newsweek--2020-12-18--Mark "Markiplier" Fischbach Talks Ending Unus Annus and Letting Go of Content

Mark `` Markiplier '' Fischbach has been a known quantity on YouTube for the past nine years , thanks to his soothing radio-quality voice , hilarious let 's plays and numerous charitable acts .
To date , Fischbach has more than 27 million subscribers on his main channel , but while speaking with Newsweek over Zoom recently , he said he 'd have no problem giving it up if he had to .
`` I personally am OK if my channel is gone tomorrow , '' Fischbach said .
`` I personally would be OK with that because I would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but I feel like a lot of people would n't say the same thing . ''
Late last year , Fischbach put that idea to the test with the launch of a highly experimental YouTube called Unus Annus .
In collaboration with Ethan `` CrankGameplays '' Nestor-Darling and Amy `` Peebles '' Nelson , he uploaded 365 daily videos on a wide range of topics , including cooking with sex toys , learning to salsa dance and even a full-fledged mini-documentary about living in the wildnessness .
But , despite the fact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million subscribers , Fischbach created the channel with the expressed purpose of letting it all go .
From the start , he made it clear that Unus Annus would exist for just 12 months before being erased for good .
In November , exactly one year from the date of the channel 's creation , 1.5 million viewers tuned in for a 12-hour broadcast to watch the final seconds of Unus Annus .
All the content is completely gone , but the memories and laughs remain .
`` I just wanted to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it would make it as hard as possible to let go of , '' Fischbach said .
`` Because that feeling for me was important , and it was important for people to realize that that feeling is important ; and having proper ends for things on YouTube , or whatever internet platform you have , is important .
Because so many things end without a proper end , and it 's sad to see things fade away . ''
In the days following the end of Unus Annus , we spoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to let go , his philosophy to content creation and his passionate desire to have a serious role in the upcoming Five Nights at Freddy 's movie .
This interview has been edited and condensed for the sake of clarity and length .
Where did the idea for Unus Annus come from ?
Was it something you saw other channels do ?
No , I 'd like to think this is something that 's pretty original to YouTube .
I had the idea because I felt like so many people on YouTube were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be willing to let go of it under any circumstance .
And I feel like if you exist in a world where you can never let go of what you make , you will never move on as a creator or as a creative person .
I wanted to make something that had a finite end date that people knew about from the start .
So when it came down to inspiration , it was really just about what could I make that I could be willing to let go of .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it with someone else , because I wanted to do it as good as possible .
I do n't want to take the credit away from Ethan or Amy at all , because they were a huge part of making Unus Annus what it was , and it never would have been what it was without them .
I did n't want to let go of anything specifically , I just wanted other people to embrace the idea of letting go .
What made Ethan the perfect partner for this ?
Anyone who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ethan has an energy to him that really works well .
When it comes down to making content on a daily basis , you do n't have time to script anything .
Well , we did , but we barely had time to script a lot of our videos .
The vast majority of videos—like 350 out of 365—were unscripted , just turn on a camera , see what happens .
It 's not that other people could n't have done that , but we had worked together .
We had taken improv @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of editing on his own , he had skills as a YouTuber .
He 's been working YouTube just about as long as I have , so it 's just a combination of skill sets where I felt like , `` OK this seems like a good partner . ''
And given that the videos were unscripted , how long did these shoots take ?
On the short end , probably around 30 minutes .
Probably the quickest video we ever did was about 20 .
Actually , the quickest video we ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did a completely unedited video with no cuts , no nothing , which actually turned out very well .
It was very funny and people loved it , which was a bit of an insult to our editors .
Because they were like , `` Yeah , more videos should be like this , '' and all the hard work that our editors do [ was ] getting thrown out the window .
If it was something bigger that we were doing , it could span a couple days , you know , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and there , maybe accumulating about , on the top end , eight to 12 hours for a certain shoot .
That 's at the extreme outlier .
Longer ones would take several hours , definitely .
Were you surprised by the audience it attracted , even though you and Ethan have many followers already ?
Yes and no .
I had expectations , of course , because I knew that some people would follow along from my previous channels .
What I did n't expect was how strongly the fan base that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personality outside of either of our channels .
It came to life of its own , and everyone who was a fan of it really embraced the message .
They were onboard from the very beginning .
For the majority of them , at the end , it was like pulling teeth getting rid of the channel .
But having the ability to let go and say goodbye for a lot of people is very meaningful , and it really developed this personality in the way they made jokes .
They were so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I was genuinely surprised at the type of audience that came out of this , and I am honored in a lot of ways , because I was n't expecting it at all .
I was expecting it to be kind of a mishmash of our both of our audiences , but it took on a life of its own .
And where do you expect those people to go now that the channel is gone ?
I think that a lot of them have come back to watch my videos or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this philosophy in relationships that , between two people , you create a third separate personality that exists between those two people and it 's unique to those people .
And when you 're away from those people , you do n't have that personality anymore .
I think it went that way for this particular channel .
When people were a part of it , they expressed , at least as much as they could online , a different personality .
So when the channel went away , that part of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still lives on in the memory of Unus Annus , it kind of died with it .
And not in a tragic way , either .
If you 're asking where the people went , obviously they went all the places on YouTube , back to my channel or Ethan 's channel , but the community that existed when Unus Annus existed , they are kind of a shadow of who they were .
In that vein , why was it important for you to have an audience ?
Could n't you have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ creative person , I could have done it by myself and it would have been a satisfying personal journey , but I do like the part of creation that makes people feel things .
A lot of my projects are built around the idea of making people feel an emotion .
For this one , I wanted that sadness that was at the end of it .
It 's not a full sadness of tragedy , it 's bittersweet in a way , because you say goodbye to something you love .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ awful to say goodbye to it .
But you need that closure , you need it .
It 's like opening and closing a book .
The beginning of it was opening it , and at the end of it you close the book and you have that satisfaction [ and ] closure .
I wanted people to feel that , because I really do think that more people should be willing to let go of what they make online .
That is actually a philosophy that I have .
I feel people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and trying to hold on to it prevents them , as a person , from growing .
Making it a public project is important because I want people to see it , and I want people to see that people were , indeed , affected by it and it was successful .
It was a successful channel , and more important than that , it was impactful .
Tons of people embraced it .
That last livestream , there were 1.5 million people there at the same time .
That number is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of all the work we put into making Unus Annus special , and the people who wanted that closure , wanted to see if we dared to do what so many people would n't dare do .
So you 're saying if you 're a YouTuber that 's hyper-focused on one topic or game , maybe you should n't do that ?
Yeah , absolutely .
I do n't want to say that everyone should give up on what they 're doing and try something new right away , definitely not .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tight is an important self-reflection moment , recognizing when you 're hindering your own personal growth .
If you ever ask yourself , `` Am I doing this for me or am I doing this for my audience ? ''
That 's when you need to identify that this is a moment for you where you need to make a decision about whether or not you 're going to continue with this in the same way , or try to evolve as a person , try to evolve as a creator .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you need to delete everything .
You do n't have to delete it , you can move on from it .
You can try something new at the same time , or you can dedicate yourself fully to something else .
There are many different ways to take it , but just accepting the idea that you can change , that you can do something else if you want to is all I really want people to know .
How did the creative process differ , knowing that the content was n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care about it more .
It made us care about making it good more , because we knew that once it was up that was it .
That 's what people were going to remember , and the memory they were left with was all they were going to have .
They 're never going to be able to look back on it .
We had some s**t videos , do n't get me wrong , we had some real stinkers .
But as time went on , especially towards the end , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we were going to make .
We kept asking each other and ourselves , what are we gon na do to make this special ?
How are we gon na make these last videos count ?
That feeling of the deadline , the end , knowing it was coming , was so much more motivating .
Even if they were gon na be deleted , I put in more effort into the last few videos I edited for Unus Annus than any video I 've edited for my channel , bar a very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all-nighters—and I pulled many—just to make sure the videos got out at the right time and they were of the right quality .
When you 've got the clock ticking down , you stop making excuses .
So how has that experience transferred over to your main channel now ?
The main thing that I took away from it , because I 've done videos like Unnus Annus on my channel before , is really just the approach of try anything , do anything , make anything .
Take it as a challenge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ordinary .
With Unus Annus , we did n't have time to make extraordinary ideas , so we had to make ordinary ideas extraordinary , like trying to evolve concepts [ and ] heightening them just a little bit .
I 'm not saying I 'm making gold out of lead , but it 's just trying to push a little more into avenues that I do n't usually do .
I feel very , very strongly that when you try something new , you will surprise yourself , and you learn something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was crap .
Just committing to something is half the entire process .
So with that mindset , do you ever give SEO or search trends a thought when you make things ?
I 've never given a rat 's a** about SEO , legitimately .
There have been times when I 've tried it and there have been times when I tried to do it right , but , at the end of the day , you always need to remember that your fan base is real people .
And if you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , have an emotional connection to what you 're doing , that will be infinitely more valuable than search engine optimization .
Forgetting that there are real people watching is the start of the end of your channel .
I have been consistent in my time on YouTube , because I 'm constantly changing what I do and never forgetting that the people who are watching do n't know what they want to see .
But when they see it and they love it , that 's the most magical moment in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video about the brightest flashlight ?
Exactly !
If people saw that video and they 're like , `` OK are flashlights trending or something , '' it does n't matter !
It does n't matter if they 're trending !
I just asked `` OK , how do I test these flashlights ?
Well , it 's got to be dark , so what do I have that 's dark ?
A closet that can be pitch black to test flashlights , that way I can really see what they look like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trying to worry about what 's trending or what 's gon na be the next thing that 's gon na get you on top of the algorithm makes you forget you 're making videos because you want to make videos .
I wanted to do a video where I just test flashlights in a cave basically .
A fan base that cherishes what you make is more valuable than being number one on trending .
For example , I was just in the hospital and I made an update .
Those videos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fans care .
They legitimately cared enough .
They were talking about it , they were worried about me .
I 'm not saying you need to make everyone love you .
This is the internet , so what can it really be , but make them care about you as a person and not so much like videos that you make .
I feel like YouTube people have forgotten that `` You '' is in the name .
That means the people that are watching it , and the people that are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favorite Unus Annus videos that you really loved ?
`` Cooking with Sex Toys , '' the very first actual video that we put out , was such a delight .
It really set the tone .
I loved `` Hunting HeeHoo , '' just because I edited that one .
It was 14 hours straight editing , but what a video !
The voice actor , Dave Pettitt—just a beautiful voice .
I want to hire him for so many more projects .
It came together , and no one was expecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make a full-fledged mini-documentary about me naked in the woods .
You can make a video about anything .
So long as you can find a way to make people care about it and it 's satisfying to you , that 's good content !
Just make stuff !
What would you say to the fans of Unus Annus who want something back from that right now ?
I would say , it 's perfectly normal to miss it , but If you want to bring it back , you did n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , could n't they also make it themselves ?
That 's also very true , yeah .
There 's nothing stopping from someone else making a year-long commitment to do a channel and doing it .
They could take every video that we did and redo those videos , and if they did it , it would be different because they made it .
There 's nothing stopping someone from making Unus Annus again for them .
So just to double down , no compilations , no returning footage ?
What 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ channel ?
The biggest challenge has been time and how the amount of work has affected the people around me , because it was a sacrifice .
A year trying to do this and another channel and my other projects , every week for the past year has been like a 90-hour work week , probably .
Being that I 'm only one person , it 's draining .
I 'm motivated to do it , but the other people around me also suffer from it .
I 'm grateful to have time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the biggest point .
And what has been the biggest reward ?
The biggest reward was to kind of have— '' vindication '' is too strong of a word , but confirmation that I was on the right track , that I was n't crazy with this idea .
Because so many people at the beginning were like , `` This is stupid '' or `` This is nuts , '' or `` This is so dumb . ''
And then at the end of it , having that many people care was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any thought to other unique projects or channel concepts you 'd want to try next ?
That would be a spoiler .
I 'll tell you this .
I pretty much had my next idea before Unus Annus ended .
I ca n't ever sit still with what I do .
It 's just who I am .
I practice what I preach .
I 'm ready to move on as soon as the needle drops .
I ca n't wait to make the next thing .
The only regret I have is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do all of it .
The Five Nights at Freddy 's movie starts shooting next year .
Would you want to be in that ?
I 'm up for anything !
Get me in there , Scott , please !
I would love to , I would love to .
The only thing is I do n't want to do a cameo .
I want to actually be a part of it .
What are your thoughts on the end of Unus Annus ?
Do you agree with Markiplier 's perspective that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go of what they make ?
Tell us in the comments section !

