Of worship warfare, theocracy and a weekend with Sean Feucht

Is the United States on the verge of becoming a theocracy? After covering Sean Feucht’s “Kingdom to the Capitol” event in Raleigh two weeks ago — during which Feucht embraced the term “Christian nationalism” and another pastor admitted, “We deny the right of any other kingdom to prosper in North Carolina” — I decided to drive up to Washington, D.C., to learn more at the grand finale of Feucht’s 50-state capitol tour.

“We find ourselves standing on the National Mall on the precipice of what will be the most hotly contested election of our lifetime, still with this simple belief: that if the people of God will stand in worship and in prayer, that God would partner with their obedience for the righting of the history of nations,” pastor Russell Johnson declared on the National Mall while wearing his “God Save America” T-shirt.

Johnson, pastor of the multi-campus Pursuit NW Church, is a frequent guest at Feucht’s rallies and events.

On this day, he declared: “Let me remind you, friend, the kingdom of God is not a democracy. It’s a theocracy.”

Even for a “Let Us Worship” event, it was notable to a number of the journalists standing together to hear the word “theocracy” invoked so clearly from the stage. After all, Christian nationalists tend to deny promoting a theocracy. And Feucht himself wrote on Substack earlier this year, “I do not want to see America turn into a theocracy, even a Christian one. Religious freedom is in America’s DNA; the two cannot be separated.”

“Johnson attempted to draw a distinction between a theocracy and a Democratic Republic controlled by conservative Christians.”

Despite using the term from the stage in the heat of worship warfare, Johnson told me privately after the event that he doesn’t believe the U.S. should be a theocracy. After defending his use of ‘theocracy,’ Johnson attempted to draw a distinction between a theocracy and a Democratic Republic controlled by conservative Christians.

Here is a portion of our conversation.

Rick Pidcock: Why do you guys strategically enact what you believe to be God’s views of morality through pushing specific policies and politicians? It seems to me to be a straight line from your theology to your politics, while still holding to your theology if the election goes the other way. It’s God’s will being done on earth as it is in heaven, so to speak.

Russell Johnson: Yes, theology impacts politics. That isn’t a Christian nationalist talking point. That’s common sense.

RP: So do you not like Feucht’s embrace of the term ‘Christian nationalist’?

RJ: Worldview frames in how every individual interacts within the public square of civic engagement.

RP: How would you differentiate between a theocracy that legislates against gay marriage and a democracy where Christians do the same thing?

RJ: How would you differentiate between a theocracy that legislates for gay marriage and a democracy where Christians do the same thing? The idea that you have been able to discover common policy positions between conservative Christians and conservative politicians is not breaking news.

RP: Sure, but Christian nationalists defend their policies by referencing their theology and talking about how we were founded as a Christian nation.

RJ: Yes. Christians traditionally appeal to a Christological worldview in order to establish their convictions. Again, this isn’t a new phenomenon.

RP: Should non-Christians in America have to live by that? Or progressive Christians for that matter?

“Your framing is off. I don’t think I can help you understand this.”

RJ: All public policy is an enforcement of someone’s worldview, whether they be conservative or progressive.

RP: So are we all pursuing a theocracy in your mind?

RJ: No. We live in a Democratic Republic that adopts laws and elects leaders by a plurality of those who are represented. You apparently buy into the myth of secular neutrality. I don’t. The idea that morality is codified into our laws and legislation by virtue of people who vote from a place of conviction (that is grounded in a coherent worldview) is not theocratic. Again, your commitment to this narrative blinds you to accurately reporting on events like we had on the National Mall.

RP: Why can’t we have a society where Christians are free to worship in their own way and LGBTQ people are free to live as they desire?

RJ: Your framing is off. I don’t think I can help you understand this.

More context on Johnson’s use of ‘theocracy’

According to Johnson, conservative Christians should be able to enforce their worldview and codify their morality into our laws and legislation while talking about the kingdom being a theocracy. And somehow, that’s totally different from a theocracy.

