So now Christianity Today — the flagship magazine that once stood as a rock of evangelical conservatism — is quietly swimming in money from one of Planned Parenthood’s biggest funders?
That’s not a headline from The Babylon Bee. It’s real. It’s happening. And it’s raising more eyebrows than a Joel Osteen sermon on Wall Street ethics.
Once proudly founded by Billy Graham in 1956 to offer a conservative counter to the liberal-leaning Christian Century, Christianity Today was supposed to be a bulwark. A voice that held the line. But financial records just uncovered in the wake of a buyout offer from conservative publisher Canon Press tell a very different story.
Christianity Today is repulsive. pic.twitter.com/ntE9ny6AKT
— Eric Conn (@Eric_Conn) September 22, 2025
Let’s start with the cash. Since 2022, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation — yes, that Hewlett — has quietly pumped over $1 million into Christianity Today’s pockets. A foundation that has given more than $100 million to Planned Parenthood is now bankrolling a supposedly pro-life Christian magazine. Wrap your head around that.
The donations weren’t hidden, but they weren’t exactly highlighted either. Hewlett gave $400,000 for “general operations,” $75,000 to build a mobile app, and a head-scratching $600,000 to “cover U.S. elections.” All of that came just months after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade — and just months after Hewlett announced it was increasing its abortion-related funding by 30 percent. Their plan? To expand access in states moving to restrict the procedure. Their strategy? Fund organizations that can “craft and test new narratives” and “access larger audiences.” That’s PR-speak for buying influence.
And it seems to be working. Since the money rolled in, Christianity Today has been publishing articles that challenge the traditional pro-life position — not outright rejecting it, but subtly shifting the focus. Instead of sticking to the defense of unborn life, the magazine has started blending in progressive social priorities like racial equity and federal paid leave, suggesting those too fall under the “pro-life” umbrella.
Pro-life advocates aren’t buying it. They’re calling it a dangerous redefinition — one that waters down the mission and lets politicians and activists use the term “pro-life” to promote agendas that have nothing to do with protecting babies in the womb. Seth Gruber of the White Rose Resistance says this is exactly what the Left wants: to confuse the message, divide the movement, and hijack the language of morality to sell big-government policies. He warned that the more Christians stretch the definition of pro-life to cover every “justice issue,” the more diluted the cause becomes. And with limited resources already, the pro-life movement can’t afford to fight every battle everywhere.
So who’s benefiting here? Not the unborn. Not the church. Maybe just the grant writers and those making sure the check clears.
Now, Canon Press — a conservative Christian publisher with a growing media presence — has stepped in, offering $10 million to buy Christianity Today. They say they want to return the magazine to Billy Graham’s original mission. Aaron Rench, a founding partner at Canon, made it clear: the growing dependence on secular grant money would end. He pointed out that the magazine’s revenue stream has shifted dramatically in recent years. In 2020, just 20 percent of its income came from donations. Today, it’s over half. And it’s not the subscriptions that are booming — it’s the NGO grants.
A Christian publishing company is offering to buy Christianity Today. I have heard many Christians lament that @CTmagazine has been captured by worldly ideology and wish someone would restore it to Billy Graham’s intended purpose.
Looks like @canonpress is trying to do… pic.twitter.com/3Ub7gCTD6w
— Megan Basham (@megbasham) September 29, 2025
Under Canon, the Hewlett money would be gone. The influence would be cut off. And Christianity Today would, in their words, return to “explicitly Christian stewardship.” Rench said the outlet has lost its way, and it’s time to get serious about reclaiming its voice — even invoking Charlie Kirk as a modern-day evangelistic model in their offer.
The current editorial leadership isn’t saying much. Russell Moore and Marvin Olasky didn’t respond to questions about whether they see any problem with partnering with one of the most aggressive pro-abortion funders in the country. Silence tends to speak volumes.
What’s left now is a battle over more than just a magazine. It’s a battle over what Christian media stands for. Is Christianity Today going to keep drifting toward the secular Left under the weight of donor influence? Or is it about to be pulled back to its roots by a new generation that’s tired of compromise?
Stay tuned. This story’s just getting started.
The post Canon Press Makes Bid On Billy Graham Founded Organization After Questionable Funding Discovered appeared first on Red Right Patriot.