Mark "Markiplier" Fischbach has been a known quantity on YouTube for the past nine years, thanks to his soothing radio-quality voice, hilarious let's plays and numerous charitable acts. To date, Fischbach has more than 27 million subscribers on his main channel, but while speaking with Newsweek over Zoom recently, he said he'd have no problem giving it up if he had to.
"I personally am OK if my channel is gone tomorrow," Fischbach said. "I personally would be OK with that because I wouldn't stop as a creative individual, but I feel like a lot of people wouldn't say the same thing."
Late last year, Fischbach put that idea to the test with the launch of a highly experimental YouTube called Unus Annus. In collaboration with Ethan "CrankGameplays" Nestor-Darling and Amy "Peebles" Nelson, he uploaded 365 daily videos on a wide range of topics, including cooking with sex toys, learning to salsa dance and even a full-fledged mini-documentary about living in the wildnessness.
But, despite the fact that Unus Annus quickly amassed well over 4 million subscribers, Fischbach created the channel with the expressed purpose of letting it all go. From the start, he made it clear that Unus Annus would exist for just 12 months before being erased for good.
Markiplier said goodbye to Unus Annus last month,. He spoke with Newseek about what it means to let go of content in the ever-changing world of YouTube. Unus Annus/Markiplier
In November, exactly one year from the date of the channel's creation, 1.5 million viewers tuned in for a 12-hour broadcast to watch the final seconds of Unus Annus. All the content is completely gone, but the memories and laughs remain.
"I just wanted to make something that was so good and fun that it would make it as hard as possible to let go of," Fischbach said. "Because that feeling for me was important, and it was important for people to realize that that feeling is important; and having proper ends for things on YouTube, or whatever internet platform you have, is important. Because so many things end without a proper end, and it's sad to see things fade away."
In the days following the end of Unus Annus, we spoke with Fischbach to unpack what it means to let go, his philosophy to content creation and his passionate desire to have a serious role in the upcoming Five Nights at Freddy's movie. This interview has been edited and condensed for the sake of clarity and length.
Where did the idea for Unus Annus come from? Was it something you saw other channels do?
No, I'd like to think this is something that's pretty original to YouTube. I had the idea because I felt like so many people on YouTube were attached to their content and wouldn't be willing to let go of it under any circumstance. And I feel like if you exist in a world where you can never let go of what you make, you will never move on as a creator or as a creative person. I wanted to make something that had a finite end date that people knew about from the start.
So when it came down to inspiration, it was really just about what could I make that I could be willing to let go of. And that's why I had to make it with someone else, because I wanted to do it as good as possible. I don't want to take the credit away from Ethan or Amy at all, because they were a huge part of making Unus Annus what it was, and it never would have been what it was without them. I didn't want to let go of anything specifically, I just wanted other people to embrace the idea of letting go.
What made Ethan the perfect partner for this?
Anyone who's seen the videos would see that Ethan has an energy to him that really works well. When it comes down to making content on a daily basis, you don't have time to script anything. Well, we did, but we barely had time to script a lot of our videos. The vast majority of videos—like 350 out of 365—were unscripted, just turn on a camera, see what happens.
It's not that other people couldn't have done that, but we had worked together. We had taken improv classes together. He also was capable of editing on his own, he had skills as a YouTuber. He's been working YouTube just about as long as I have, so it's just a combination of skill sets where I felt like, "OK this seems like a good partner."
Read more Air Force Gaming Seeks CODE Bowl Win With Focus on Military Mental Health Air Force Gaming Seeks CODE Bowl Win With Focus on Military Mental Health
And given that the videos were unscripted, how long did these shoots take?
On the short end, probably around 30 minutes. Probably the quickest video we ever did was about 20. Actually, the quickest video we ever did was 10 minutes, because we did a completely unedited video with no cuts, no nothing, which actually turned out very well.
It was very funny and people loved it, which was a bit of an insult to our editors. Because they were like, "Yeah, more videos should be like this," and all the hard work that our editors do [was] getting thrown out the window. If it was something bigger that we were doing, it could span a couple days, you know, just picking up pieces of it here and there, maybe accumulating about, on the top end, eight to 12 hours for a certain shoot. That's at the extreme outlier. Longer ones would take several hours, definitely.
Were you surprised by the audience it attracted, even though you and Ethan have many followers already?
Yes and no. I had expectations, of course, because I knew that some people would follow along from my previous channels. What I didn't expect was how strongly the fan base that developed [had] developed their own personality outside of either of our channels. It came to life of its own, and everyone who was a fan of it really embraced the message. They were onboard from the very beginning. For the majority of them, at the end, it was like pulling teeth getting rid of the channel.
But having the ability to let go and say goodbye for a lot of people is very meaningful, and it really developed this personality in the way they made jokes. They were so funny in the memes that they made. I was genuinely surprised at the type of audience that came out of this, and I am honored in a lot of ways, because I wasn't expecting it at all. I was expecting it to be kind of a mishmash of our both of our audiences, but it took on a life of its own.
And where do you expect those people to go now that the channel is gone?
I think that a lot of them have come back to watch my videos or Ethan's videos. But there's this philosophy in relationships that, between two people, you create a third separate personality that exists between those two people and it's unique to those people. And when you're away from those people, you don't have that personality anymore.
I think it went that way for this particular channel. When people were a part of it, they expressed, at least as much as they could online, a different personality. So when the channel went away, that part of them and that fan base, while it still lives on in the memory of Unus Annus, it kind of died with it. And not in a tragic way, either.
If you're asking where the people went, obviously they went all the places on YouTube, back to my channel or Ethan's channel, but the community that existed when Unus Annus existed, they are kind of a shadow of who they were.
In that vein, why was it important for you to have an audience? Couldn't you have done this experiment privately?
As a creative person, I could have done it by myself and it would have been a satisfying personal journey, but I do like the part of creation that makes people feel things. A lot of my projects are built around the idea of making people feel an emotion.
For this one, I wanted that sadness that was at the end of it. It's not a full sadness of tragedy, it's bittersweet in a way, because you say goodbye to something you love. You love something so much that it's awful to say goodbye to it. But you need that closure, you need it.
It's like opening and closing a book. The beginning of it was opening it, and at the end of it you close the book and you have that satisfaction [and] closure. I wanted people to feel that, because I really do think that more people should be willing to let go of what they make online. That is actually a philosophy that I have. I feel people get too attached to what they make, and trying to hold on to it prevents them, as a person, from growing. Making it a public project is important because I want people to see it, and I want people to see that people were, indeed, affected by it and it was successful.
It was a successful channel, and more important than that, it was impactful. Tons of people embraced it. That last livestream, there were 1.5 million people there at the same time. That number is staggering, and it only existed because of all the work we put into making Unus Annus special, and the people who wanted that closure, wanted to see if we dared to do what so many people wouldn't dare do.
