From warrior to missionary

How God changed my posture towards Christian Nationalists

2020 was the worst year of my life. 

As a pastor of a 47-year-old evangelical Bible church in North Phoenix, I was tasked with leading our congregation through a global pandemic, civic unrest related to the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, and the most contentious presidential election in generations. 

As the new year began, I learned of multiple evangelical groups gathering in Washington, DC, for prayer marches and public protests. Some people I pastored at the time attended some of these gatherings. 

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On January 6th, 2021, I watched as a mob stormed the capitol building, many singing worship songs, praying in Jesus' name, and carrying posters of Bible verses and Christian iconography. 

Many of these folks said they were there to "take the country back for God.". 

This season, I heard the term Christian Nationalism used to describe a movement that I had seen rising since 2016. 

A few months later, about a dozen folks I shepherded told me that a revival was happening in our city. They shared that thousands of people were gathering each month for Freedom Night at a local megachurch. 

It was strange to me that they used the word revival when the advertisements looked like a political rally. I decided to attend since so many of the folks I shepherded were interested in it.

What I saw terrified me. This politically charged event featured multiple worship songs, an offering, an invitation to follow Jesus, and a version of the sinner's prayer. People waving their hands in the air all around me, shouting Amen and Hallelujah.

This was no political rally. This was a religious experience—a revival.

While most of this event felt familiar (much like the church I serve), something was off. There seemed to be something other than Jesus-centered worship at the heart of this gathering. 

My concerns were realized when Charlie Kirk, the 20-something founder of Turning Point USA, took to the podium. Since he is a very public political pundit, I expected him to say something like, "Thanks, everyone, for having me; I'd like to share some of my political positions with you." 

Instead, he thundered, "The word of God says…" and then proceeded to preach from holy Scripture, injecting frequent statements propagating the use of force to take government power to protect America from the 'godless left,' the evil LGBTQIA' that want to groom and 'mutilate your kids,' and the 'mob of illegals' that were invading our country. 

The amens and hallelujah continued. 

Leaving the parking lot that night, I thought, "This is syncretism and idolatry. I have to do something about this."

So, I began to formulate my attack. I viewed American Christian Nationalism as a heresy to defeat and its proponents as an enemy to defeat. If I could make a strong enough argument from Scripture, I could convince people of the error of their ways.

That is until I had an encounter with someone that radically changed my life.

Weeks after attending the revival, the church relations director of the organization hosting the events wanted to meet with me. 

This was my chance to strike! 

During the meeting, they shared about new programming for local churches (a small group curriculum called Biblical Patriotism) and the need for pastors to unite around this movement and motivate their congregations to join forces and take government power. 

Then, the conversation shifted into a more personal direction. 

"Pastor Caleb, politics is critical, but at the end of the day, I just want to follow Jesus."

"Me too!" I replied. "Tell me, how did you meet Jesus?"

"Oh, last year at a TPUSA event," they replied.

This person genuinely wanted to follow Jesus but had been discipled into a distorted way of thinking about him, Scripture, and what it means to live the kingdom of God now.

At that moment, the Holy Spirit did a work on me. I sensed the Spirit say, "Caleb, this person doesn't need your theological attacks. She needs to be graciously reached with the good news of the kingdom of God."

At that moment, my heart melted as I began to see American Christian Nationalists in a different light, a people that needed to be invited back to the way of Jesus. 

I dropped the warrior posture and began to ask God what it would look like for me to take the missionary posture instead, seeking not to defeat or destroy but to hospitably, lovingly, gently seek their restoration and call them back to the way of Jesus.

I set out to be a missionary to American Christian nationalists.

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