhaps the greatest danger is this: people stop believing the Church has anything meaningful to say about one of the deepest struggles of their lives.

I love the local church. I have given my life to it. I believe it remains God's primary vehicle for transforming people and communities.

But I also believe this moment requires courage.

A yearly sermon on purity is not enough.

People need more than conviction. They need a pathway. They need practical tools, honest conversations, supportive community, and a process for transformation.

That's why we built Katharos. Not because the Church needs another curriculum, but because people need a roadmap to freedom.

Today we offer Christ-centered training for men, women, and students. Churches across America are using these resources to start conversations, break secrecy, and help people find lasting freedom.

Pastor, this is my challenge:

Declare war on pornography.

Talk about it openly.

Tell your story if you have one.

Offer real help.

Build a pathway.

Lead courageously.

Because if the Church doesn't disciple people in sexuality, the internet will.

And right now, the internet is winning.

With gratitude, respect, and urgency,

Blaine Bartel

P.S. You don't have to use our resources. There are many good ministries, counselors, and recovery pathways available today. My challenge is simply this: do something. Build a pathway. Start a conversation. Give your people real help.

If you'd like to explore what we've created, Katharos is available for men, women, and students, and has been used by thousands of individuals and churches across the country to address pornography and sexual brokenness with both biblical truth and practical tools.

Katharos for Men: [Click here]

She Is Free (Women): [Click here]

Katharos Students: [Click here]