For Mark "Markiplier" Fischbach, content creation is a journey of self discovery. NY Times/Maggie Shannon for The New York Times
So you're saying if you're a YouTuber that's hyper-focused on one topic or game, maybe you shouldn't do that?
Yeah, absolutely. I don't want to say that everyone should give up on what they're doing and try something new right away, definitely not. But recognizing when you're holding on too tight is an important self-reflection moment, recognizing when you're hindering your own personal growth. If you ever ask yourself, "Am I doing this for me or am I doing this for my audience?" That's when you need to identify that this is a moment for you where you need to make a decision about whether or not you're going to continue with this in the same way, or try to evolve as a person, try to evolve as a creator.
It's not a black-and-white question of yes, you need to delete everything. You don't have to delete it, you can move on from it. You can try something new at the same time, or you can dedicate yourself fully to something else. There are many different ways to take it, but just accepting the idea that you can change, that you can do something else if you want to is all I really want people to know.
How did the creative process differ, knowing that the content wasn't permanent?
Honestly, it made us care about it more. It made us care about making it good more, because we knew that once it was up that was it. That's what people were going to remember, and the memory they were left with was all they were going to have. They're never going to be able to look back on it. We had some s**t videos, don't get me wrong, we had some real stinkers. But as time went on, especially towards the end, we got paranoid about the last videos we were going to make. We kept asking each other and ourselves, what are we gonna do to make this special? How are we gonna make these last videos count?
That feeling of the deadline, the end, knowing it was coming, was so much more motivating. Even if they were gonna be deleted, I put in more effort into the last few videos I edited for Unus Annus than any video I've edited for my channel, bar a very few. I was willing to pull all-nighters—and I pulled many—just to make sure the videos got out at the right time and they were of the right quality. When you've got the clock ticking down, you stop making excuses.
So how has that experience transferred over to your main channel now?
The main thing that I took away from it, because I've done videos like Unnus Annus on my channel before, is really just the approach of try anything, do anything, make anything. Take it as a challenge to make something unique out of something ordinary. With Unus Annus, we didn't have time to make extraordinary ideas, so we had to make ordinary ideas extraordinary, like trying to evolve concepts [and] heightening them just a little bit. I'm not saying I'm making gold out of lead, but it's just trying to push a little more into avenues that I don't usually do.
I feel very, very strongly that when you try something new, you will surprise yourself, and you learn something new about yourself, even if it was crap. Just committing to something is half the entire process.
So with that mindset, do you ever give SEO or search trends a thought when you make things?
I've never given a rat's a** about SEO, legitimately. There have been times when I've tried it and there have been times when I tried to do it right, but, at the end of the day, you always need to remember that your fan base is real people. And if you can make your fan base feel something, have an emotional connection to what you're doing, that will be infinitely more valuable than search engine optimization. Forgetting that there are real people watching is the start of the end of your channel.
I have been consistent in my time on YouTube, because I'm constantly changing what I do and never forgetting that the people who are watching don't know what they want to see. But when they see it and they love it, that's the most magical moment in the world.
You mean like your recent video about the brightest flashlight?
Exactly! If people saw that video and they're like, "OK are flashlights trending or something," it doesn't matter! It doesn't matter if they're trending!
I just asked "OK, how do I test these flashlights? Well, it's got to be dark, so what do I have that's dark? A closet that can be pitch black to test flashlights, that way I can really see what they look like." These are not incredible concepts. Trying to worry about what's trending or what's gonna be the next thing that's gonna get you on top of the algorithm makes you forget you're making videos because you want to make videos. I wanted to do a video where I just test flashlights in a cave basically.
A fan base that cherishes what you make is more valuable than being number one on trending. For example, I was just in the hospital and I made an update. Those videos were number one on trending because my fans care. They legitimately cared enough. They were talking about it, they were worried about me.
I'm not saying you need to make everyone love you. This is the internet, so what can it really be, but make them care about you as a person and not so much like videos that you make. I feel like YouTube people have forgotten that "You" is in the name. That means the people that are watching it, and the people that are making it.
Do you have any favorite Unus Annus videos that you really loved?
"Cooking with Sex Toys," the very first actual video that we put out, was such a delight. It really set the tone. I loved "Hunting HeeHoo," just because I edited that one. It was 14 hours straight editing, but what a video! The voice actor, Dave Pettitt—just a beautiful voice. I want to hire him for so many more projects. It came together, and no one was expecting it. No one was expecting us to make a full-fledged mini-documentary about me naked in the woods.
You can make a video about anything. So long as you can find a way to make people care about it and it's satisfying to you, that's good content! Just make stuff!
What would you say to the fans of Unus Annus who want something back from that right now?
I would say, it's perfectly normal to miss it, but If you want to bring it back, you didn't learn the lesson.
If they want it, couldn't they also make it themselves?
That's also very true, yeah. There's nothing stopping from someone else making a year-long commitment to do a channel and doing it. They could take every video that we did and redo those videos, and if they did it, it would be different because they made it. There's nothing stopping someone from making Unus Annus again for them.
So just to double down, no compilations, no returning footage?
Nope, nothing.
What's been the biggest challenge of making this channel?
The biggest challenge has been time and how the amount of work has affected the people around me, because it was a sacrifice. A year trying to do this and another channel and my other projects, every week for the past year has been like a 90-hour work week, probably.
Being that I'm only one person, it's draining. I'm motivated to do it, but the other people around me also suffer from it. I'm grateful to have time back, I think that's really the biggest point.
And what has been the biggest reward?
The biggest reward was to kind of have—"vindication" is too strong of a word, but confirmation that I was on the right track, that I wasn't crazy with this idea. Because so many people at the beginning were like, "This is stupid" or "This is nuts," or "This is so dumb." And then at the end of it, having that many people care was just so satisfying.
Have you given any thought to other unique projects or channel concepts you'd want to try next?
That would be a spoiler. I'll tell you this. I pretty much had my next idea before Unus Annus ended. I can't ever sit still with what I do. It's just who I am. I practice what I preach.
I'm ready to move on as soon as the needle drops. I can't wait to make the next thing. The only regret I have is that I don't have enough time to do all of it.
The Five Nights at Freddy's movie starts shooting next year. Would you want to be in that?
I'm up for anything! Get me in there, Scott, please! I would love to, I would love to. The only thing is I don't want to do a cameo. I want to actually be a part of it.
What are your thoughts on the end of Unus Annus? Do you agree with Markiplier's perspective that more YouTubers should be willing to let go of what they make? Tell us in the comments section!


