Lance Wallnau, a self-styled “prophet” and one in all America’s most strident Christian Nationalists, and Doug Mastriano, the GOP candidate who casts his bid for governor of Pennsylvania as a mission from God, are birds of a feather.
They every fired up the devoted on the Jericho March / ”Let the Church ROAR!” occasion in Washington D.C. in Dec. 2020, a Christian protest searching for divine intervention to maintain Trump in workplace. And each males had been on the bottom in Washington just a few weeks afterward Jan. 6 — every billed as audio system at Cease the Steal’s “Wild Protest” occasion within the shadow of the Capitol. (The speeches had been preempted by the riot that overran the Halls of Congress.)
So it’s little shock that the pair flocked collectively in mid-September, when Wallnau landed in Pennsylvania to stump for Mastriano at a rally within the candidate’s hometown close to Gettysburg.
Wallnau believes that America ought to be a theocracy, declaring unequivocally in a 2021 on-line rant: “I am a Christian Nationalist.” However in his stump speech for Mastriano, Wallnau used extra coded language. He turned to native historical past to hype up the GOP candidate, evaluating him to the “Christian colonel” who led a determined bayonet cost to victory down from Little Spherical Prime.
Wallnau insisted that Mastriano, a former Military officer, can also be poised to vary historical past: “Now there’s one other Christian colonel, who’s accountable for the mountain.” Referring to Mastriano’s followers as “a remnant” — a biblical time period favored by fundamentalists to acknowledge fellow hardcore believers — Wallnau exhorted them to carry the road in opposition to the enemy. “They could out-gather, they could outmaneuver; in my view they know the right way to out-cheat,” Wallnau stated of Democrats. “However they can’t outflank us if we transfer as one.”
Casting the Republican’s mission as guided by the hand of God — “Colonel Mastriano is anointed to steer” — Wallnau then insisted, “the entire nation will probably be affected by what occurs in Pennsylvania.”
Wallnau has been dubbed “the daddy of American Dominionism,” a fundamentalist ideology that Christians are referred to as upon to exert God’s will “on Earth as it’s in heaven.” And the 66-year-old strives to empower a cabal of Christians to impose their ethical code on the remainder of us. Mastriano’s affiliation with Wallnau, which is deeper than beforehand reported, provides troubling new proof of the candidate’s personal Christian Nationalist goals, and roots Mastriano much more plainly inside an Finish Occasions spiritual motion often called the New Apostolic Reformation.
The 7 Mountains
Wallnau is a number one determine within the New Apostolic Reformation, or NAR, whose followers imagine that we live in an age of latest apostles and prophets, who obtain direct revelations from God. NAR believers maintain that the Second Coming of Jesus is quick approaching, and that it’s the future of Christians is to speed up the Finish Occasions by exerting “dominion” over the world. Wallnau is finest identified for popularizing a quasi-biblical blueprint for theocracy referred to as the Seven Mountains Mandate.
NAR followers like Wallnau imagine that America is specifically anointed by God to mission Christianity throughout the globe. And the NAR motion’s followers view foes of their quest as satanic. This isn’t metaphorical. They maintain that the bodily world is enveloped by a supernatural dimension, that includes warring angels and demons, and are satisfied that demons afflict their enemies on behalf of the Satan.
The motion holds that these non secular battles are mirrored in earthly politics. Because the late NAR founder C. Peter Wagner defined in a putting NPR interview in 2011: “I imagine there’s a number of demonic management over Congress… that must be dispersed.”
On the earth in keeping with Wallnau, the MAGA motion is guided by Jesus in opposition to devilish Democrats. Wallnau spent years insisting Donald Trump was an instrument of the Lord, even declaring that, “Preventing with Trump is preventing with God.” Against this, as documented by Proper Wing Watch, Wallnau insists that “antichrist Biden” is an “illegal counterfeit” and an “evil ruler.” Environmentalists who search to restrict fossil-fuel extraction are “under control of demons.” People who defend the rights of the LGBTQ neighborhood are the “Trans Taliban.” In a latest speech, Wallnau denounced Black Lives Matter as “witchcraft” that’s “laying siege to the American system of presidency.”
Wallnau didn’t reply to interview requests.
The “Seven Mountains” within the mandate Wallnau promotes characterize the cultural domains of faith, household, training, media, leisure, enterprise, and authorities. Whoever controls the summits of those mountains, the idea goes, instructions society. In brief, Wallnau is providing an mental framework for Christian Nationalism — a motion that seeks not simply to protect the spiritual liberties of Christians, however to impose biblical mores on America at giant.
