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Christian supremacist worship leader Sean Feucht is heading back to Seattle for Revive in 25, and anyone paying attention should recognize this isn’t just another stop on his revival tour. It’s a calculated return to a “spiritual battlefield” that’s already proven fertile ground for the right’s brand of manufactured controversy. 

Just months ago, the Mayday USA’s confrontational event at Cal Anderson Park generated exactly the kind of heated opposition and 23 arrests that Christian nationalists feast on. And now, Feucht is doubling down on a strategy that transforms local community defense and opposition into national political capital.

What happened at Cal Anderson in May wasn’t a spontaneous combustion. It was a carefully orchestrated provocation designed to create the very confrontation that would fuel weeks of “Christians under attack” content across right-wing media. And it worked perfectly. The question Seattle faces now isn’t whether Feucht will try to provoke another incident, but whether the community will recognize they are being used as unwilling actors in a political theater production.

The city and Feucht negotiated the move of the original event from Cal Anderson to Gas Works Park. Late last week, Pastor Russell Johnson of Pursuit, who was a focal point of Mayday USA and the following “Rattle in Seattle” announced that Pursuit will be joining “Revive in 25.” In the instagram video, Johnson said, “Why don’t you invite a friend, invite a family member? We’re going to be worshiping outdoors, going to be an incredible time in the presence of God.” 

The Playbook Breakdown: The Eight-step Escalation Machine 

To understand Feucht’s strategy, we first have to recognize that what looks like grassroots religious enthusiasm is actually a sophisticated political operation designed to manufacture persecution narratives. The playbook is devastatingly effective precisely because it exploits the good-faith responses of communities trying to protect themselves.

Kate Bitz is a senior organizer of the Western States Center’s Momentum program, which responds to White nationalism and organized bigotry in this region. Her job is to help communities “recognize these patterns before they explode,” she says.

“That means getting solid reporting out there, connecting groups across regional lines, and developing strategies that actually work against provocateurs who thrive on any kind of attention.”

In July of 2023, the Center joined faith leaders with a signed letter in response to Feucht’s “kingdom to the capitol” tour that targeted state government buildings in the lead up to the 2024 election.

“Sean Feucht calls himself a Christian nationalist openly,” Bitz says. “But here’s the thing—some of the communities most disturbed by his rhetoric are actually faith-based themselves. His version of “Christianity” is pretty narrow, and his ideas about government and religion don’t speak for a lot of believers.”

In response to seeing the Seattle community organize a response to the Revive in 25 event, Bitz said: “[It’s] great news that community organizers in Seattle are planning counter events. Getting people together ensures there’s a loud and visible presence of people doing the same organizing work, which doesn’t necessarily involve putting in the way physically, of Feucht and his followers.”

For instance, the Lavender Rights Project worked with faith-leaders to put on a “Louder Than Hate: Trans & Queer Joy as Resistance” event at Washington Hall. Another group is planning a trans mutual aid picnic in Cal Anderson. And a mysterious someone is circulating a more confrontational event to drown out Feucht’s performance at Gas Works Park: the “world’s largest” kazoo performance of Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club.”

Western States Center works extensively with individuals who have been filmed at similar events and are now facing serious repercussions, including “digital harassment.” 

“In these times, it’s very important for people to consider [their] own well-being: How can I make a statement and show some community spirit and community push back in a way that is safe for people who are already the target of anti-democracy organizing on the ground, and now also targets of government entities,” Bitz says. “Not everyone feels safe on the streets of 2025, and that important to acknowledge”

Step 1: Target Selection

Feucht doesn’t randomly pick cities for his tours. Every location is chosen for maximum provocation potential. In his own words, he targets “the darkest” cities. Those cities usually vote Democrat and tend to have a strong grassroots organizing around LGBTQ+ rights, Black Lives Matter, Immigration, and their ultimate boogyman, Antifa. Feucht and the right as a whole have been at war with the idea of Antifa for years (after all, Antifa is not actually an organization). Feucht regularly refers to community push back as “Antifa Thugs” and did so in reference to the Seattle event in a May 27th tweet: “We have a permit from the @cityofseattle for #letusworship on August 30th. Will the @Mayorofseattle revoke our permit and allow antifa thugs to attack Christians? It’s time to hold the line.” (He did not, in fact, have a permit yet.)

Feucht has even used a video in which “Antifa” can be seen getting hit to the face with a frying pan as backdrop for his own merch sales.

Seattle, with its strong LGBTQ advocacy community and history of progressive organizing, represents the perfect storm for generating opposition. Cal Anderson is a focal point of the queer community. When Christian nationalists target these locations, they’re not seeking conversion—they’re seeking confrontation. 