newsweek--2020-12-18--Second Death Row Inmate Scheduled for Execution Tests Positive for COVID-19

Corey Johnson , a federal death row inmate who is scheduled to be executed next month , has tested positive for COVID-19 , his legal team said Friday .
Johnson is one of three federal inmates on death row scheduled to be executed before President Donald Trump leaves office on January 20 .
Dustin Higgs , another federal death row inmate who is scheduled to be executed the day after Johnson , also tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week .
Both inmates are based at U.S. Penitentiary Terre Haute in Indiana .
Attorneys Donald Salzman and Ronald Tabak , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the federal government to halt scheduled executions due to virus-related concerns in a statement shared with Newsweek .
`` Not surprisingly , given the growing outbreak on federal death row , Corey Johnson also has now tested positive for COVID-19 , '' the attorneys ' statement said .
`` The government must stop conducting executions during a COVID-19 outbreak in the facility , and we have called on the Department of Justice to withdraw Mr. Johnson 's execution date .
`` Mr. Johnson 's diagnosis will substantially interfere with his attorneys ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during these critical days before his scheduled execution , and the widespread outbreak on the federal death row only confirms the reckless disregard for the lives and safety of staff , prisoners , and attorneys alike .
If the government will not withdraw the execution date , we will ask the courts to intervene , '' the statement said .
News of Johnson 's positive COVID-19 test came one day after attorneys for Higgs announced he too tested positive for the virus .
Higgs ' January 15 execution is scheduled to be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration .
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons COVID-19 data tracker , 222 inmates at Terre Haute tested positive for COVID-19 as of Friday , December 18 .
The federal facility is currently listed as fifth in the country in terms of the size of its COVID-19 outbreak , which Higgs ' attorney attributed to recent executions conducted onsite .
In a Thursday statement about Higgs ' diagnosis , attorney Shawn Nolan described federal executions as `` superspreader '' events .
`` This is surely the result of the superspreader executions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the heart of a global pandemic , '' Nolan 's statement said .
`` Following the two executions that took place last week and one other two weeks prior , the COVID numbers at the federal prison in Terre Haute spiked enormously . ''
Attorney General Bill Barr announced Johnson 's scheduled execution last month .
A jury convicted Johnson in 1993 in the deaths of seven individuals in 1992 , whom the U.S. Department of Justice said were murdered in connection with a drug trafficking conspiracy involving Johnson .
Newsweek reached @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication .
This story has been updated with additional information and background

