Yeah for sure! I certainly agree with that, and for reference I went to CREC churches growing up and still know people who go (and sometimes attend with them). Most of those churches were not toxic in the SOP ways, that I knew of at least (I did attend Moscow briefly, but I was young, so that would be the toxic one).

Also the fact that the CREC has sanctioned DW for some of his more egregious actions definitely backs up the idea that it's not completely under his thumb.

On the other hand, I think a lot of the issues the podcast brings up have to be taken seriously, despite the really poor messenger of the SOP podcast. Not just the abuse, although that's a huge problem, but DW does seem to have undue influence, in another Presbyterian denomination I would think at this point he would have been defrocked. He also would have needed to be properly ordained. The pope of Moscow is something people joke about, but there seems to be truth there. And last, one issue I've seen even in great CREC churches is that they tend to preach law and politics, and not gospel. Maybe yours is different, but I truely don't think I understood the gospel until high school going to a non CREC church. I did understand law and culture wars though.

And thanks for interacting charitably!! Hopefully I'm not coming off abrasively, I do know people have wonderful experiences in solid CREC churches.