What is the Evangelical Industrial Complex — and why does it feel like people are suddenly waking up to it across the entire Church?

In this episode of Unhinged: Separating Faith from Fiction, Michele Kus and Dr. Martin Trench slow down to finally define a phrase they’ve referenced in prior episodes but never formally explained: the Evangelical Industrial Complex (EIC).

This episode isn’t about debating doctrine or offering next steps. It’s about naming and defining the system that has shaped much of modern evangelicalism — often quietly, often invisibly — and understanding why so many people feel anger, grief, relief, or clarity once they begin to see it.

And once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

In this episode, Michele and Martin:

• define what the Evangelical Industrial Complex is and why it’s so toxic
• explore how Christianity can become an industry
• name common system-level patterns rather than individual failures
• clarify that not all churches operate this way (and why it often exists on a spectrum)
• reflect on why the EIC appears to be “melting down” in real time

This is NOT an anti-Christian or anti-church episode. It is pro-awareness, pro-honesty, and pro-naming what has been operating in the background for decades so you can better spot it when you encounter it.

If you’ve deconstructed your faith but still feel like something hasn’t fully clicked yet, this episode helps you see The EIC Machine.

Unhinged: Separating Faith from Fiction is an audio and video podcast with Michele Kus and Dr. Martin Trench, helping listeners unlearn toxic religious dogma and rediscover a freer, healthier, life-giving way of understanding God, Scripture, faith, and themselves.

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Here is Michele’s Facebook post about the EIC.

Check out Martin’s Skool community called The Gathering.

Check out Michele’s Skool community called New Creation Academy.

Check out Martin’s books: Victorious Eschatology, Eyes Wide Open, and Secrets of Spiritual Growth.

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Michele Kus, M.A. on Linktree

Dr. Martin Trench on Linktree

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome to Unhinged: Separating Faith from Fiction!

02:07 What Is the Evangelical Industrial Complex?

07:09 How the EIC Discourages Independent Thinking

07:55 How the Evangelical Industrial Complex Actually Works

09:07 What Happens When Someone Wakes Up from the EIC Machine

11:34 Signs a Church May Be Operating Inside the Evangelical Industrial Complex

14:08 Signs of a Healthy Church (What to Look For)

16:47 Why Naming the Evangelical Industrial Complex Matters