Corey Johnson, a federal death row inmate who is scheduled to be executed next month, has tested positive for COVID-19, his legal team said Friday.
Johnson is one of three federal inmates on death row scheduled to be executed before President Donald Trump leaves office on January 20. Dustin Higgs, another federal death row inmate who is scheduled to be executed the day after Johnson, also tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week. Both inmates are based at U.S. Penitentiary Terre Haute in Indiana.
Attorneys Donald Salzman and Ronald Tabak, both of whom represent Johnson, called for the federal government to halt scheduled executions due to virus-related concerns in a statement shared with Newsweek.
Corey Johnson, a federal death row inmate scheduled to be executed on January 14, 2021, has tested positive for COVID-19, his attorneys said Friday. In the photo above, a sign sits at the entrance of the Federal Correctional Complex on July 13, 2020 in Terre Haute, Indiana. Scott Olson/Getty
"Not surprisingly, given the growing outbreak on federal death row, Corey Johnson also has now tested positive for COVID-19," the attorneys' statement said. "The government must stop conducting executions during a COVID-19 outbreak in the facility, and we have called on the Department of Justice to withdraw Mr. Johnson's execution date.
"Mr. Johnson's diagnosis will substantially interfere with his attorneys' ability to have meaningful contact with him during these critical days before his scheduled execution, and the widespread outbreak on the federal death row only confirms the reckless disregard for the lives and safety of staff, prisoners, and attorneys alike. If the government will not withdraw the execution date, we will ask the courts to intervene," the statement said.
News of Johnson's positive COVID-19 test came one day after attorneys for Higgs announced he too tested positive for the virus. Higgs' January 15 execution is scheduled to be the final federal execution to occur during the Trump administration.
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons COVID-19 data tracker, 222 inmates at Terre Haute tested positive for COVID-19 as of Friday, December 18. The federal facility is currently listed as fifth in the country in terms of the size of its COVID-19 outbreak, which Higgs' attorney attributed to recent executions conducted onsite.
In a Thursday statement about Higgs' diagnosis, attorney Shawn Nolan described federal executions as "superspreader" events.
"This is surely the result of the superspreader executions that the government has rushed to undertake in the heart of a global pandemic," Nolan's statement said. "Following the two executions that took place last week and one other two weeks prior, the COVID numbers at the federal prison in Terre Haute spiked enormously."
Attorney General Bill Barr announced Johnson's scheduled execution last month. A jury convicted Johnson in 1993 in the deaths of seven individuals in 1992, whom the U.S. Department of Justice said were murdered in connection with a drug trafficking conspiracy involving Johnson.
Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Department of Justice for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
This story has been updated with additional information and background


newsweek--2020-12-18--Hospital Staff Protest COVID Vaccine Distribution That Prioritizes Administrators Over Frontline Wor

Hospital Staff Protest COVID Vaccine Distribution That Prioritizes Administrators Over Frontline Workers

