The Freedom From Religion Foundation is raising the alarm over the deepening influence of Christian nationalist pastor Douglas Wilson at the highest levels of American political power.
A new church affiliated with Wilson’s extremist Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC) has recently opened its doors just blocks from the U.S. Capitol. The building is owned by the Conservative Partnership Institute, a right-wing organization co-led by Mark Meadows, Trump’s former chief of staff. Attending the inaugural service was Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Soon after, Hegseth tweeted “All of Christ for All of Life” — the official motto of Wilson’s movement — in response to a CNN segment titled, “Doug Wilson’s Crusade for Christian Domination in the Age of Trump.”
“This is not a fringe movement anymore,” warns FFRF Co-President Dan Barker. “This is part of a well-funded scheme to turn our secular nation into a theocracy — and it’s more than concerning to see Wilson gain traction at the heart of the U.S. government.”
A self-described theocrat, Wilson has called for the repeal of women’s right to vote, the criminalization of homosexuality and the subjugation of women. His churches and affiliated schools forbid women from voting in church decisions, promote rigid patriarchy and teach a revisionist version of history that excuses and minimizes the horrors of slavery. For decades, this patriarch operated from the margins in Moscow, Idaho, but now he is extending his reach to D.C.
In a blog post announcing the church plant, titled “A Mission to Babylon,” Wilson explained the reasoning and timing behind his decision to open a church in the nation’s capital: “We believe that there will be many strategic opportunities with numerous evangelicals who will be present both in and around the Trump administration.” Wilson refers to D.C. as “Babylon,” a depraved city in the bible, in the post. Wilson’s timing is concerning, as President Trump initiates a federal takeover of the nation’s capital by exaggerating D.C. crime and other problems.
Wilson’s growing influence is reflected in Hegseth’s monthly Pentagon prayer services, the first of which was led by the pastor from Hegseth’s CREC-affiliated church. In a statement to CNN, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said: “The secretary is a proud member of a church affiliated with the Congregation of Reformed Evangelical Churches, which was founded by Pastor Doug Wilson. The secretary very much appreciates many of Mr. Wilson’s writings and teachings.”
Wilson’s church has already benefited from political allies. In May, the Department of Justice intervened on behalf of Wilson’s church in Troy, Idaho, suing the town after it denied a zoning application due to traffic concerns.
Wilson’s ultimate goal is “achieving a Christian theocracy across the globe, to facilitate the second coming of Christ.” It’s a goal he ludicrously believes is 250 or so years away, which involves ushering in the “second coming of Christ.”
“Contrary to Wilson’s propaganda, the United States is not a Christian nation. It’s a secular democracy where religion may not dictate law or policy,” adds Barker. “Yet Wilson’s ideology is finding a foothold at the highest levels of government. That isn’t religious freedom — it’s religious takeover.”
Wilson’s power grab makes it all the more important to hold public officials accountable when they promote sectarian religious ideologies at the expense of the Constitution. The creeping normalization of Christian nationalism poses a direct threat to democracy, pluralism and freedom of conscience.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