The targeting extends beyond geography to timing and context. Arriving in cities during pride month, choosing parks with memorial significance, or scheduling events during local political controversies isn’t a coincidence. These are calculated decisions designed to maximise the emotional stakes and guarantee community pushback. 

On June 13th 2020, Feucht took “let us worship” to the heart of the Black Lives Matter uprising, at the George Floyd Memorial in Minneapolis. Churches from around Minneapolis had set up a stage which attracted evangelists from around the country. Feucht was traveling with “let us worship” under the “riots to revival” banner. These “worship” events were in opposition to the protests against Police violence toward Black people. While speaking at George Floyd square, Feucht’s concerns were about “free speech” and “Christian persecution” with closures and capacity restrictions during the early days of COVID-19. That same summer, he made a stop at Cal Anderson Park in Seattle, setting up shop near the recently dissipated CHOP/CHAZ.

Fuecht has targeted West Hollywood on a couple of occasions during the 2022 rise of the anti-Queer “groomer” narrative. They marched through the streets, including Santa Monica Blvd, through the bar district and ended up outside the world famous queer bar, The Abbey.

In July of 2024 Feucht took to his instagram to share a message from one of his followers. The message read: “I just found out Saramento’s pride event will be happening 3 blocks down!!! It’s no coincidence you will be having a worship event at the same time in the same place!” Feucht’s response in the instagram story was “Yep. They don’t know what they are in for.”)

In April of 2024 in the midst of college Pro-Palestine encampments, Feucht and Johnson travelled to Columbia University to “March for Israel,” using the political climate to insert themselves into the narrative and fuel their “holy battle.” 

Step 2: The Setup

The genius of the operation lies in its presentation. Feucht and his allies frame their events as simple worship or prayer services, language that makes opposition appear unreasonable to people unfamiliar with Feucht and his politics. They deploy the rhetoric of “religious freedom” not as genuine theological expression, but as a shield that makes any criticism look like anti-Christian bigotry.

Meanwhile, these events feature a toned-down version of the same anti-queer messaging, attacks on reproductive rights, and calls for Christian-only political leadership that define the Christian nationalist movement. The disconnect between the innocent framing and the inflammatory reality is intentional. It sets up anyone who objects as attacking religion itself rather than responding to political provocation.

Step 3: Provoke Response

What distinguishes Feucht’s operation from genuine grassroots ministry is the professional apparatus surrounding each event. These aren’t spontaneous gatherings led by local pastors; they’re coordinated media productions with video crews, massive sound systems, social media teams, and carefully crafted messaging designed for maximum viral potential.

The provocation isn’t subtle. In spaces that serve as sanctuaries for marginalized communities, Feucht delivers messaging that explicitly targets those same communities. Every anti-LGBTQ statement, every attack on progressive ideology, every declaration that only Christians should hold political power is calculated to generate the angry reaction that becomes raw material for the persecution narrative.

The operation begins the moment the local community defends its space. The videographers capture every heated exchange, every protest sign, every moment of confrontation—edited for maximum inflammatory potential. 

Step 4: Document and Amplify

These images and videos are the foundation of a content empire that stretches across social media platforms, reaching millions of eyes through right-wing news outlets and fundraising campaigns, presented as incontrovertible evidence of Christian persecution. It’s strategic narrative construction. Context disappears, Feucht’s inflammatory messaging is sanitized, and what emerges is a story of “peaceful Christians” facing inexplicable hostility from “intolerant leftists” possessed by demons. 

The most recent example of this is Feucht’s visit to Canada in the past month, where the discussion became about “free speech,” rather than his long documented history of bigotry and far-right politics, and Feucht’s claim that he would “save Canada.” Canadians recognized Feucht’s brand of far-right Christianity and had taken note of his ties with President Trump, who has been taunting that Canada should be America’s 51st state. After communities organized locally, all of Feucht’s original permits for public parks were revoked. However the show went on and the outrage machine continues to be in full swing. 