Hospital staff at Stanford Medical Center ( SMC ) are protesting after initial vaccine distribution plans left out frontline workers in favor of other healthcare officials instead .
On Friday , physicians , nurses and other hospital employees gathered at a large demonstration to protest a management decision that prioritized the immunizations of staff who were n't working directly with COVID-19 patients .
`` Residents and fellows were essentially not included in the first round of vaccines despite working 80+ hours per week in the hospital treating COVID-19 patients , '' Dr. Earth Hasassari , a psychiatric doctor at SMC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had allocated vaccines to some administrators and doctors who are working from home and not in contact with the virus instead of staff who are working on the frontline .
Protesters were seen carrying signs that read `` Front line workers need protection '' and `` Healthcare heroes , back of the line '' both inside and in front of the medical facility , according to the San Fransisco Chronicle .
President and CEO of Stanford Health David Entwhistle addressed the angry crowd , telling them `` We 'll correct it .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Another member of Stanford management , Dr. Larry Katznelson , also told protestors , `` The leadership and department heads are stepping back and making sure that none of us get vaccinated until you get vaccinated . ''
Healthcare workers had previously sent a letter to top hospital officials arguing that only seven residents and fellows were included in SMC 's first round of vaccinations , which consists of 5,000 doses set to be administered beginning Friday .
In the letter , protesters said many of these senior faculty that were included in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working at home since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic `` with no in-person patient responsibilities . ''
`` There is still no articulated plan to vaccinate the remaining 1,300+ residents and fellows , including those on the front line directly treating COVID-19 patients , '' the letter read .
`` It is important for us to articulate to you that at this time , residents are hurt , disappointed , frustrated , angry , and feel a deep sense of distrust towards the hospital administration given the sacrifices we have been making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us . ''
Signors said the error was due to a distribution algorithm created to target older hospital workers first — an error hospital officials learned of on Tuesday , but chose not to revise .
`` Disparities in distribution of the vaccine can be seen at a micro-level at Stanford today .
I worry that the situation we see at Stanford is a harbinger of population-level inequities of vaccine distribution for our underserved communities , '' internal medicine resident Christine Santiago said at the protest , according to the Chronicle .
Christine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also called out SMC over Twitter , writing , `` Stanford you really need to fix this !
Why are you delaying COVID vaccine doses to your front-facing healthcare workers who are risking their lives to save others ? ''
In a statement sent to Newsweek , SMC said , `` We take complete responsibility for the errors in the execution of our vaccine distribution plan .
Our intent was to develop an ethical and equitable process for distribution of the vaccine .
We apologize to our entire community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other frontline care providers , who have performed heroically during our pandemic response .
We are immediately revising our plan to better sequence the distribution of the vaccine . ''
Hospital staff began receiving the first shipment of Pfizer 's COVID-19 vaccine this week .
Frontline healthcare workers have been prioritized due to their proximity to the virus .
Top government officials , including Vice President Mike Pence , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Pelosi also received the first dose of the vaccine on Friday .
President-elect Joe Biden and Vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccinated on Monday .
Update 12/18/20 7:44 p.m ET : This story was updated with comments from SMC .

Hospital staff at Stanford Medical Center (SMC) are protesting after initial vaccine distribution plans left out frontline workers in favor of other healthcare officials instead.
On Friday, physicians, nurses and other hospital employees gathered at a large demonstration to protest a management decision that prioritized the immunizations of staff who weren't working directly with COVID-19 patients.
"Residents and fellows were essentially not included in the first round of vaccines despite working 80+ hours per week in the hospital treating COVID-19 patients," Dr. Earth Hasassari, a psychiatric doctor at SMC, tweeted.
Higher ups at SMC had allocated vaccines to some administrators and doctors who are working from home and not in contact with the virus instead of staff who are working on the frontline.
Protesters were seen carrying signs that read "Front line workers need protection" and "Healthcare heroes, back of the line" both inside and in front of the medical facility, according to the San Fransisco Chronicle.
President and CEO of Stanford Health David Entwhistle addressed the angry crowd, telling them "We'll correct it. We know that it's wrong."
Another member of Stanford management, Dr. Larry Katznelson, also told protestors, "The leadership and department heads are stepping back and making sure that none of us get vaccinated until you get vaccinated."
Frontline health care workers protest vaccination distribution plans at Stanford Medical Center on December 18, 2020. Twitter: @MikeIssac
Healthcare workers had previously sent a letter to top hospital officials arguing that only seven residents and fellows were included in SMC's first round of vaccinations, which consists of 5,000 doses set to be administered beginning Friday.
In the letter, protesters said many of these senior faculty that were included in the first round of immunizations had been working at home since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic "with no in-person patient responsibilities."
"There is still no articulated plan to vaccinate the remaining 1,300+ residents and fellows, including those on the front line directly treating COVID-19 patients," the letter read. "It is important for us to articulate to you that at this time, residents are hurt, disappointed, frustrated, angry, and feel a deep sense of distrust towards the hospital administration given the sacrifices we have been making and the promises that were made to us."
Signors said the error was due to a distribution algorithm created to target older hospital workers first — an error hospital officials learned of on Tuesday, but chose not to revise.
"Disparities in distribution of the vaccine can be seen at a micro-level at Stanford today. I worry that the situation we see at Stanford is a harbinger of population-level inequities of vaccine distribution for our underserved communities," internal medicine resident Christine Santiago said at the protest, according to the Chronicle.
Christine Pelosi, political strategist and daughter of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also called out SMC over Twitter, writing, "Stanford you really need to fix this! Why are you delaying COVID vaccine doses to your front-facing healthcare workers who are risking their lives to save others?"
In a statement sent to Newsweek, SMC said, "We take complete responsibility for the errors in the execution of our vaccine distribution plan. Our intent was to develop an ethical and equitable process for distribution of the vaccine. We apologize to our entire community, including our residents, fellows, and other frontline care providers, who have performed heroically during our pandemic response. We are immediately revising our plan to better sequence the distribution of the vaccine."
Hospital staff began receiving the first shipment of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine this week. Frontline healthcare workers have been prioritized due to their proximity to the virus.
Top government officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Pelosi also received the first dose of the vaccine on Friday.
President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are set to be vaccinated on Monday.
Update 12/18/20 7:44 p.m ET: This story was updated with comments from SMC.


newsweek--2020-12-18--Georgia GOP Offers to Pay for Republicans to Canvass for Senate Runoff