Andrew L. Whitehead is an educational and co-author of Taking America Again for God: Christian Nationalism in the USA. He describes Christian Nationalism as a reactionary motion that twins spiritual fundamentalism with a need to “protect the social and cultural energy of white People.”
Christian Nationalism, Whitehead insists, is an “existential risk to democracy” as a result of it “sees no room for compromise” and actually demonizes its opponents as “forces of evil, making an attempt to counter what God has referred to as them to do.” Whitehead continues: “When one facet begins to outline the opposite facet as illegitimate, the guardrails of democracy actually begin to crumble, after which we’re in harmful territory.”
The Christian Nationalist motion already counts allies in Washington, together with MAGA politician Rep. Lauren Boehbert who insists that “the church is meant to direct the federal government.” And each followers and detractors see in Mastriano — who buddies round with prophets and pleaded with God to assist MAGA forces “seize the facility” on Jan 6. — a politician lower from the identical Christian Nationalist fabric. In contrast to Republicans who pander to this crowd for political profit, Whitehead says, Mastriano seems to “really embrace” their goals. “He’s completely different from Trump; this is part of how he sees himself and his function in politics.” (Mastriano didn’t reply to an interview request.)
The Seven Mountains Mandate emerged out of Wallnau’s frustration with the insularity of church tradition. As a youthful man, Wallnau sought to determine a megachurch in Rhode Island. However he says he realized that his concentrate on revival wasn’t getting the job accomplished. “If megachurches may change America, they’d have accomplished it,” he stated in a 2018 presentation at a Values Voter summit, attended by the then Sec. of State Mike Pompeo. “They’re not even altering the cities the place the megachurches are positioned.”
As Christians targeted on their homes of worship, Wallnau argues, Devil ran rampant, seizing the tops of the opposite mountains. “Whereas we pursued an awakening,” Wallnau stated, “the satan actually taught America, and discipled it proper out from underneath our Christian affect.”
For Wallnau, the important thing to attaining the biblical dominion over earth is for Christ believers to cost up the mountaintops, and seize the pinnacles of energy (generally known as “gates” — Wallnau will not be spiritual about his metaphors) after which use that authority to “disciple” the USA and the world, remaking society to please God. That is to be via each the tender energy of cultural affect, and thru the rule of legislation. He believes God instructions Christians to impose His will via authorities. “Jesus was promised nations for His inheritance,” Wallnau declared in a latest broadcast, “not simply church buildings!”
Wallnau’s shut affiliate, the “apostle” Dutch Sheets, is dedicated to Christians storming the mountain of presidency. And Wallnau stood on stage with Sheets at a July occasion in Atlanta the place NAR leaders prayed over MAGA Rep. Marjorie Taylor Inexperienced, and the place Sheets led the gathering in a Christian Nationalist pledge that begins, “As a patriot of religion, I attest my allegiance firstly to the Kingdom of God” and continues, “We, the Church, are God’s governing Physique on the Earth. We’ve got been given authorized energy and authority from Heaven.”
Wallnau seeks a world during which a Christian elite can mildew the world on behalf of God. “What did Daniel do in Babylon? He had a small group on the high,” Wallnau stated in his 2018 speech. “From that proximity to the throne, they had been capable of form historical past.”
For Wallnau, success seems the rule of Hungary underneath Viktor Orban. Wallnau praises the authoritarian for refusing to “bend our knee” to Muslim immgration or “LGBTQ assimilation,” touting the strongman in biblical phrases as a “healthy dominionist.”
Holy Spirit, Meet Almighty Greenback
Wallnau is much from a penniless preacher; the truth is he seems enthusiastic to revenue from his “prophetic” items.
Wallnau is savvy. He touts a masters from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a “Doctorate in Ministry with a specialization in Market from Phoenix College of Theology.” In his public persona, Wallnau is a component theologian, half motivational speaker, half infomercial pitchman, and half talk-show blowhard, delivering podcast rants with ticks and inflections of the late Rush Limbaugh.
Fairly than a church, Wallnau operates the nonprofit, Lance Wallnau Ministries Inc. — along with a number of enterprise ventures together with Killer Sheep Media Inc., his media imprint, and Lance Studying Group, a “strategic educating and consulting firm.”
However Wallnau’s enterprise practices depart open the query: Is he a Christian or a charlatan? On his web site, Wallnau sells Seven Mountains themed books CD’s and movies — together with “Take all 7” (a two DVD set for $24). Wallnau additionally markets a bevy of MAGA merch. This features a golden “presidential prayer coin” ($45) in addition to a speaking figurine of Trump hugging the American flag ($29.95).