Going back to his speech at the National Mall immediately following his use of the word “theocracy,” Johnson continued: “There is one God who sits upon a golden throne in front of a glassy sea. He is worshiped by angels and elders who cry out day and night, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord who was and is and is to come.’ And let me remind you that one believer who stands with God is in the majority. I am still foolish enough to believe that when men and women add their faith together for prayer, there is a God in heaven who responds to the agreement of his people on earth. We are taking a stand on the National Mall to believe that God would intervene in the affairs of the nation of America and in doing so, turn a nation back to its righteous roots.”

But what does this mean specifically for the United States?

To explore these questions further, I spoke with Matthew D. Taylor, author of The Violent Take It By Force: The Christian Movement That Is Threatening Our Democracy. Taylor also was present at the National Mall on Saturday.

“In a technical sense, a theocracy is where God rules directly or through religious leader proxies,” he said. “I’m not sure what to call the end state they are seeking, because I’m not sure if they know what it is. They want to ‘disciple nations,’ ‘conquer spiritual territory,’ etc. But when you try to pin them down on the path that gets you there, they’re very slippery.”

“When the rubber meets the road, their actual policy aims are pretty meager and easily mollified with rhetoric and bombast.”

Then Taylor added, “I suspect this is why they’re such useful allies to Trump. They propagandize him with theology and prophecy, but when the rubber meets the road, their actual policy aims are pretty meager and easily mollified with rhetoric and bombast.”

Worship warfare

The weekend kicked off with a worship service in the Hart Senate Office Building on Friday morning, during which Feucht prayed that the U.S. Senate would be flipped in favor of the Republicans.

With a room full of supporters blowing shofars, cheering and singing, “We declare, yes!” Feucht read from Isaiah 9, saying, “The government shall be upon his shoulder” and “Of the greatness of his government and peace, there will be no end.”

When the group moved over to the U.S. Capitol building, the persecution began, according to Feucht.

“Today, we’re worshiping in the Senate building. And then we go to the Capitol and they kick us out to the other side. And they kick us across the street to the Supreme Court,” he told a group of supporters later that evening at the National Press Club. Of course, the truth was that they were asked to move after they began setting up with no permit.

That afternoon, they met at Camp Elah, a 952-square-foot townhouse “Let Us Worship” bought in order to wage daily worship warfare in D.C. The name “Elah” comes from the valley where David defeated Goliath. Feucht’s website says Camp Elah is “a launching point for the next generation of Davids, men and women who fearlessly slay giants in the land.” Then playing off the slingshot imagery, it says, “Camp Elah is just a smooth stone’s throw from the U.S. Capitol and the Supreme Court, and we are EXCITED to see how He uses this place to take back territory for His kingdom.”

During their Friday afternoon worship warfare, Feucht told his army, “I don’t know if you’re aware. There’s a lot of demons on Capitol Hill, like lots.” So Feucht brought up the account in Acts about Paul and Silas worshiping in prison. “That’s the theological precedent is it only takes two people. When they worship, they can set the prison doors open,” he explained.

‘Vision Night’ at the National Press Club

On Friday evening, Feucht met in the 13th floor ballroom of the National Press Club in a private event to celebrate what he believes God has done through “Let Us Worship” and to pitch his vision for the future while raising financial support.

The evening opened with a worship song about Jesus’ name being the highest and the greatest and standing above “all thrones and dominions, all power and positions.” This is a very popular song that many, perhaps most, white evangelicals would resonate with. But when sung in a Christian nationalist setting that is meant to promote the reelection of Donald Trump, the talk about greatness and power carries significant political meaning.

“I believe in 11 days, we’re going to see one of the most historic flips in our nation,” Feucht said. “And when those kinds of things happen, we chalk it up to the intercessors.”

Of course, intercession that’s driven by talk of greatness, dominion and power tends to lead to a bit of bragging. Feucht showed off patches on the back of his jean jacket for the worship gatherings he has led at all 50 state capitols.

He also told a story about how one of his guitars was broken on a flight. When a farmer from Illinois offered to buy him a new guitar, Feucht told his team: “That’s very kind. That’s very nice. But he doesn’t understand how expensive my guitars are. I don’t play cheap guitars. I’m singing worship to the king of all kings and lord of all lords. I’m going to play the best guitars that money can buy. … Most people think a thousand bucks. No, not the guitars I play.”