The Georgia Republican Party is offering to pay for the airfare , hotel and other travel expenses for volunteers from other states willing to travel during the holiday season and escalating coronavirus pandemic to knock on potential voters ' doors .
GOP officials from other states have been sharing the word .
`` We are desperately in need of volunteers to knock on doors in Georgia , and connect with as many Georgians as possible if we want to win this election ! ''
reads one plea shared with Newsweek .
`` Republican turn out will be crucial for victory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two Republican incumbents—Sens .
Kelly Loeffler and Doug Perdue—are facing tight battles to defend their seats from high-profile Democratic challengers—the Rev .
Raphael Warnock and former Congressional candidate Jon Ossoff , respectively .
Political analysts have deemed both races as toss-ups after the state voted for President-elect Joe Biden in the presidential election and neither Loeffler or Perdue could muster the votes to fend of a runoff , which is expected to be one of the most expensive in Georgia 's history .
The race has drawn intense national interest as the January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Senate .
A flyer promoting the effort boasts the GOP is plotting `` largest field operation in Georgia history '' for the crucial runoff races .
Both President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden have held rallies in Georgia recently to promote the runoff .
Vice President Mike Pence was there this week , and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will campaign in Georgia next week .
The Georgia Republican Party did n't respond to Newsweek 's multiple requests for comment on the effort and how many people have signed up .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ respond to requests from Newsweek about whether it planned to match the effort or what it thought of the GOP 's plans .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) has discouraged unnecessary travel during the holiday period—particularly from state to state—because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic .
Georgia has been ranked as a high-risk state because of the virus ' spread .
A Georgia GOP flyer promoting the volunteer deployment effort says volunteers must commit to knocking on doors from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Volunteers must commit to at least a specified block of dates to have their expenses covered : today through December 22 , December 26-31 or January 2-6 .
It notes that the Georgia GOP will cover round-trip flights and lodging in the Atlanta area , plus transportation for organizational efforts .
But not everything 's a freebie .
The flyer points out : `` Volunteers will be responsible for their own food , gasoline , Ubers , and any other incurred personal expenses '' and says rental cars wo n't be provided .

The Georgia Republican Party is offering to pay for the airfare, hotel and other travel expenses for volunteers from other states willing to travel during the holiday season and escalating coronavirus pandemic to knock on potential voters' doors.
GOP officials from other states have been sharing the word.
"We are desperately in need of volunteers to knock on doors in Georgia, and connect with as many Georgians as possible if we want to win this election!" reads one plea shared with Newsweek.
"Republican turn out will be crucial for victory," reads another.
Georgia's two Republican incumbents—Sens. Kelly Loeffler and Doug Perdue—are facing tight battles to defend their seats from high-profile Democratic challengers—the Rev. Raphael Warnock and former Congressional candidate Jon Ossoff, respectively.
Political analysts have deemed both races as toss-ups after the state voted for President-elect Joe Biden in the presidential election and neither Loeffler or Perdue could muster the votes to fend of a runoff, which is expected to be one of the most expensive in Georgia's history.
The race has drawn intense national interest as the January 5 runoffs could ultimately decide control of the U.S. Senate.
A flyer promoting the effort boasts the GOP is plotting "largest field operation in Georgia history" for the crucial runoff races.
Both President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden have held rallies in Georgia recently to promote the runoff. Vice President Mike Pence was there this week, and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will campaign in Georgia next week.
The Georgia Republican Party didn't respond to Newsweek's multiple requests for comment on the effort and how many people have signed up.
The Georgia Democratic Party also didn't respond to requests from Newsweek about whether it planned to match the effort or what it thought of the GOP's plans.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has discouraged unnecessary travel during the holiday period—particularly from state to state—because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Georgia has been ranked as a high-risk state because of the virus' spread.
A Georgia GOP flyer promoting the volunteer deployment effort says volunteers must commit to knocking on doors from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 7 p.m. on Sundays. Volunteers must commit to at least a specified block of dates to have their expenses covered: today through December 22, December 26-31 or January 2-6.
It notes that the Georgia GOP will cover round-trip flights and lodging in the Atlanta area, plus transportation for organizational efforts.
But not everything's a freebie. The flyer points out: "Volunteers will be responsible for their own food, gasoline, Ubers, and any other incurred personal expenses" and says rental cars won't be provided.


newsweek--2020-12-18--Texas Baptist Minister, a Lifelong Republican, Loses License After Endorsing Biden

A Southern Baptist minister was told his license to the gospel ministry would `` not be renewed '' at a Texas church following a Facebook post endorsing Joe Biden for president in September , according to the Baptist Standard .
David Bumgardner , a 21-year-old Fort Worth student at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary 's Scarborough College , completed a year-long pastoral internship at Faith Memorial Baptist Church in Archer City , Texas .
The congregation , which is aligned with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention , licensed Bumgardner to the gospel ministry on July 19 , a private agreement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Avery Sprey .
Sprey and Bumgardner came to the agreement that the license was conditional and had an `` expiration date , '' which noted the church or pastor had a right to either renew or let it expire at the end of the year , according to the Baptist Standard .
The young minister 's divisive social media presence , which included sharp criticism of President Donald Trump and his administration despite being a Republican , was already a source of concern for the pastor .
However , it reached a tipping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ farewell sermon on September 6 after completing his internship , Bumgardner posted a brief essay on his Facebook page endorsing Biden , calling him the `` true 'Christian option ' in this election . ''
`` I believe Donald Trump is a threat to the flourishing of my neighbors .
I believe he is a threat to National Security .
I believe he is a threat to national unity , '' Bumgardner wrote in the since-deleted post .
`` I am voting for Joe Biden to get the most egotistical , hypocritical , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ever hold presidential office out of the Oval ( Office ) , '' he continued .
`` I am voting for Joe Biden because he will bring back decency to the White House . ''
Bumgardner went on to acknowledge that he is a `` lifelong conservative '' and that he has n't abandoned his Republican values and evangelical and Baptist faith by endorsing Biden over Trump .
`` I am voting for Joe Biden because the GOP—my party !
—no longer has any moral courage , '' he wrote .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a shock to many of you ( and a year ago , I never would have thought that I 'd be voting for a Democrat ) .
As I said , in the coming days I will be happy to give you a biblical , theological , and moral case for my change of heart . ''
Bumgardner received a string of angry criticism over the post , with comments accusing him of `` supporting murderers '' and not being a `` biblical Christian . ''
A far-right religious website , Reformation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bumgardner 's post , calling the young minister and those who share his views `` foolish '' and claiming he has `` no business preaching or leading a church . ''
`` I was flooded with notifications and messages , '' Bumgardner told the Baptist Standard in September .
`` I was called a baby-killer , cop-killer , race-baiter , unqualified minister , pedophile and fake Christian , despite the fact that my classical , conservative , orthodox and evangelical theological convictions have not changed . ''
A few days after posting his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he nor the church would be renewing his license .
Shortly afterward , Bumgardner decided to give up the license altogether instead of taking action against the church .
`` I could n't care less about his political views , '' Sprey told the Baptist Standard .
`` My concern is that his social media posts cause discord among brothers and do not promote gospel unity . ''
Sprey declined to comment when contacted by Newsweek , noting that the parties involved have privately reconciled on the matter .
Gary Ledbetter , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Texas Convention , told Newsweek that a ministry license is traditionally given when the church has had the opportunity to observe the person and agrees that he or she has been called to preach .
`` In the case of licensing , it 's kind of a stair step .
Licensing means we agree that you 've been called to the ministries .
Ordination means we 've had a chance to observe you doing ministry and are confident in your competence as well as your commitment , '' Ledbetter said .
`` So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evaluation . ''
Ledbetter said that , in his observation , an agreement in which the license could either expire or be renewed was unusual in the traditional process .
However , he noted that although the license is usually a one-time thing , the church has the right to revoke it if it decides the person is `` not fit for ministry . ''
Bumgardner told the Baptist Standard that he believes the outcome would 've been different had he endorsed Trump .
`` Had I endorsed Donald Trump or kept my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I would still be a licensed Christian minister on the pathway to formal ordination , '' he said .
Towards the end of October , just weeks after losing his license at Faith Memorial Baptist , Bumgardner was invited to give a `` trial sermon '' at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington , Texas , according to The Dallas Morning News .
The church unanimously voted to license him to the gospel ministry following his sermon .
Bumgardner told the newspaper he believes his Biden endorsement was a mistake after the dramatic series @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But he said that faith leaders should have the right to criticize politicians from either political party .
`` I made a mistake with that Biden endorsement , '' Bumgardner told the Morning News .
`` I genuinely feel like it was a mistake , but what 's done is done .
I did what I thought at the time was the right thing to do , and I was willing to stand by my principles . ''
`` Where 's the line between ministers having obligations to his flock and your obligation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broader culture and political milieu that are important and that needs to be addressed ?
Where 's that line ? ''
he asked .
Bumgardner later added , `` Man , I do n't know where that line is .
I 'm still trying to figure that out . ''
Newsweek reached out to Bumgardner for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication .

