The Rio Grande Presbytery, a regional governing body of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), has indefinitely suspended Zachary Garris, the pastor of Bryce Avenue Presbyterian Church in White Rock, New Mexico. The suspension stems from a conviction of “unwholesome speech” violating Ephesians 4:29, which was based on a 2023 exchange on X (formerly Twitter) with religion professor Anthony Bradley. While Garris, a trained attorney and seminary graduate, was cleared of a separate charge regarding racial comments about slavery from June 2024, he was found guilty for his online remarks to Bradley, where he allegedly characterized Bradley’s points as “more complex than a PhD can handle” and criticized him for “arrogance.” Although Garris has not released an official public statement, he did retweet reports of his suspension.
The presbytery’s decision to indefinitely suspend a pastor over what some consider mild sarcasm or banter has sparked significant backlash and controversy among other internet-active pastors. Supporters and fellow ministers, such as PCA minister Sean McGowan, have condemned the trial as a “travesty of justice” and “malicious lawfare,” alleging that Garris was denied a proper defense because no witnesses or evidence were presented for the second charge. Other critics online have voiced harsher rebukes; biblical counselor David D. Edgington blamed the situation on an “effeminate church” culture that targets good men, while prominent Baptist pastor Tom Ascol pointed out past controversial statements by Bradley to highlight perceived double standards in applying biblical rules on speech.