After giving everyone present a piece of metal from the “Let Us Worship” tour bus that crashed in 2023, Feucht shared his vision for the future. One of his plans is to raise enough money to send worshipers into places of unexpected crisis.

“Part of what God is preparing us for in the next season is to have enough margin that we can do crazy things,” he said. “A crisis breaks out. Something happens and we’re there like we were in Asheville. I don’t know if you saw, we were in Asheville having a church service with people that lost everything.”

He explained, “I want to have an emergency response team for Jesus, where the moment something breaks out, the worshipers are being sent in.” He specifically mentioned sending his rapid response worship teams into places that have been hit by hurricanes, earthquakes and political protests, along with college campuses.

That is different from the traditional Christian ministry response of sending in workers. Feucht’s approach views the act of worship as work and warfare itself.

Another strategy is for Feucht and his team of Christian nationalist worship leaders to mentor prospective politicians and get “God-fearing” politicians elected.

“This movement is built to wage war,” he said. “God has connected us over the last four years with, I feel, the Navy Seal gangsters of America. We know them now in every city. … And we’re going to empower them, we’re going to equip them, and we’re going to train them to do everything that we do, but on the next level.”

And Trump’s team has taken notice.

“President Trump’s team reached out to me when we mobilized the Israel March and they were like, ‘How’d you do that so fast?’” Feucht recalled. “And I was like, ‘We’ve had four years to figure it out.’”

But perhaps the most disturbing moment of the evening came toward the end when suddenly, with the inspirational sound of an acoustic guitar strumming the worship song “Goodness of God,” Feucht announced, “While we were in this room, Israel just sent missiles to Iran and so we got a little situation happening. And you’re in D.C. for it! Haha! Oh! Right now, they begin their retaliatory attacks against Iran for what happened and the news is going crazy. Everyone’s going crazy. And we’re in here worshiping in the Press Club!”

“This is like end times Revelation stuff.”

The room erupted into cheers.

Feucht continued, “This is like end times Revelation stuff. What we’re witnessing right now, the fact that it’s happening before an election. All of this stuff, this is crazy. And here we are right now in the journalist news hub!”

With the worship and excitement flowing as Israel’s bombs were flying, Feucht decided to pray: “We thank you Jesus that you have set apart Israel as a nation for your kingdom purposes. And we pray right now God for wisdom, direction and discernment. And we pray right now for the world! For the world! For Russia, for China, for all the nations involved in this! Lord, would you work out your kingdom purposes. Would you get the glory! God, would you raise up the house of prayer! Would you raise up people to pray in and through the night today as this battle ensues! We pray for your kingdom and your glory and your will to be done!”

Then Feucht put on a red Make America Great Again hat he said Trump personally gave him, just before praying for Trump.

“Lord, we pray right now over every scheme of the enemy to thwart your purposes in this election just days away,” he cried out. “We cast down every single principality and power that would come against your perfect plan in this nation. We pray right now for President Trump. We pray for his family and his team. We pray for protection around him. We pray that your angels would guard him. We pray over his family. We pray over the election. Nothing will come in the way of what’s going to take place in a few days’ time. Use the people across America. Use the people of prayer, God. We believe. We thwart the plan of the enemy of chaos and confusion right now in the name of Jesus. We pray for clarity to come over this nation. We pray, God, that you would install your next leader over this nation. Your kingdom come. Your will be done.”

No prayers were offered for Vice President Harris.

After this, Feucht called Russell Johnson up to the stage. Johnson prayed: “We are asking for the spirit of wisdom and revelation, that not only would we know what to do, but we would know how to do it, that while the enemy is playing checkers, you’re playing chess! You’re rearranging things on behalf of your people and the church will advance and the gates of hell will not, cannot, and shall not prevail against it. … Like you’ve done before, we’re asking that you would do it again. We’re asking that you’d raise up men and women of faith who will take their position on the wall with a trumpet in one hand and a sword in the other to call the nation back to God. We declare America will be saved! … Let God arise!”