A Southern Baptist minister was told his license to the gospel ministry would "not be renewed" at a Texas church following a Facebook post endorsing Joe Biden for president in September, according to the Baptist Standard.
David Bumgardner, a 21-year-old Fort Worth student at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary's Scarborough College, completed a year-long pastoral internship at Faith Memorial Baptist Church in Archer City, Texas. The congregation, which is aligned with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, licensed Bumgardner to the gospel ministry on July 19, a private agreement between himself and the church pastor, Avery Sprey.
Sprey and Bumgardner came to the agreement that the license was conditional and had an "expiration date," which noted the church or pastor had a right to either renew or let it expire at the end of the year, according to the Baptist Standard.
The young minister's divisive social media presence, which included sharp criticism of President Donald Trump and his administration despite being a Republican, was already a source of concern for the pastor. However, it reached a tipping point when, three days after his farewell sermon on September 6 after completing his internship, Bumgardner posted a brief essay on his Facebook page endorsing Biden, calling him the "true 'Christian option' in this election."
"I believe Donald Trump is a threat to the flourishing of my neighbors. I believe he is a threat to National Security. I believe he is a threat to national unity," Bumgardner wrote in the since-deleted post.
"I am voting for Joe Biden to get the most egotistical, hypocritical, divisive, deranged, and dangerous man to ever hold presidential office out of the Oval (Office)," he continued. "I am voting for Joe Biden because he will bring back decency to the White House."
Bumgardner went on to acknowledge that he is a "lifelong conservative" and that he hasn't abandoned his Republican values and evangelical and Baptist faith by endorsing Biden over Trump.
"I am voting for Joe Biden because the GOP—my party!—no longer has any moral courage," he wrote.
He later added, "I know this is a shock to many of you (and a year ago, I never would have thought that I'd be voting for a Democrat). As I said, in the coming days I will be happy to give you a biblical, theological, and moral case for my change of heart."
Bumgardner received a string of angry criticism over the post, with comments accusing him of "supporting murderers" and not being a "biblical Christian."
A far-right religious website, Reformation Charlotte, published a scathing report on Bumgardner's post, calling the young minister and those who share his views "foolish" and claiming he has "no business preaching or leading a church."
"I was flooded with notifications and messages," Bumgardner told the Baptist Standard in September. "I was called a baby-killer, cop-killer, race-baiter, unqualified minister, pedophile and fake Christian, despite the fact that my classical, conservative, orthodox and evangelical theological convictions have not changed."
"I Voted" stickers and other forms line a table at a ballot drop-off location in Austin, Texas, on October 13. Sergio Flores/Getty
A few days after posting his endorsement, Sprey informed Bumgardner that neither he nor the church would be renewing his license. Shortly afterward, Bumgardner decided to give up the license altogether instead of taking action against the church.
"I couldn't care less about his political views," Sprey told the Baptist Standard. "My concern is that his social media posts cause discord among brothers and do not promote gospel unity."
Sprey declined to comment when contacted by Newsweek, noting that the parties involved have privately reconciled on the matter.
Gary Ledbetter, the communications director for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, told Newsweek that a ministry license is traditionally given when the church has had the opportunity to observe the person and agrees that he or she has been called to preach.
"In the case of licensing, it's kind of a stair step. Licensing means we agree that you've been called to the ministries. Ordination means we've had a chance to observe you doing ministry and are confident in your competence as well as your commitment," Ledbetter said. "So it is conditional on the church's evaluation."
Ledbetter said that, in his observation, an agreement in which the license could either expire or be renewed was unusual in the traditional process. However, he noted that although the license is usually a one-time thing, the church has the right to revoke it if it decides the person is "not fit for ministry."
Bumgardner told the Baptist Standard that he believes the outcome would've been different had he endorsed Trump.
"Had I endorsed Donald Trump or kept my views to myself, I am sure I would still be a licensed Christian minister on the pathway to formal ordination," he said.
Towards the end of October, just weeks after losing his license at Faith Memorial Baptist, Bumgardner was invited to give a "trial sermon" at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, according to The Dallas Morning News. The church unanimously voted to license him to the gospel ministry following his sermon.
Bumgardner told the newspaper he believes his Biden endorsement was a mistake after the dramatic series of events that unfolded in September. But he said that faith leaders should have the right to criticize politicians from either political party.
"I made a mistake with that Biden endorsement," Bumgardner told the Morning News. "I genuinely feel like it was a mistake, but what's done is done. I did what I thought at the time was the right thing to do, and I was willing to stand by my principles."
"Where's the line between ministers having obligations to his flock and your obligation to address things going on in the broader culture and political milieu that are important and that needs to be addressed? Where's that line?" he asked.
Bumgardner later added, "Man, I don't know where that line is. I'm still trying to figure that out."
Newsweek reached out to Bumgardner for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.