Onward Christian Soldiers: Is It A Kirker?

Summary

Extremely American: Onward Christian Soldiers – Episode Summary: "Is It A Kirker?"

In the June 26, 2024 episode of NPR’s Extremely American, titled "Onward Christian Soldiers: Is It A Kirker?", hosts Heath Druzen and James Dawson delve deep into the resurgence of Christian nationalism in contemporary America. Focusing on the small town of Moscow, Idaho, the episode unpacks how an influential far-right church, Christchurch, is orchestrating a strategic takeover of local governance and real estate to reshape the community and, by extension, American democracy.

---

1. Historical Context of Christian Nationalism

[00:47] Heath Druzen begins by tracing the roots of Christian nationalism in America, highlighting its cyclical presence throughout the nation's history. He references Father Charles E. Coughlin, a prominent Catholic priest from the 1930s who leveraged radio to propagate anti-communist and anti-Semitic sentiments. Coughlin's movement, which culminated in the formation of the violent Christian Front, set a precedent for modern iterations of Christian nationalism.

Notable Quote:

Heath Druzen [00:47]: "Christian nationalism isn't new in America. Versions of it have ebbed and flowed through much of the country's history."

---

2. Evolution to Modern-Day Christian Nationalism

Transitioning to the late 20th century, Druzen outlines the shift of Christian nationalism towards a more political and Protestant identity, exemplified by the emergence of the Moral Majority under Reverend Jerry Falwell. The narrative progresses to the election of Donald Trump in 2016, portraying him as a figure who embraced and amplified Christian nationalist ideals.

Notable Quote:

Doug Wilson [02:29]: "Living by God's principles promotes a nation to greatness. Violating those principles brings a nation to shame."

---

3. Christchurch Church and Doug Wilson’s Vision

Central to the episode is Doug Wilson, leader of Christchurch in Moscow, Idaho. Unlike Coughlin's overt paramilitary approach, Wilson advocates for a theocratic society through peaceful means, emphasizing business ownership and cultural influence over direct political action.

Notable Quote:

Heath Druzen [03:56]: "Doug Wilson, the head of Christchurch in Moscow, Idaho, wants a theocracy—a government ruled by religion."

---

4. Strategic Takeover Through Politics and Real Estate

The episode details Christchurch’s initial attempts to infiltrate local politics, which largely ended in electoral defeats. Undeterred, the church shifted focus to real estate acquisition, now controlling nearly 20% of downtown Moscow’s properties. This strategic ownership allows them to influence the town’s economy and culture subtly.

Notable Quote:

Josh Flickner [24:14]: "We're not just in business to make some money. We are there to deeply affect culture."

---

5. Impact on Downtown Moscow and Local Businesses

Druzen and Dawson explore the tangible effects of Christchurch’s expansion on Moscow’s downtown. Business owners report increased tensions, boycotts, and a palpable divide between Kirker-affiliated and non-Kirker establishments. Personal stories, such as that of Nikki Woodland, illustrate the community's struggle with economic and ideological pressures.

Notable Quotes:

Nicky Woodland [21:37]: "Are you Christchurch or are you not? And whenever any new business opens, that's the biggest question."

Arlene Falcon [17:56]: "We don't want to support the Christchurch. They're a little crazy kind of cult-like and we don't like the idea that they think they can try to take us over."

---

6. Personal Stories of Resistance and Compliance

The episode features narratives from local business owners like Tyler Ann Koviak and Josh Flickner, who navigate the challenges posed by Christchurch’s dominance. While some, like Tyler, strive to maintain inclusive business practices, others experience direct pushback, leading to closures and relocations.

Notable Quote:

Sarah Levy [13:20]: "If you look at somebody right, you have two needs. You have physical needs and you have spiritual needs. And I feel that God made me in such a way that I'm particularly well equipped to feed physical needs."

---

7. Christchurch’s Future Plans and Broader Ambitions

Looking ahead, the podcast examines Christchurch’s broader ambitions to expand beyond Moscow. Andrew Krapusetz, a prominent church member and CEO, exemplifies this vision through his entrepreneurial ventures aimed at fostering a conservative Christian economy. Initiatives like the Red Balloon job board and extensive real estate investments signal a calculated effort to reshape cultural and economic landscapes nationwide.