Wallnau makes cash educating others to do battle with the satan. He markets a three-CD set “Breaking Controlling Spirits” providing insights to fellow Charismatic Christians. “There’s a battle being fought within the unseen realm between forces of excellent and evil, and the battlefield is your thoughts,” the gross sales copy reads. “Demonic exercise is rising at an alarming fee as we draw nearer to the final days…. Religious warfare will not be optionally available.” Fortunate for you: “Lance Wallnau has been given particular prophetic perception and technique on the right way to cripple the forces making an attempt to wreak havoc in your life and family members….” And he’ll share that knowledge for simply $29.97.
The confluence of Christ and commerce seems to be making Wallnau a rich man. In accordance with public property data, Wallnau lives in a gated neighborhood outdoors Dallas in a house valued at properly over $1 million.
His for-profit enterprises are opaque. However Lance Wallnau Ministries Inc. information public IRS paperwork. The newest submitting, from 2019, exhibits that Wallnau and his spouse earned greater than $450,000 from the ministry — a sum that features uncommon perks together with top notch airfare, medical reimbursements, and a housing allowance.
Wallnau’s ministry, the data present, was minting cash on its gross sales, producing $710,000 in income on a “price of products” of simply $61,000. Along with merchandizing, Wallnau solicits donations from the devoted, asking web site guests to “PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER SUPPORTING LANCE’S MISSION.” His ministry obtained $356,000 in items that yr.
The watchdog Charity Navigator provides the Wallnau ministry a “failing rating” — citing lax monetary oversight and an absence of a battle of curiosity coverage.
“Take Over the Cockpit”
Wallnau has been all in for Trump since 2015. And when the forty fifth president was routed in 2020, Wallnau was fast to embrace the lie that nefarious forces, slightly than the desire of the individuals, had disadvantaged Trump of a second time period.
Wallnau’s personal function within the occasions of Jan 6. is murky. He was touted as a speaker at WildProtest.com, a mission of Cease the Steal, which performed off Trump’s notorious tweet: “Massive protest in D.C. on January sixth. Be there, will probably be wild!”
Within the aftermath of the assault on Congress, Wallnau embraced conspiracy theories that Jan. 6 was a false flag. He appeared on a Christian information program referred to as Flashpoint the subsequent day, declaring, “I used to be there. This was not a pro-Trump mob storming the Capitol.” He insisted, as a substitute: “This was organized Antifa radicals who led the break in, whereas we have now proof of our individuals saying, ‘Cease them!’”
Wallnau claimed the storming of the Capitol was “a manipulated TV second” and “Kabuki theater” designed to short-circuit the “inquiry right into a ripped off election.” On the identical broadcast, fellow NAR chief Sheets insisted that Trump’s opponents had been within the throes of “demonically impressed hatred” including: “That is an try to show this nation away from God…. And the explanation the enemy, the explanation Devil, is so bent on doing that is due to the future hanging over this nation. We’re a nation destined to hold the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth.”
Within the months for the reason that riot, Wallnau has continued to unfold conspiracy theories and misinformation. In September 2021, Wallnau insisted that the pipe bombs positioned close to the headquarters of the Democratic Nationwide Committee on Jan 6. had been “planted there by the individuals who wished the optics for an incident within the Capitol,” including: “Perhaps the FBI and perhaps the Democratic occasion and perhaps political operatives in DC had been working collectively.”
This summer season, Wallnau argued that the presence of the Proud Boys on Jan. 6 was misunderstood. “All people says the Proud Boys are unhealthy…. They won’t be unhealthy,” he stated, suggesting as a substitute that “their orders had been to wash up the rubbish and get out of the Capitol. They had been there to guard Trump individuals from Antifa.”
These days, Wallnau appears extra agitated than ever on the incapability of fundamentalist Christians to exert dominion over society. In a latest speech earlier than fellow believers at Charis school in Colorado, Wallnau railed in opposition to the progressive group Democracy Alliance, alleging, “they’ve bought 16 completely different activist organizations which can be working in a very environment friendly manner with the satan to dismantle America.”
More and more, Wallnau has embraced darkish imagery when speaking about Chistians seizing management of America from nonbelievers, evaluating Democrats to the plotters on 9/11. “It’s not sufficient to have a revival within the cabin crew,” Wallnau insisted throughout a Fb video rant this July. “You’re gonna must take over the cockpit — and get Al Qaeda out of the pilot seat.”
This similar tortured 9/11 metaphor has been embraced by one Douglas Mastriano, who often shares Wallnau’s content material on his personal marketing campaign Fb web page. Mastriano’s stump speeches are peppered with references to the rebellion of Flight 93. And he has turned its battle cry right into a central slogan for his marketing campaign: “Let’s Roll!”
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