Gary Birdsong

Gary Eugene Birdsong (May 22, 1943 – February 27, 2025), commonly known as Preacher Gary or The Pit Preacher, was a travelling fundamentalist Christian preacher who frequented college campuses across the United States, particularly in North Carolina. He was known for his unorthodox interpretation of the Bible and his theatrical, accusatory style of preaching. He often argued vehemently with other, more moderate Christians who accused him of misrepresenting the Christian faith and driving people away from it with his extremism.

Birdsong, known to his audience as the Fear God Preacher (at North Carolina State University), New Quad Preacher (at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte), the Pit Preacher (at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), the Sanford Mall Preacher (at Appalachian State University), and the Joyner Steps Preacher (at East Carolina University) had a large repertoire of subjects on which he preached, ranging from the standards of heaven and hell, to drug use, premarital sex, homosexuality, Islam, atheism, feminism, communism, masturbation, rock and rap music, abortion, evolution, tolerance, politics, war, fashion, witchcraft, racism, and demonic possession.

Preaching style and repertoire Birdsong used a theatrical, accusatory style of preaching because he believed "getting people angry is his most effective method of preaching". He often offended students with his fundamentalist views, such as his belief that "white folks are different, black folks are different and when you start mixing them up there's a lot of confusion", and his opinion on feminism was that "it ain't in the Bible". His views frequently resulted in heated debates with students, A similar incident occurred in the 1980s resulting in his arrest. In March 2009, Birdsong's two-year banishment from The Pit expired and he once again returned to preach in The Pit. Some students were glad to see him return to this popular spot after his extended absence, but the overall reaction was mixed. citing that fact multiple times when he was preaching about forgiveness. He claimed that his "calling" came to him in the middle of 40 Hells Angels in Durham County, North Carolina.

Death

Gary Birdsong died on February 27, 2025.