Step 5: Media Escalation

Once the content machine starts rolling, the story travels predictably through right-wing media ecosystems. Outlets like TPUSA Frontlines, CBN, OAN, Rebel News, The Daily Wire and Fox news pick up a “Christians under attack” story. In a typical game of right wing telephone, each iteration moves further from actual events and deeper into a mythology of persecution.These “spiritual memes” travel through the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and Charismatic networks and become lore in their “spiritual warfare”

NAR represents one of the most politically influential movements within contemporary Christianity and Trump’s White House, combining charismatic spiritual practices with an explicitly dominionist agenda to take control of what they call the “Seven Mountains” of society: government, religion, family, business, education, media, and arts. NAR operates as a loose network of self-proclaimed “apostles” and “prophets” who believe high-level demons control geographic territories and human institutions, making their “strategic-level spiritual warfare” a theological justification for aggressive political action. NAR “apostles” and “profits” claim to receive direct revelations from God. Feucht himself grew up in the charismatic world and his “spiritual fathers” are both NAR leaders, apostles Che Ahn and Lou Engle.

Feucht achieves real victory when the mainstream media takes the bait, presenting the conflict as a legitimate debate between religious freedom and “progressive intolerance,” which obscures Feucht’s motivations and legitimizes the Christian nationalist framing.

Step 6: Political Validation

As this coverage spreads, conservative politicians invariably weigh in, issuing statements defending “religious liberty” and condemning the treatment of “peaceful Christians.” Regardless of their intent, these statements provide the institutional validation that transforms street-level theater into legitimate policy discussions.

The political framing is crucial. It elevates what should be recognized as instigation into the realm of constitutional principles. Elected officials who frame community defense as attacks on religious freedom lend Christian nationalists the cover of “civil liberty” and the credibility to push a broader political agenda of moving America into a Christian Theocracy. The ultimate goal is for these local conversations to climb up the media and political ladders and become policy discussions at the federal level.

Step 7: Federal Amplification

The playbook has proven remarkably effective at achieving this outcome. Local confrontations become talking points for presidential candidates, administration officials, and congressional leaders. What started as community pushback against anti-gay and anti-trans messaging in a city park becomes evidence of a nationwide war against Christianity requiring federal intervention. After the Mayday event in Seattle, FBI deputy director Dan Bongino took to Twitter: “We have asked our team to fully investigate allegations of targeted violence against religious groups at the Seattle concert. Freedom of religion isn’t a suggestion.” Bongino was joined by the White House faith office, lead by Paula White-Cain, with a statement: “The White House Faith Office condemns the violent disruption of Seattle’s MAYDAY USA worship event. We affirm the fundamental rights to free speech and religious freedom for all Americans, as protected by federal law. Public officials must protect the inalienable rights of all citizens, regardless of their faith or religious beliefs. We urge the city of Seattle to uphold these rights at all faith-based events, safeguarding the ability of people of faith to gather and express their beliefs without fear of harassment or violence.” 

The only people who want this again are Christian nationalists. JAKE NELSON

White-Cain is a prominent prosperity gospel televangelist and charismatic Christian leader who has served as President Trump’s longtime spiritual advisor and is now heading the newly established White House Faith Office. White-Cain was appointed by Trump in February 2025 as a Special Government Employee and has strong ties to NAR and has announced herself as an apostle. White-Cain spent the weekend of the 16th/17th of August at Pursuit along with Russell Johnson. In one of her sermons she declared “Seattle is going to be saved” and that Pursuit and Johnson are the “tip of the spear” in the spiritual battle.

Step 8: Monetization

The Christian nationalist movement makes millions off controversy. During peak media coverage, fundraising emails are blasted out, book sales spike, speaking fees increase, and the persecution narrative becomes a profit pipeline that funds expanded operations.

It’s about more than recruitment. Christian nationalist operations are business ventures. They depend on manufactured controversy for revenue. The angrier communities become, the more money flows into Christian nationalist coffers, creating a perverse incentive structure where community defense directly funds their attackers.

The Content Trap: How Communities Get Played

Every angry social media post, every protest, every heated confrontation becomes content to serve Christian nationalist goals. Feucht even shares screenshots of negative coverage to advance his agenda, claiming that accurate news reporting is part of the demonic opposition he’s up against.

The algorithmic amplification of social media makes the trap more devastating. Outrage generates engagement, engagement drives reach, and reach converts to recruitment and fundraising. Communities trying to defend themselves end up inadvertently marketing for the movement attacking them.

Breaking the Cycle

Recognising the playbook doesn’t mean communities should remain passive in the face of targeted harassment. Instead, it means developing strategic responses that protect vulnerable people without feeding the Christian nationalist content machine. 

Interfaith coalitions supported by the wider community have been successful, and so have communities ruining Feucht’s footage/content with signs about Feucht’s biblical beliefs or the many allegations from his own team members of spiritual, moral and financial abuse. 

Effective resistance focuses on institutional accountability rather than individual outrage, pressuring venues to understand what they’re hosting, working with city officials to enforce permit requirements fairly, and documenting the calculated nature of these operations can provide community protection without generating the dramatic footage that fuels the persecution narrative.

