TikToker Nikalie Monroe recently went viral for her social experiment series, where she pretends to be a needy mother asking churches for baby formula amid the SNAP cut-off. It appears Monroe has made enemies quickly, because now, one pastor from a Louisiana church is labeling the TikToker as a “witch” and a “devil” after his church essentially refused to help a mother asking for baby formula.
Living Faith Christian Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is the church in question, and in early November, Pastor Raymond W. Johnson addressed Monroe’s video during a sermon. Let’s just say he didn’t hold back with his remarks, “The person who goes around calling churches and putting the voice of a baby crying in the background… really, the person is low. I don’t apologize to the devil.” Johnson, he church leader, went on to call Monroe’s actions “the spirit of a witch.” Here’s the clip of the sermon:
For the record, when Monroe called Living Faith Christian Center, the church staff told her they had no formula or diapers available and could not help. Monroe’s viewers then questioned the church, especially with how they were allocating their members’ donations, given that they couldn’t provide emergency charities for mothers with hungry newborns, which do happen despite Monroe’s pretense.
In Pastor Johnson’s defense, his church has fed “thousands” without seeking publicity, even claiming to lend his own credit card to struggling mothers. Hence, the pastor has also more or less threatened the TikToker, “It’s a witch,” Johnson said. “And my Bible say he do not allow that thing to live. So, you have to watch when you fooling with God.”
People online called out the paster even more
Monroe’s series, now 37 videos strong, features her asking if churches can provide food or formula for her “two-month-old baby,” often with a crying baby sound playing in the background. Only a few churches passed her test, and one of them was even a mosque. Monroe’s experiment has highlighted some of the ironies and possible shady activities of certain churches in the US.
For Pastor Johnson of Living Faith Christian Center, however, the criticisms glowed even hotter because not only did he fail Monroe’s test of basic kindness, but he also slandered her. “Hold on, is he seriously saying that the girl is evil because he failed the test? Jesus ain’t in that house folks..” points out a TikTok commenter, while another reiterated that, “she didn’t want formula. she was testing you, and you failed.”
Others were appalled at Pastor Johnson’s answer to Monroe, saying, “This is a very shocking response,” though it’s clear in the sermon clip that Johnson had followers who applauded him. “Now it’s witchcraft and she deserves to die?? PLEASE ✋” worries another commenter, highlighting the harshness of Pastor Johnson’s rhetoric.
