New undercover footage shows a minister at Democrat U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico’s longtime church describing evangelical churches as “almost cult-like” and claiming white men in Texas are afraid of black and Hispanic Americans gaining political power.
Rev. Babs Miller, Minister to the Parish at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Austin, also said some evangelicals treat the Bible as a “magic book” and are “slightly or maybe greatly misguided.”
In the footage obtained by Texas Scorecard, Miller was asked, “What is wrong with evangelicals?”
Miller responded that some people “pick words over people,” pointing to how evangelicals interpret the Bible.
“They decide that the Bible says in this one place, says this certain thing, and because of that, we have to reject anybody who doesn’t conform to whatever they see the norm as being,” said Miller.
She said they “don’t want to know anything about how the Bible is put together, how the Bible contradicts itself, any of those things.”
“It’s a magic book to them,” Miller added.
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: A minister at James Talarico’s longtime church calls evangelical churches “almost cult-like” and says some view the Bible as a “magic book.” pic.twitter.com/ELIG2eRISD
— Brandon Waltens (@bwaltens) September 28, 2026
Miller also discussed evangelical beliefs about the rapture, saying adherents “take it very literally when they want to” and “all think the rapture is right around the corner.”
“Evangelical churches are almost cult-like, and they’re just, I think, slightly or maybe greatly misguided about what is intended by anything that the Bible says,” said Miller.
“It’s really a lot of selling of ideas that keep the group together and keep them convinced that everybody else is wrong and they’re right.”
Miller then characterized the phenomenon as “white Christian nationalism” and attributed it to racial fears among white men in Texas.
“The white, predominantly the white males in Texas, have discovered that they are no longer in the majority,” said Miller.
“I really do think that they are afraid that if the blacks and browns get in control, that they’re going to treat the white people like the white people have always treated the blacks and browns,” she added.
Miller is listed by St. Andrew’s as its Minister to the Parish and has been part of the church for decades.
Talarico has attended St. Andrew’s since childhood and has repeatedly credited the congregation with shaping his worldview.
The latest footage comes after other undercover recordings involving Miller and ministers at St. Andrew’s.
In one recording, Miller said that if St. Andrew’s members were asked whether they were Christian, agnostic, or atheist, “the vast majority would say agnostic or atheist, because they don’t buy the religion that we got from the Puritans.”
Miller was also recorded discussing Talarico’s position on gender-mutilation procedures for minors.
“I can guarantee you that once he gets elected, he’ll change his tune back to where he was,” Miller said.
Separate undercover footage obtained by Texas Scorecard showed Rev. Carol Johnson saying, “We don’t have a lot of people who are religious here” and describing St. Andrew’s as “not a belief-based church.”
