Christian Right Observer Weekly (Volume 15)
CROW's 7 stories on the Christian Right that you need read this week.
1. New Coalition (the “Remnant Alliance”) Turbocharges the Christian Extremist Assault on Texas Public Schools
Christian extremist leaders have formed a massive new coalition to continue their crusade against supposedly “woke” Texas public school boards, according to a new report by journalist Steven Monacelli of the Texas Observer. The coalition is called the “Remnant Alliance.”
Below, we provide some additional background to supplement Monacelli’s excellent article.
The Christian extremist crusade against Texas public schools seems to have begun in earnest around the time that the Carroll Independent School District (a k-12 district that covers most of Southlake, Texas) released a proposed diversity education plan in late July 2020. The district had created the plan in response to two highly publicized incidents (in 2018 and 2019) where high school students in the district had posted videos of themselves using the N-word.
Critics of the plan misbranded it as “Critical Race Theory” as early as September 2020. Those critics included the “Southlake Families PAC,” which was founded by Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare who serves as a deacon at First Baptist Grapevine Church.
The following year, O’Hare’s pastor, Doug Page, promoted candidates for the district’s school board race, as he revealed in a video clip found by ProPublica.
Seven Mountain dominionist David Barton later said in a video clip (found and posted by @cjtackett on X) that “51 churches [had] got together” and recruited candidates for Southlake’s school board race and “all 51 churches put up a slide on their projector” highlighting the recruits who then won their races. (For those who have never heard of Seven Mountain dominionism, Jenny explains it here.)
Seven Mountain dominionist Rafael Cruz, father of Texas Senator Ted Cruz, also bragged in a video clip (found and posted by @cjtackett) about the successful targeting of Southlake’s school board. In the video, he said that he had teamed up with Tim O’Hare and Patriot Mobile (a Christian cell phone company) to promote their desired candidates during the campaign.
Christian extremists have enjoyed similar school board victories in Houston and Cy-Fair, as explained on video by Rick Scarborough, a self-described “Christocrat” who has spoken on a panel with Rafael Cruz and Doug Page (Tim O’Hare’s pastor).
The new “Remnant Alliance” seeks to build on these school board successes. Per Monacelli’s report, the alliance includes both Scarborough and Rick Green who started his own organization, “Patriot Academy”, with seed money from David Barton.
The alliance also includes Paul Blair (of Liberty Pastors), Charlie Kirk (of Turning Point USA), Brigitte Gabriel (of ACT for America), Dan Reese (of Salt and Light Council), Mat Stayer (of Liberty Council), and Mike Lindell (of MyPillow and All Pro Pastors), again per Monacelli’s report.
In addition, several Remnant Alliance organizations have partnered with Patriot Mobile, the Christian cell phone company that previously teamed up with Rafael Cruz in Southlake.
Mike Hixenbaugh, who has followed the situation in Southlake for years, reported earlier this week that the federal government has recently substantiated complaints against the district involving racist and anti-LGBTQ discrimination.
2. Recently Founded “Center for Baptist Leadership” Thumbs its Nose at Victims of Sex Abuse in the SBC
The recently founded Center for Baptist Leadership (CBL) seeks to push the already conservative Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), a massive Republican voting bloc, even further to the right, as we reported a few weeks ago. (See Brief #2.) The CBL initially caught our attention due to its founder, Trump/Heritage alum William Wolfe, a self-professed “Christian Nationalist” with ties to Project 2025 leader Russ Vought and to “biblical patriarchy” proponent Doug Wilson. In addition to equating abortion with homicide, Wolfe advocates reducing access to contraception and the excommunication of SBC churches with female pastors.
Wolfe has recently outdone himself, however, by declaring on social media that, “The SBC does not have an abuse crisis.” His remarks are a slap in the face to the more than 700 people who claim to have suffered sex abuse at the hands of SBC leaders.
The catalyst for the investigation that uncovered these victims was an earlier report by journalist Robert Downen. According to that report, at least six men had accused former SBC Vice President Paul Pressler of sexually abusing them. Two of the men were minors when the alleged abuse occurred.
Before these revelations came to light, Pressler was revered in the SBC. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary had even installed a giant stained glass window featuring Pressler’s image.
Pressler’s extreme celebrity stemmed largely from his work leading the fundamentalist takeover of the SBC in the 1980s. The takeover is often called the “Conservative Resurgence.”
Wolfe hopes to preserve the fruits of Pressler’s Conservative Resurgence by fighting off a supposed “liberal resurgence,” which he claims is threatening the SBC. At the same time, he conveniently denies the existence of the SBC sex abuse crisis in which Pressler is effectively “ground zero.”
Meanwhile, Wolfe’s Center for Baptist Leadership has expressed gratitude in a tweet for the Conservative Baptist Network, which “spent many years … in the trenches working against the [supposed] Liberal Resurgence in the SBC” (according to the tweet).