Notable Quote:

Andrew Krapusetz [27:27]: "My goal was to build people and change the economy of my local county and town. Right. 50 jobs at earning $50,000 a year in my local community."

---

8. Community Response and Future Implications

The episode concludes by highlighting the community’s polarized response to Christchurch’s influence. As Christchurch continues to acquire more properties and expand its reach, the episode poses critical questions about the future of small-town America and the integrity of democratic institutions in the face of organized ideological movements.

Notable Quote:

Doug Wilson [35:18]: "Build wealth and expand your ideology across the state, across the country, and eventually across the world to reshape everything in their version of God's image."

---

Conclusion and Upcoming Insights

"Is It A Kirker?" effectively captures the intricate dynamics of how religious ideology, when intertwined with political and economic strategies, can challenge the foundational principles of American democracy. The episode sets the stage for future installments by promising to delve deeper into the controversies and personal transformations within Christchurch’s ranks.

Teaser for Next Episode:

Heath Druzen [35:55]: "Next time on Extremely American Onward Christian Soldiers, how Pastor Doug became Doug and how he's navigated one controversy after another."

---

Production Credits: Extremely American is created by Heath Druzen, with writing and reporting by Heath Druzen and James Dawson. The episode features story editing by Morgan Springer, mixing and sound engineering by James Dawson, and contributions from Naomi Barr (fact-checking), Mary Ellen Pitney, Madeline Beck, Sasha Woodruff, and Rachel Cohen. Music is provided by Artlist, with Boise State Public Radio as a partner and distribution via the NPR Network, supported by a grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Transcript

[Narrator]

This message comes from Intuit TurboTax now taxes is matching with an expert backed by tech to get you the most money [e-mail] Experts only available with TurboTax Live. See guarantee [e-mail] guarantees this message comes from Instacart explaining football to the friend who's just there for the nachos. Hard tailgating from home like a pro with snacks and drinks everyone will love an easy win. And with Instacart helping Deliver the Snacktime MVPs to your door, you're ready for the game in as fast as 30 minutes, so you never miss a play or your seat on the couch. Shop game day faves on instacart and enjoy $0 delivery fees on your first three grocery orders offer valid for a limited time. Other fees and terms apply.

[Heath Druzen]

Christian nationalism isn't new in America. Versions of it have ebbed and flowed through much of the country's history. But you have to go back to the 1930s to see a movement as emboldened as today's. Ladies and gentlemen, we present at this time the regular Sunday afternoon address of Father Charles E. Coughlin from Royal Oak, Michigan. That's when a Catholic priest named Charles Coghlan became one of the first radio stars known as Father Coughlan. 30 million Americans tuned into his show each week. He called for America to be more Christian to combat communism. And he had one particular scapegoat for the world's problems.

[Co-Reporter]

Apostate Jews dominated communism with its mass murder of more than 20,000 Christians in a period of 130 days of horror.

[Heath Druzen]

Coughlin embraced anti Semitism, even whipped up pro Nazi feelings. Eventually, he helped organize his followers into a violent gang called the Christian Front. He wanted them to overthrow the US Government to make the country more Christian. The group attacked Jews and targeted their businesses. Eventually, the Christian Front was broken up after a mass arrest by federal agents, and Father Coughlin's show was canceled. But Christian nationalism simmered in the background. In the 60s and 70s, it became more political and more Protestant. Groups like the Moral Majority gained influence, registering millions of conservative voters. Here's the group's founder, Reverend Jerry Falwell, in 1982.

[Doug Wilson]

Living by God's principles promotes a nation to greatness. Violating those principles brings a nation to shame.

[Heath Druzen]

And then Donald Trump was elected in 2016. He has embraced Christian nationalists. Religion and Christianity are the biggest things missing from this country, and I truly believe that we need to bring them back, and we have to bring them back fast. I think it's One of the biggest problems we have. That's why our country is going haywire. And people like Doug Wilson see an opening in Trump. They see someone receptive to their theocratic ideas and they are convincing more politicians to adopt those ideas. The flavor of Christian nationalism coming from people like Doug Wilson today is different from Father Coughlan's anti Semitic, overtly pro fascist version in the 30s. It lacks a paramilitary wing, for one, though Doug often uses war terminology. And Doug has spoken against bigotry, though as we'll see, he has some offensive ideas about slavery and race. Like Coughlan, though, Doug and his allies have lofty ambitions. They say they want the whole world to be remade in God's image, for everyone to live according to biblical principles, instill the holy word into every part of life.

