Self-described Christian nationalist pastor Douglas Wilson is part of an ascendent group of Christian religious leaders finding influence among MAGA conservatives. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is Wilson’s most prominent and public follower in the Trump administration.

Moscow

Doug Wilson, senior pastor of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, is gaining national attention for his outspoken Christian nationalist beliefs. Wilson openly advocates for a society governed by Christian principles, expressing a desire for towns, states, and nations to become explicitly Christian. His church has expanded its reach, including opening a new location in Washington, D.C., and attracting high-profile parishioners like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Wilson's movement emphasizes a patriarchal social structure, with women expected to submit to their husbands and discouraged from holding leadership roles or voting independently. He has also made controversial statements about race and same-sex marriage, supporting the repeal of the 19th Amendment and opposing LGBTQ+ rights. Despite criticism, Wilson maintains his goal is to promote his faith peacefully and rejects labels such as racist or misogynist.

Christian nationalist pastor with ties to Pete Hegseth

Christ Church Senior Pastor Doug Wilson makes no apologies for his beliefs on God and country. I'd like to see the town be a Christian town. I'd like to see the state be a Christian state. I'd like to see the nation be a Christian nation. I'd like to see the world be a Christian world. And now Wilson's controversial views as a Christian nationalist are gaining sway in the nation's center of power with the recent opening of his new church and high-profile parishioners like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Is planting a church in D.C. part of your mission to try to turn this into a Christian nation? Yes. So every society is theocratic. The only question is who's Theo? In a secular democracy, it would be Deimos, the people. In a Christian republic, it'd be Christ. Well, what would you say to someone watching this and say, look, I'm a Muslim. Who are you to say your worldview is better than mine, that your God is better than mine? Well, if I went to Saudi Arabia, I would fully expect to live under their God's rules. But you said earlier that you want this to be a Christian world. Yes. So you want to supplant their religion with your Christian. Yes, by peaceful means, by sharing the gospel. There's a lot of work yet to do. I believe that we are working our little corner of the vineyard. Wilson's little corner, a picturesque campus nestled on the outskirts of downtown Moscow, Idaho, is growing by the day with thousands of like-minded Christians. Parishioners of his church, known as Kirkers, own and operate several businesses downtown, next to liberal college town stores. If it's true, if it's true. Why did he yell boo? Because of you. There you go. That's a regular day for you. That's not unusual. A big focus of his Christian movement is on a patriarchal society where men are dominant and women are expected to submit to their husbands. Women are the kind of people that people come out of. So you just think they're meant to have babies. That's it. They're just a vessel. No, it doesn't take any talent to simply reproduce biologically. The wife and mother, who is the chief executive of the home, is entrusted with three or four or five eternal souls. I'm here as a working journalist, and I'm a mom of three. Good for you. Is that an issue for you? No, it's not automatically an issue. Josh and Amy Prince, along with their four kids, moved here from Washington state. Do you see Amy as your equal? Yes and no. In the sense that we're both saved by grace, we're absolutely on equal footing. But we have very different purposes, God-given. But do you see yourself as the head of the household, as the man? He is the head of our household, yes, and I do submit to him. So moving here was ultimately your decision? Yes. That's a great example. That's a great example. Wilson says in his vision of a Christian society, women as individuals shouldn't be able to vote. His fellow pastors, Jared Longshore and Toby Sumter, agree. In my ideal society, we would vote as households. And I would ordinarily be the one that would cast the vote, but I would cast the vote having discussed it with my household. But what if your wife doesn't want to vote for the same person as you? Right. Well, then that's a great opportunity for a good discussion. There are some who have gone so far as to say that they want the 19th Amendment repealed. I would support that. And I'd support it on the basis that the atomization that comes with our current system is not good for humans. And Wilson, a veteran himself, is unapologetic about his view that women shouldn't be in certain leadership or combat roles. Looking at the leadership page for Christ Church, it's all men. Do you accept women in leadership roles in the church and in government? In the church, no. Why? Because the Bible says not to. Well, that's not what happens in the Bible. Women do lead all the time. Progressive faith leader Reverend Jennifer Butler is concerned about Wilson's growing influence. He is rapidly gaining in power. He has hundreds of churches established around the country. They actually literally want to take over towns and cities. And they have access to this administration. Wilson is part of a broader Christian nationalist movement making inroads with the Trump administration. With a newly created faith office led by evangelical pastor Paula White Cain and people seen right outside the White House entrance praying and speaking in tongues. We are standing on the soil of the White House and we are declaring your word. How precious. And now there's a monthly prayer service at the Pentagon initiated by Hexeth, Wilson's highest level connection to the administration. It's not organizationally tied to us, but it's the kind of thing we love to see. For his part, Hexeth has publicly praised Wilson. Now we're standing on the shoulders of a generation later, the Doug Wilsons and the others. Wilson's influence spans the globe with more than 150 churches. Lennox Califungua moved to Moscow from Africa. It's really because I wanted to be a part of a community that was doing something and especially in building Christian institutions. Are there other black families in this community? Oh, absolutely. There's a few black families. Wilson maintains all are welcome to his church, but he's also not shying away from his past controversial statements on race. Do you still believe what you said back in the 90s, that there's a mutual affection between master and slave? Yes, it depends on which master and which slave you're talking about. Slavery was overseen and conducted by fallen human beings and there were horrendous abuses and there were also people who owned slaves who were decent human beings and didn't mistreat them. I think that system of chattel slavery was an unbiblical system and I'm grateful it's gone. What he also wants gone? Same-sex marriage, because he thinks homosexuality is a crime. In the late 70s and early 80s, sodomy was a felony in all 50 states. That America of that day was not a totalitarian hellhole. So you would like America to go back to that? Yep. Wilson maintains his ultimate goal is to bring about the second coming of Christ through his work and rejects critics' claims he's trying to make the dystopian world of The Handmaid's Tale a reality. I'm not a white nationalist. I'm not a fascist. I'm not a racist. I'm not a misogynist. How far off do you see a Christian nation, like a full-on Christian theocracy? Oh, 250 years. 250 years. Yeah, honestly, that's, yes. That's what you see, but you do think it will happen? Yes, I do. We're not going to usher in anything ourselves. We're really genuinely pioneers.

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