The Conservative Baptist Network was co-founded by Rod Martin, an investor and longtime close friend and protege of Pressler. Despite the sex abuse claims against Pressler, Martin’s website still features Pressler’s glowing endorsement.
(If Martin sounds familiar, it may be due to his prior work as senior advisor to PayPal founder Peter Thiel, a major Republican donor.)
Martin is also an apparent ally of Wolfe whose nonprofit advisory board includes Tom Ascol, the Conservative Baptist Network’s 2022 nominee for SBC president.
Martin kickstarted the Conservative Baptist Network in 2020 with help from Paige Patterson, a former president of the Southwestern Theological Seminary (SWTS) and co-architect (with Pressler) of the Conservative Resurgence. Like Pressler, Patterson had been honored with a stained glass window at the SWTS.
By the time Martin started the Conservative Baptist Network, however, the SWBTS had already fired Patterson following an internal investigation, which found that he had “lied … about a rape allegation that came before him at another seminary, withheld documents from his previous presidency, and referenced attempting to ‘break down’ the victim of a more recent rape incident,” as reported by Christianity Today.
All three of these men–Martin, Pressler, and Patterson–are closely connected to the Council for National Policy, a powerful umbrella organization for the Christian Right and wealthy investors. Pressler is a former CNP president, while Patterson is a former member of the CNP’s Board of Governors. The CNP’s 2020 directory lists Martin as a member of the CNP’s “Gold Circle.”
Martin is also connected to Jared Woodfill, Pressler’s alleged “supplier”, through “Every Legal Vote”, a website that helped fuel the so-called “Stop the Steal” campaign in 2020, as Jenny reported for the Beacon. The website was launched by United in Purpose, which organized a club for wealthy donors called the Ziklag Group (to which Martin belonged). The website was maintained by the Liberty Center for God and Country where Woodfill was a director. Martin promoted the website on Twitter.
As for Wolfe, he has apparently decided that fear-mongering about supposed “liberal drift” (CRT, the “LGBTQ+ agenda,” “grooming,” “wokeism”, etc.) will do more to propel his quest for power than acknowledging the sex abuse crisis spawned by Pressler and other conservative former leaders in the SBC.
It’s almost as if he’s working for Rod Martin who has used the same strategy for years.
3. New Report Details Anti-Democrat Activities of Right Wing Billionaires
In 2024, a handful of very wealthy right wing men—Leonard Leo, Dick Uihlein, Charles Koch, & Jeff Yass—will target state judicial elections in an effort to “make their personal agendas into binding law, according to a new report by Lisa Graves of True North Research. This report also “documents how Leo used the Federalist Society to target state supreme courts and the judicial selection process in order to advance his agenda, and more.” We highly recommend reading this important and detailed analysis. (Link to tweet.)
4. Michigan Momentum Collaborative: Wallnau's Apostolic Battle for the Great Lakes State
"There's at least 50 churches that I'm in communication with that all want rallies & meetings. They're calling it the Michigan Moment” - New Apostolic Reformation Apostle Lance Wallnau in December 2023 on Flashpoint
And Wallnau was not exaggerating. That month he had been in Michigan where 50 plus pastors laid hands on him and said:
“Within Michigan, the Lord says ‘I have claimed this state as mine. This is the time & season where I will move forward & advance’…We stand & say to you, Lance, 'Michigan is ready.' These great leaders that have surrounded you...We declare that Michigan is the Lord’s."
The great leader praying over Wallnau was in fact Chuck Pierce commissioned NAR Prophet Cindy Williams Moore. Moore continued her prayer, which took place during Wallnau's Apostolic Hub training:
"We declare that we stand together...Overtake this state, God. Overtake it. Lord bring those who are in the mountains. Who is influencing. We call you into position"
This was not the first time Wallnau visited Michigan in preparation for his May 2024 Courage Tour stop. He had been there strategically two months prior where he prophesied over former Michigan GOP Chairperson Kristina Karamo at I Am Church:
"Now the army is moving & it's beginning to surround you. We pray for this woman of God that you will grant to her extraordinary favor, influence & financial backing."
And Wallnau's Michigan church army began its movement soon after Wallnau left with their Micro Church is Invading America gathering and an event featuring Christian Rosas, the Peru founder of Don't Mess with Our Kids, to coordinate their Call to the Capitol event.
However, the army's most important move was the creation of the Michigan Moment Collaborative nonprofit with the mission statement of: Discipling Michigan by mobilizing the Ekklesia in the 7 Domains of culture. But who is leading the charge?
Enter MMC principals pictured with Lance Wallnau (Eric Moore, Gordon Pennington and Justin Ford), along with Rick Warzywak, Transformation Michigan, and Apostle Barbara Yoder, senior leader of Shekinah Church at the Courage Tour pre-event for pastors and business leaders (hosted by Dr. Bill Bolin and Floodgate Church).
Pennington has a long history with Wallnau pictured with Rosas here.
And here they are presenting together for KBABIZ in 2013. Ford has been on Wallnau's show in the past.