Then Feucht reassured everyone about Israel bombing Iran, “This needs to happen.”

The ‘Jesus March’ from the Lincoln Memorial to the White House

The tension began to build in front of the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday as the crowd gathered — blowing shofars, chanting and banging drums.

Waving in the wind over everyone’s heads were American, Christian, Trump, Appeal to Heaven, Jesus is King, and We Stand with Israel flags.

The worship opened with everyone screaming “Jesus” and blowing shofars on the count of three as the band played.

“We are here today, the army of God!” Feucht declared. “What would it look like in Washington, D.C., for obnoxiously joyful Christians to take the city?”

“Everybody comes to this city because they’re angry, they’re frustrated!” he yelled. “And you know what? We’ve come to this city because we’re joyful! And I am praying today that as joy fills your heart, it will hijack the streets of this city.”

“Like King David today, we are ushering in the presence of God to the capital city. What happened when David brought in the presence?” Feucht asked. “He danced in his underwear!”

“Like King David today, we are ushering in the presence of God to the capital city.”

Then with the drums driving and building the energy, the crowd began chanting over and over again, “Step by step, step by step, step by step, we’re taking ground!”

After switching to another repetitive chant of shouting the word “Praise,” the worshipers moved into songs about God reigning in power and authority, while also utilizing songs that framed their warfare as incense arising.

“We declare America can be saved in a day. A nation can turn in a day,” one of the pastors proclaimed. “Jesus, you are the highest king. You are the highest lord. … Let the king of glory come in! … He is mighty and he is strong in battle.” Then he petitioned, “God we are asking that you would make the enemy pay for every year he’s stolen from God’s people. We say, ‘Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered.”

With shofars and drummers leading the way, the marchers began moving into the street toward the White House while chanting about Jesus and about America being saved.

Random groups throughout the march spontaneously broke out into songs about God reigning.

As they neared the White House, the front of the group stopped, formed a circle and began jumping and chanting, “No shackles! No chains! Jesus set me free!”

Some of the anger in the crowd started aiming for journalists. “You’re a degenerate who works for the lame stream media!” one man yelled. The media members who wore their press credentials were getting middle fingers in their camera lenses and were being shouted at to leave. One journalist told me they had so much footage they wouldn’t be able to use due to profanity and middle fingers and that they almost had to leave.

In my interaction with Johnson, he kept accusing me of spinning a narrative and deceptively posting the video of him invoking the word “theocracy.” He said I was “transparently unethical” and claimed I “deceptively misquoted” him “in an effort to advance a narrative” that he’s promoting a theocracy. But if you read my post, I didn’t speculate at all. I simply quoted him, and even included the phrase “kingdom of God,” without saying anything about the United States. And when I pointed that out and asked how what I said was wrong, he never replied.

“No, it’s not a protest. It’s a joyful celebration!”

When the march reached the White House, a father who was with his kids enjoying their Saturday asked me, “What’s going on?” So I told him, “It’s a protest.” Just then, a cameraman for “Let Us Worship” said, “No, it’s not a protest. It’s a joyful celebration!”

So I responded to the “Let Us Worship” representative: “Four years ago, you guys were calling this a protest. Two weeks ago, Feucht said he missed COVID because he could do whatever he wanted and call it a protest. And now you’re saying it’s ‘not a protest, but a joyful celebration.’ That’s just your branding.” The man turned away and started filming again.

An elderly man was on his knees writing a sign that said the Bible doesn’t condemn slavery and is harmful toward women. So a group began to surround him. One worshiper in a Make America Great Again hat towered over him and yelled, “You’re on your knees! Who’s the coward? You have no soul! You’re an atheist! You’re an atheist!”

“Get your hands off me,” the elderly man yelled back. “You’re a liar. I’ll bet my soul.”

Just then, the group began blowing shofars and singing, “Our God reigns. Our God reigns. Forever your kingdom reigns.” Then a few women began to extend their arms toward the elderly man in prayer, while the song transitioned into, “Hail the Lion of Judah, let the lions roar.”

