Grace City Church Leaders Warn of Encroaching “Cultural Marxism” in New Mailer Out This Week
Urge members to run for elected office, and men to get “Battle Ready”
Urge members to run for elected office, and men to get “Battle Ready”
A new Grace City Church publication hit mailboxes this week. In it there are more than 30 references to Karl Marx and Marxism. In contrast, the name Jesus Christ is referenced just 10 times (outside of quotes from the New Testament).
Inside is a loose-leaf pamphlet for GCC’s “Strongerman Conference 2021: Battle Ready,” which is taking place this weekend at their compound in Wenatchee.
“Friends, you are engaged in a spiritual battle,” Pastor Adam James writes in an abbreviated version of “Cultural Marxism and Critical (Race) Theory: How A Toxic Ideology Is Changing The World You Live In.”
It began as a sermon given by James back in May 2021, which you can view on GCC’s website via YouTube here.
Before that though, the GCC founding pastor Josh McPherson set things up, and the first line almost leads you to believe maybe this document will be something of a mea culpa.
“Dear Friends, several months ago, I asked Pastor Adam to address the toxic ideology that has taken root in our culture,” McPherson writes, “It’s one of the most listened to sermons of 2021.”
But McPherson is not talking about GCC culture. He’s talking about society. And the “toxic ideology” is spread by those who would want folks to swallow “nice words like ‘equity.’”
McPherson writes that when someone asks you about “equity” you should be ready to challenge them with the question: “Wait, so how are you defining that term and by what measure does equity get quantified?’”
It seems like an overly defensive response to a question I’ve never heard anyone ask. But it’s not about asking an honest question and listening to a sincere response. It’s about framing an argument.
“Remember, he who defines, wins.”
On the fifth page, one of the featured pull quotes gives a clue to why they decided to design, publish and send the mailer now. More than a few sources who have left the church said they did so, in part, because McPherson and the other leaders were getting more overtly political.
“Some have asked, ‘Is Grace City getting more political? The answer is ‘No.’ I’m showing this morning, rather, is that politics is getting more religious,’” writes James.
On page five James says he’s not giving a political action speech, yet on the very next page under a header titled “Five Active Responses” he says to “Run for various offices.”
There are multiple references to spiritual battle, as well as plenty of shade for Charles Darwin and the TV show “Will and Grace,” which “normalized” homosexuality, according to James.
You can read the whole document here.
I had not planned on publishing anything about Grace City or anything else this weekend. But this interesting document hit mailboxes this week and more than one copy found its way to me.
Between the doubling down on urging members to run for elected offices and “be engaged in all spheres,” as well as the “Battle Ready” conference happening this weekend well, I couldn’t help but jot a few things down.
To be clear, no one (including me) has an issue with people of faith running for elected office. It only becomes an issue if you’re running because your religious leader told you to.
As for the “Strongerman: Battle Ready” conference, the marketing pitch is heavy on the military imagery but that’s not unheard of in the realm of Evangelical fundamentalist men’s retreats.
The one thing I have never heard of at a Christian men’s retreat is a “2nd-Amendment Give-Away.”
I asked an expert in law enforcement what he thought a “2nd Amendment give-away” meant and he said: “Sounds like they’re giving away a gun.”
He added that purchasing a firearm in the state of Washington and then giving it to another person is a felony. There are a few loopholes, however, including gifting firearms to family members.
As for how an organization like GCC could legally get away with a “2nd Amendment give-away” Washington state “Super Lawyer” Bill Kirk has some advice on his website.
“Using a gift certificate from a firearms retailer near where the recipient lives might be a good solution,” Kirk wrote.
You can learn more about that here.
So it’s God, guns, guts and glory (and the state’s best BBQ) this weekend in Wenatchee for the low-low price of $49.00 per man (no salad allowed). They even prefer men and boys coming for the conference stay at the Residence Inn Hotel or the Spring Hill Suites, both Marriott properties.
What is the Marriott connection?