Apostle Bolin has hosted Wallnau at his Floodgate church before and will welcome him again for their remnant Michigan Courage Tour stop from May 19-21. New speakers for this stop include David Barton and Lou Engle.
5. AFPI's General Wallnau & His Courage Tour Church Army
America First Policy Institute's Operation Project 19 has launched with General Lance Wallnau leading a church remnant across seven “Gettysburg” states to invade the presidential voting booths.
“It's time to join General Lance Wallnau in this great army to take back America!” - New Apostolic Reformation Movement Apostle Mario Bramnick at the Arizona Courage Tour
Bramnick further exhorted the 1,000 plus Phoenix remnant:
“Is there an army here that can declare with me? For the Lord is good.
It is time for the spirit of confusion to hit the enemy's camp. Holy Spirit, today we come as a mighty army and declare your goodness in the land of the living. Can I hear a roar?
If God is for us, who can be against us?
And I Decree and Declare that America shall see the greatest Revival and Reformation that we've ever seen before. Davids, arise and recover.”
New Apostolic Reformation Apostle Wallnau echoed Bramnick's rhetoric.
“I feel as though we are headed into a period. The Lord is going to tell us RISE UP and recover all. I think America is being primed to be traumatized into an awakening. We're headed into the moment of ultimate Ziklag crisis. God's going to cause you to become the company that rises up and recovers.”
Bramnick notedly said this:
“David's own people wanted to kill him. Don't expect everyone around you to understand. That's why these remnant meetings are so important that we encourage one another. Doesn't matter who in your family understands and is wuth you as long as there is a remnant of 300 that are going to arise.”
And Wallnau's and Bramnick's remnant meetings went beyond the Arizona Courage Tour Crusades tent. In fact, they traveled strategically to one specific church: Vida Church. There Wallnau shared with congregants specific precinct data showing that they would be key to swing the election:
“If you care about your family and the future you need to get involved with the spiritual warfare over the United States. Satan wants to take this country down fast. We are an impediment to his Global agenda.”
Wallnau then armed them with his As One America app which has the location and phone numbers of neighbors who might be a Christian and not registered to vote.
When Wallnau left his Arizona church remnant for another City, Vida Church Pastor Ben Diaz assumed Wallnau's role in his next sermon preparing his flock on the Armor of God:
“l'm just telling you our fight is not against people, but those people are really evil. They're demon-possessed. There’s evil spirits behind him. There’s people, there's politicians. I know you're thinking about it so i'm just going to tell you. It's the truth demon-possessed people in the White House.”
Diaz had also joined Wallnau on stage for the Courage Tour where Wallnau said something interesting to his church army:
“I feel like we're headed toward a tipping point. If they follow through on the third conviction of Trump and lock him up that might be the fuse that lights the powder keg.”
Read more about Wallnau's Courage Tour election quest with a new groundbreaking article by NAR expert Fred Clarkson.
6. A Push to Take the Catholic Church Back in Time and Eschew Modernity
The Catholic Church, not necessarily associated with the growing MAGA Christian Nationalist movement, may be lurching in that direction. The Associated Press’ recent article “'A step back in time': America's Catholic Church sees an immense shift toward the old ways” explores a movement by conservative “traditional” Catholic priests to reject the modernity of Vatican II, expressed by Pope Francis, in favor of a more rigid, orthodox Church.
But, as the article notes, “In churches from Minnesota to California, parishioners have protested changes introduced by new conservative priests.”
This runs the risk of fracturing the church and making it smaller, but more militant in its conservative orthodoxy – and politics. If conservative priests are successful in this transformation, and intentional or not the weeding out of its more liberal congregants, the Catholic Church could be led by this wing of its followers:
“There’s the Catholic news outlet railing against the Vatican’s “wicked entourage,” and the small-town Wisconsin priest who traces COVID-19 to a century-old prophecy and warns of looming dictatorship. There’s the recent “Catholic Prayer for Trump,” a $1,000-a-plate dinner at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago resort, featuring a string of conspiracy theorists.”
7. Support an Independent Journalist’s Important Work in the Christofascism Beat
Kate Burns, who as produced great reporting at Left Coast Right Watch, is raising funds “to cover an out of state trip for a Christian Nationalist's rally in DC in October.”
According to her GoFundMe page:
“The funds raised will be used for the following
+ On the ground safety gear, my post cancer body needs all the protection it can get
+ Flights and travel to DC in October to cover a large christian nationalist rally the week before the election.
+ Help with rent, between health insurance, ongoing medical needs and basic living needs, I'm currently two months behind on rent and keeping a roof over my head will allow me to continue my focus on the rise of christian nationalism in California and across the nation.”
Here are a few of her most recent articles:
GEN Z FOR STRAIGHT JESUS: THE CHRISTIAN NATIONALIST RECRUITERS OF “CA WILL BE SAVED”
FEUCHT’S KINGDOM: HOW A SINGING HATE-PREACHER WANTS TO PUSH CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM ON AMERICA
Support Independent Media and Journalists!