Christ Church’s growing influence and ties to Christian nationalism spur packed Moscow meeting

MOSCOW, Idaho – Nearly 200 residents gathered Tuesday night to discuss combating Christian nationalism, spurred by “Extremely American” podcast host Heath Druzin’s investigation into Christ Church and its leader Doug Wilson’s growing influence in the community.

The podcast’s second season, “Onward Christian Soldiers,” has topped 1 million downloads and details the Moscow-based Christ Church’s role in the extremist movement.

“The intent of tonight’s presentation is to help educate our community about forms of extremism, its ramifications and the consequences in our community, and our roles in dealing with it,” said Dale Gentry, retired dean of the College of Education at the University of Idaho. “One of the goals is to bring people together, and to help perpetuate the welcoming environment that is present in this Moscow community.”

Christ Church’s relationship with Moscow dates back to the ‘70s and has been growing slowly over the decades. Today, the church has 800-900 members in the town of 25,000 people, and those members own about 20% of the city’s downtown buildings, according to the podcast.

Many residents boycott those Christ Church-owned businesses.

The church’s growth has caused a divide in the community, especially as Wilson continues to gain national attention, particularly in Christian nationalist circles.

Druzin spoke at an event hosted by the United Church of Moscow, the Latah County Human Rights Task Force and the Community Congregational United Church of Christ of Pullman (located across the border in Washington).

No representatives from Christ Church were at the Dec. 17 meeting.

However, Wilson and church members did engage with members of the Moscow community in an April public forum on the University of Idaho campus.

At that April meeting, Wilson said: “We are part of this town, and we would like to get along as much as possible.”

Wilson’s educational empire

Druzin said Wilson, 71, is more influential nationally than locally. Wilson runs the Community of Reformed Evangelical Churches, a Calvinist church group that has a presence coast to coast, and an education empire that includes 500 classical Christian schools nationally.

Druzin said the education arm is perhaps the most powerful.

“He sees them as a munitions factory,” Druzin said. “Students are munitions, and he can change culture through students. It’s effective… and this extends to homeschool materials.”

Moscow is home to New Saint Andrews College, a private classical Christian school founded in 1994 by the church. Druzin said Wilson hopes it’s where students from his network of secondary schools end up.

Wilson also has a grip on media through Canon Press, which not only publishes books, but produces podcasts and streaming shows.

Druzin said a “Kirker,” as Christ Church members are called, can easily have their educational, spiritual and entertainment needs met through Wilson’s empire.

“What Doug Wilson wants to do, according to Doug Wilson, is change society; create an American theocracy,” Druzin said.

And although that’s caused tension in Moscow, Druzin said Moscow residents haven’t let Wilson take over their small town.

“That’s partly because Moscow is not a very conservative place, and you’ve been outspoken on that,” he told the audience, noting that Christ Church members have not found success in running for political offices locally.

The city has consistently leaned liberal, particularly when compared to neighboring Eastern Washington and rural Idaho.

The fact that nearly 200 people showed up to an at-capacity event, in the rain, was a hopeful sign, Druzin said, but he added that concerned citizens needed to stay vigilant and remain civically engaged.

“Inevitability happens when people get complacent,” he said. “Extremism is not broadly popular, but they tend to outwork their opposition. They’re more dogged about it, more patient. There’s a motivation gap.”

Joann Muneta, of the Latah County Human Rights Task Force, said it might be time for citizens to take a stronger stand if they want to continue opposition to the Christ Church.

“Moscow wants to solve this problem without friction. We believe in pluralism, and we believe in love, and we want to stick to that, but … maybe we have to be activists,” she said.

She added that she was surprised to learn people refer to Moscow as “Doug Wilson’s empire.”

“They’re looking to see how successful he’ll be in his takeover and his experiment here,” she said.

Druzin said there’s no denying Wilson is trying to make his Moscow footprint bigger, but reminded locals that he hasn’t found success.

“He’s been working to make this a Christian town for 40 years, and it hasn’t happened yet. I think that’s an important fact.”