Welcome new followers and subscribers!
And gratitude to my existing subscribers for your interest and support!
As my existing followers know: I am not a journalist nor am I a theologian but can direct you to others for expertise in these areas. I am a self-taught, (currently) unpaid, independent researcher. My expertise lies largely in the local history of Dominionist movements, local networks, where the dots connect and how and where to find them.
Local news media do not often connect those dots for us - dots between local Christian churches, nonprofits and leaders that engage in the work mandated by a Dominionist theology. On Twitter, I successfully raised awareness around our local dominionist landscape but not often enough with actual Lancastrians.
After three years of cultivating and sharing my research on hyperlocal Dominionist movements on Twitter/X - quite often capturing the attention of exciting publications with national audiences - I launched The Lancaster Examiner substack in April 2024. My hope is to reach more Lancastrians and to do so in a format that is more easily consumed by more people. To that end, please reach out when my work is not clear and/or you find it difficult to navigate.
My first piece, Threats Stemming From Lancaster Public Library’s Drag Queen Story Hour Remain Unsolved, outlined unreported details taken straight from the sermons of a lead organizer of the spiritual-warfare Jericho walk that occurred the Friday night prior to the event. The event was canceled the next day due to multiple credible bomb threats.
Three months later, frustrated at not hearing a peep, I published an updated version of the piece, Anti Drag Queen Bomb Threats STILL Unsolved, - complete with fresh video captures and content. The case was closed the very next day.
What else will you find?
In About What Happened in the Rotunda Yesterday, I outlined key connections to a LancasterOnline piece centered on GOP state lawmakers attending a “prayer rally” with NAR operative Sean Feucht.
The Independence Law Center (Quietly) Fought in Support of Conversion Therapy reveals a story that the Pennsylvania Family Institute and ILC seemingly wanted to remain hidden. How can a Christian law firm that defends a practice that is overwhelmingly considered torture also hoodwink school boards into believing that the ILC is just there to help?
“I SPY LANC” is an ongoing series in which I share Dominionist symbols, phrases, leaders, organizations or activity and connect the dots showing where to spot them on the local level. Check out I SPY LANC on both An Appeal to Heaven Flag and the Seven Mountains Mandate. Look forward to future I SPY LANC pieces centered on Biblical worldview and the Don’t Mess With Our Kids movement.
A growing list of open source research that underpins my efforts at large. Find my list of articles on Dominionism here and lists that accompany individual substack pieces here.
Additionally, I’ve devoted hours to archiving my screen and video captures both to make them more readily retrievable but also to help build out a growing Kumu chart that helps organize and visualize how local figures and churches connect with each other and with networks that extend well beyond Lancaster County. The Kumu chart has the potential to be a particularly powerful tool for local news outlets and political candidates.
While my research has appeared without credit in a number of publications, you can find references to my work in the Bucks County Beacon (BCB); the BCB’s Substack newsletter, Christian Right Observer Weekly (CROW); and Mother Jones..
Please join “In Pennsylvania: New Apostolic Reformation and the Threat to Democracy in Pennsylvania,” a webinar hosted by Political Research Associates on October 1, 2024, from 1:00 to 2:30. Read the complete invitation here or simply jump ahead to register. Please share widely with your networks, particularly in Pennsylvania.
Last, while Americans must pay more attention to issues around Christian nationalism, we must also work to repair the issues that divide us. Researching one’s own backyard is not easy. I will, inevitably and despite my best intentions, step on toes. Please know that I understand the complexity of individuals and encourage my readers to be mindful as well. I hope to center the work on organizations, leaders, elected officials and people with power. I tend to believe that many, if not most, of the people engaged in these movements do not have a full understanding of the movements they are involved in. Somehow we must all traverse the fine line between pointing fingers / casting blame and finding ways to move forward together for the sake of our democracy.