The goal isn’t to avoid all confrontation: Direct community defense is necessary. But understanding how confrontations get weaponized can help communities choose their battles strategically and avoid responses that ultimately serve Feucht’s interests.

Seattle’s progressive community has experience with coordinated far-right provocation, and that experience provides valuable lessons for responding to Christian nationalist operations. 

The key is recognizing that spiritual warfare rhetoric isn’t metaphorical. It is a literal description of the political warfare Christian nationalists are waging on vulnerable people.

This week Mayday USA, led by Jenny Donnelly and Ross Johnston, announced that they will be suing the cities of Seattle and Los Angeles for infringement of their first amendment rights. Not only do they believe this will shift the climate domestically, they believe it will shape the world, a nod to their Christian Supremacist beliefs of global dominion. 

As Feucht prepares to return to Seattle, communities face a choice: play their assigned roles in his political theatre, or refuse to perform in a production designed to exploit their good-faith efforts and community protection.

I spoke with Matthew D. Taylor, ICJS Protestant scholar and creator of the Charismatic Revival Fury: The New Apostolic Reformation podcast series, which highlights Feucht. His new book, The Violent Take it By Force, has a chapter about Feucht as well.

According to Taylor, Feucht isn’t some garden-variety culture war tourist anymore. He’s operating with a new level of federal backing and that Seattle should take pause before reflexively taking the bait.

“Feucht is one of the most talented provocateurs of the far right in the United States today,” he says. “He has developed this playbook iteratively over the last five years, and in some ways, has perfected it to the point where he now has copycats and imitators. The challenge that we’re seeing right now is the far right is being given virtual impunity by the new administration to not only stage these kind of provocative, in-your-face, baiting-the-trap events, but then they’re going to get backup from the executive branch, from the FBI, from the White House Faith office, from this new anti-Christian bias Task Force to find test cases where, quote-unquote, ‘Christian persecution’ can be prosecuted.”

In other words, this isn’t just some guy with a guitar trying to “own the libs.” Feucht has a direct line to Trump and his administration. And they are actively looking for opportunities to prosecute their “persecutors,” which could include Seattle officials who dare to enforce permit requirements if there’s an unsanctioned rally or counter protestors who get caught up in Feucht’s planned political theatre.

Taylor argues that the smart play here is to refuse to play at all. 

“I think the task right now is to de-escalate, to not step into the trap that is being laid—for officials to act in some way that is outside of previous norms or rules, or for protesters to push things in such a way that the drama ramps up,” he says. “Feucht’s entire playbook is premised on the idea that he can present himself as a victim and that he can present himself as a persecuted Christian who is just doing normal Christian business.”

Feucht doesn’t need to convince anyone in Seattle that he’s actually being persecuted. He’s not trying to win the hearts and minds of Seattle’s progressive community.

“He doesn’t have to convince PBS NewsHour or CNN or The New York Times that he is the victim,” Taylor says. “He is preaching to the choir of the viewers and consumers of right-wing and far-right media, especially Christian media, and so they are very eager to believe it. “

So what’s different this time around? Simple: the stakes are higher, and Feucht is more desperate and extra eager for confrontation. He’s running away from allegations of his own misdeeds.

Several former employees and volunteers came out with allegations about Spiritual, moral and financial abuse.

“He wants to distract his followers from the very legitimate concerns that are being raised about his own integrity and the way that he operates his own organizations,” Taylor says. “The more attention he can draw to this, the more news coverage he can get, the more he can sell this narrative of evangelical victimhood, the more it substantiates and helps him bridge over this big crisis that he has internal to his organizations.”

On Wednesday, a shooter opened fire during morning mass at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, killing two children, 8 and 10, and injuring 17 others. The right as a whole have jumped on the fact that the shooter was possibly trans (court records indicated the shooter at one time identified as trans, but it’s unclear how the shooter identified recently), and totally ignored they had Nazi and far-right ideology and was heavily inspired by past mass-shooters, going as far to write the names of mass-shooters on their guns that inspired them.

Feucht, never one to miss an opportunity to hate on trans people, took to twitter and instagram to rage against Trans folks, one tweet simply read: “TIME TO ADDRESS TRANS TERRORISM.” He later took to instagram with a violent video rant where he states the trans community a “demonic spirit hellbent on stealing, killing and destroying.” The “spirit is taking an entire generation out,” he continues, and refers to stats of how many people identify as queer, then calls it a death cult and declares it’s “time to cast it out of our nation.” So, Seattle, Feucht is coming in hot.

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