With the crowd gathered at the White House gate, a group of mostly white worshipers banged on drums, blew shofars and sang about reigning, while a group of mostly Black worshipers circled around and jumped to a rap song while chanting “Jesus saves” as someone held up a sign saying they were an “ex trans woman.”

‘Let Us Worship’ at the National Mall

The main event Saturday evening was three and a half hours mostly comprised of Sean Feucht yelling at the top of his lungs into what he said was at least a $400,000 sound system. But it began with a video greeting from Donald Trump.

“I’d like to congratulate Sean Feucht and ‘Let Us Worship.’ Incredible job you’ve done,” Trump said. “Religious liberty is under siege. We are fighting back and fighting back like never before. Today you’re all joined in prayer on the National Mall, which is so important to do. And I just want to tell you that what you’re doing will never be forgotten. God will never forget it. And we will never forget it. Because what you’re doing is the most important thing. We have to protect our religious liberty. And we have to pray. So to ‘Let Us Worship,’ thank you very much. Keep up the incredible job. You go from city to city. It’s an incredible thing you do. So thank you all very much and have a great day.”

After all the promo videos featuring Black people rioting, Trump saying ‘Let Us Worship,’ and white people jumping, waving flags, banging drums, throwing drugs and bawling their eyes out were complete, the worship gathering began with the National Anthem. It was surreal witnessing a worship service begin with lyrics about bombs bursting in the air. But then I remembered the night before at the National Press Club when everyone worshiped and cheered over Israel bombing Iran and remembered that for Feucht, worship is warfare.

“Welcome to ‘Let Us Worship’ on the National Mall!” Feucht yelled. “We are the army of God! We are the family of God!”

With everyone moving in closer, waving their flags and shouting, Feucht quoted Psalm 68: “May God arise. May his enemies be scattered. May his foes flee before him. May you blow them away like smoke as wax melts before the fire. May the wicked perish before God. May the righteous be glad and rejoice before God. May they be happy and joyful. Sing to God and sing in praise of his name. Extol him who rides upon the clouds. Rejoice before him. His name is the Lord.”

“Their joy comes by their enemies being scattered, fleeing, being blown away, melting and perishing.”

Given their branding of this gathering as joy, it’s important to ask what they’re being joyful about. And it’s evident in Feucht’s call to worship that their joy comes by their enemies being scattered, fleeing, being blown away, melting and perishing.

One might wonder: Who are their enemies? Based on my experiences over the weekend, their enemies would seem to include atheists, the media, Iran, allegedly tyrannical locally elected officials, and those who stand in the way of Trump’s second coming.

And what does blowing us away mean to these worship warriors who Johnson said are positioned on the wall with a “trumpet in one hand and a sword in the other to call the nation back to God”? It’s unclear.

Nestled amid all these calls for joyfully celebrating violence while singing songs about reigning, power, authority and feeling a breakthrough coming was Johnson’s speech that used the word “theocracy.”

Then Sen. Josh Hawley of the insurrection movement took the stage. With the “One Nation Under God” banner on either side of him, Hawley said: “You and I both know what’s made our country truly great. It’s the spiritual foundations of this nation. It’s the truth of the Bible on which this nation was founded.”

Hawley turned to 1 Kings 21 to tell the story of King Ahab demanding that Nabob give him his vineyard. But Nabob said, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.”

“Don’t we live in a time when those who are in power are saying to us, ‘Give us the inheritance of our fathers’?” Hawley asked. “They’re telling us not to speak the name of Jesus in public. They’re telling us not to speak the name of Jesus in politics. They’re telling us not to speak the name of Jesus in our schools. But we will say to them, ‘Forbid it from us to give you the inheritance of our fathers.’ We will not surrender the inheritance of this nation! We will stand on the foundations on which this nation was built. And we will rebuild the spiritual foundations of America.

