From Church Doubts to Therapy Wins: Carly Pearce's Faith Evolution

Carly Pearce didn’t leave her faith behind when she made it big in country music. What she did leave behind was the rigid certainty that came with it.

Speaking at her fifth annual Carly’s Closet event ahead of her CMA Fest performance on Saturday, June 7, the 36-year-old Grammy Award winner opened up about how her relationship with God has deepened and shifted over time. Growing up in the church gave her a foundation, sure—but it also gave her a set of inherited beliefs she’s since outgrown.“My relationship with God has grown so much deeper and richer than just some of the beliefs that I learned as a kid,”she told Us Weekly. The real transformation? Less judgment, more acceptance.“As I’ve grown closer to God, I think there’s just been a lot less judgment and a lot more boldness, if you will, for me to just be very accepting of anybody going through a journey, because who am I to tell you anything?”

That shift matters, especially for someone in the spotlight. Pearce has built a reputation on vulnerability—talking openly about living with“crippling”obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety for most of her life. She credits therapy and her faith as anchors in an industry that rewards perfection and image management.“I am who I am, and I think when you’re in the public eye, it can be easy to kind of do this and want to maybe do what other people are doing because it’s the flavor of the moment,”she explained. But she’s chosen a different path: staying grounded in herself rather than chasing trends.

For Pearce, faith and family sit at the center of everything—and that consistency is something people who’ve known her whole life can attest to. She’s learned to embrace her imperfections, even her weirdness.“I am very odd, and I love that. I think life is too short to try to live in a pursuit of perfection because it’s never going to happen.”That philosophy seems to extend to her closest relationships too. Her friendship with fellow country singer Kelsea Ballerini, which began when Ballerini was barely 19 and Pearce was 22, has become a source of real strength.“We have had hard conversations, we have cried to each other, we have been there in the hardest moments,”she said. Ballerini returned the sentiment:“I’m ride or die for her, for sure. Carly and I are sweatpants friends, like, we kick it, you know.”

What makes Pearce’s openness worth paying attention to is that she’s not just processing her own journey—she’s making space for others to do the same.“When you’re vulnerable with people and you’re just honest, people want to share,”she reflected. In a world that pressures us to have it all figured out, that’s quietly radical. Her willingness to speak about mental health, faith evolution, and imperfection gives permission to those listening to stop pretending too.