The lead pastor at James Talarico’s home church warned his small congregation about hidden cameras as The Daily Wire revealed that church leadership doubts whether Jesus ever existed and said that the Texas Democrats’ political makeover is a lie.
Rev. Jim Rigby addressed the swirling controversy and growing scrutiny surrounding St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church as critics accuse the Austin congregation of blasphemy and leading the lost astray.
“How many of y’all had to cross the picket line when you first got here?” Rigby asked his mostly white, older flock. “So some of y’all saw. Yeah, when I was in seminary, they didn’t really explain this part of it.”
In the sermon, titled “Loving Through Difficult Times,” Rigby acknowledged that his church — whose clergy have rejected the virgin birth and the belief that Jesus died for humanity’s sins — has faced public backlash in recent weeks.
“So we’ve had protesters. One thing that’s news is that we’ve had spies with hidden cameras. So if somebody tries to trick you into saying something that can be edited … just be careful,” Rigby warned.
Rigby, who personally baptized Talarico as a toddler, was caught saying the Democratic Senate nominee’s campaign wants nothing to do with him anymore in another video obtained by The Daily Wire.
“His campaign has distanced from me completely,” Rigby told an undercover journalist. “The reason he does it is he wants to be a counterbalance to Christian nationalism. It’s sad running in Texas, I think, and he’s got advisors and stuff. And I think the closer he gets to success, the more DNC people are going to come down …”
During a sermon on Sunday, Rigby appeared aware of the political headaches he’s causing Talarico. One political analyst said it could cost the Democrat a “couple points” in his U.S. Senate race against Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton.
“So we got 40-something days to the election, and we’re just — you know — we’ll talk about aggressive theology if a reporter has a question. But we’re not talking about James Talarico because whatever we say, they edit it and change it, which, as long as they’re doing it for Jesus, that’s okay,” Rigby said at the beginning of a sermon.
Moments later, the minister delved into an intense coughing attack, struggling to get through his sermon as he blasted the MAGA movement and conservative Christians.
— Jacob Wheeler (@JWheelertv) September 25, 2026
“You can see it in the MAGA movement. If you’re afraid of everything that moves, you’re not going to be very loving. If you’re afraid of immigrants, if you’re, if you’re afraid of families with transgender children, you’re not going to be very alpha. You may think you’re alpha, but if you’re scared of your own shadow, that’s kind of a pathetic thing.”
Before Rigby jumped to the pulpit, he and other church leaders put on a Bible story skit with animal-themed puppets.
“If this was my church, I’d hate Christians too,” conservative political consultant Ryan Girdusky said, tagging Talarico on X.
.png)
.png)