“What this nation needs above all is revival,” Hawley declared. “And don’t you know that this nation was founded in revival. That’s what made us a nation when those first Pilgrims came to these shores, those first Puritans came to these shores. What did they bring here? They brought the truth of the Bible. What’s our liberty founded in? In the Scripture. What are our rights founded in? What Jesus has given to us. And so today, can we just stand and proclaim in this critical hour of American history, 10 days before a critical election, can we covenant together now that we will not give up the inheritance of our fathers? Can we covenant together now that we will rebuild the inheritance of our fathers? Can we covenant together now that we will rebuild this nation on the truth of Jesus Christ?”

After Hawley closed his speech in prayer, Feucht joined by his side, hinted that he’d like to see Hawley become president someday, dreamed about the Senate flipping to Republican control, and prayed for revival to start in Hawley’s office.

Then he prayed that God would “raise up a million more like (Hawley) at the federal level, at the state level, at the local level. Raise up bold men and women for Jesus that are going to stand on the truth of your word.”

In an interview with BNG about Hawley’s speech, Kristin Du Mez, author of Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation, said: “In typical Christian nationalist fashion, he’s selectively interpreting the past to justify his own political agenda and using God’s name to do so. If Hawley wants to talk about ‘the inheritance of our fathers’ — of our Founding Fathers — then he should be talking about preserving a country where people of all faiths participate freely and without coercion, one where liberty of conscience and the constitutional rights of all Americans are protected and government does not favor one faith over others.”

As darkness descended, with Feucht’s worship warriors facing the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument behind them, the bright stage lights flashed rapidly over the crowd. Shofars blew, flags waved, and everyone jumped while chanting words like “Joy,” “Life” and “Jesus.” And to close it out, the person with the “Ex-trans woman” sign joined the worship leaders on stage.

What was all this about?

Given the amount of complaints about costs and calls for financial support I heard over the weekend from Feucht, one might wonder if this whole endeavor was about money. After all, there was even one moment where a pastor talked about getting 100 times back from God what you give to Feucht.

But Feucht has plenty of access to cash, as evidenced by his comments about playing the most expensive guitars the world has to offer and claiming that Elon Musk’s “main political guy that advises him and allocates the funds is a friend of mine.”

“Those weren’t metaphorical bombs they were excited about.”

The real question is whether or not these people actually believe these things, and what they mean when they talk about being inspired by genocide in the Bible and God’s enemies being blown away. Their language about us being blown away and melting is especially concerning given how they were erupting into joyful praise during their private meeting at the National Press Club over Israel bombing Iran. Those weren’t metaphorical bombs they were excited about.

They want us to think the events were nonpartisan celebrations of joy. But invoking the language of power and violence they did throughout was spiritually irresponsible and pastoral malpractice.

To the Trump and Feucht supporters who are reading this: If you think we’re overreacting to your language about blowing us away, please clarify in plain language what you mean by blowing us away and being joyful about our melting.

However literal they are about their views of justice, the reality is that they’ve gained real political power at all levels of the government. And as Johnson told me, their plans are to enforce their worldview and codify their morality into our laws and legislation.

Whether or not they want to call that a theocracy doesn’t really matter.

What matters is that their glorification of power and violence through worship warfare may fuel enough fire to elect Donald Trump in 2024, which would give them power. And I for one would rather not discover after the fact what they mean by blowing us away.

The perspective of a child

As I watched the videos for writing this piece, I conducted one final interview. This one was with my 6-year-old daughter sitting next to me on the couch. She has no knowledge about politics or worship. So I wanted to get her perspective on whether or not the “Let Us Worship” event was an innocent celebration of joy. After all, one of Feucht’s plans is to continue writing children’s books like his recent book The Kingdom to the Capitol Adventures of The Glory Bus in order to inspire the next generation to join his army against indoctrination.

Dad: What do you think about what they’re doing?

Ellie: They sound really good.

Dad: What feeling do you think they’re having?

Ellie: Mad.

 

Rick Pidcock is a 2004 graduate of Bob Jones University, with a bachelor of arts degree in Bible. He’s a freelance writer based in South Carolina and a former Clemons Fellow with BNG. He completed a master of arts degree in worship from Northern Seminary. He is a stay-at-home father of five children and produces music under the artist name Provoke Wonder. Follow his blog at www.rickpidcock.com.

 

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