[Doug Wilson]

Theocracy is an inescapable concept.

[Heath Druzen]

Theocracy, a government ruled by religion. That's what Doug Wilson, the head of Christchurch in Moscow, Idaho, wants. Doug cites a few Bible verses to justify his goal. One is Acts 26:29. And Paul said, whether short or long, I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am, except for these chains. Here's Doug from his audio blog explaining it.

[Doug Wilson]

We are Christians and evangelical, which means that, like the Apostle Paul, we desire all men to have a share in what we have been given.

[Heath Druzen]

Conveniently enough, Doug's dad, Jim Wilson, already wrote a guide on installing theocracy way back in the 60s. It's called Principles of War. The instructions target small rural college towns, small enough to take over, but big enough to matter. You know, like Moscow. Good Evening, everyone.

[Sarah Levy]

It's December 4, 2023, and this is.

[Heath Druzen]

A regular meeting of the Moscow City Council.

[Co-Reporter]

Sheena.

[Narrator]

Welcome, all of you.

[Heath Druzen]

The most obvious way to seize power is to run for political office.

[Nicky Woodland]

One nation under God and invisible.

[Heath Druzen]

You get elected and you start making moves to change policy or laws. Go to just about any town in America on a random weeknight. That's where you'll find the beating political heart of our country, the humble city council.

[Nicky Woodland]

At what point do we reevaluate the traffic and the safety of the area?

[Heath Druzen]

So, long term, these people decide how much your property taxes are, how, or if you can build a garage or renovate your home. They make decisions that often affect our daily lives far more directly than those voting in Congress.

[Co-Reporter]

Julia Aye.

[Heath Druzen]

Maureen Aye.

[Co-Reporter]

Gina Aye.

[Heath Druzen]

Sandra Aye. Local government issues like zoning laws and taxes are big priorities for Christchurch members. So they started running for office. They started small in 2015, Christchurch members ran for the board of a local food co op and won a near majority. Critics said this was just the beginning of the takeover. In town, Doug said that Bond villain takeover narrative was ridiculous. At the time, he said someone's religion has nothing to do with overseeing an organic grocery store. Quote, if we can't agree to rally around overpriced produce, what can we rally around? Unquote. After that, though, Christchurch members have pretty much lost every election, I haven't seen.

[Narrator]

Any traction gained in that area.

[Heath Druzen]

That's Brandy Sullivan, a former city council member and downtown business, speaking to NBC's Meet the Press in 2022. In 2020, Gabriel Rench, one of Christchurch's most prominent members, lost a county commissioner's race. That same year, another Christchurch member lost his bid for city council. And in 2023, a couple candidates running for seats on the local library board also lost. These losses are a blow to the church's goal of gaining power. But they've found another strategy. I'm talking about real estate. And church members are thriving. Nearly 20% of buildings in downtown Moscow are owned by Christchurch, its affiliates or known members, according to property records. And they're actively looking to buy up more. I'm Heath Druzen and this is extremely. Onward Christian Soldiers, a story about a small town, a big church, and the people who want to make America a Christian nation. Episode 2 Is it a Kirker? Downtown Moscow is small, but there is a lot going on. A six block radius that's packed with local stores and restaurants. Like your quintessential American downtown from decades ago. My co reporter Jimmy and I walk around and take a look within.

[Co-Reporter]

A literal 10 minute walk. You can do a lot. Eat a gyro, pawn off your VHS collection, grab a drink while you get your computer fixed, or buy a new tent. There's a black cat in the window of the bicycle shop too.

[Heath Druzen]

You gotta love the storefront cat. That's a classic. We move ahead about 50 steps and bam. Here's New St. Andrews College. It's affiliated with Christchurch and critics have been trying to evict it from downtown for more than a decade. New St. Andrews is in this sort of classic red brick building. Yeah, like a real kind of classic downtown Idaho type of building. And it is right in the middle of everything.

[Co-Reporter]

And for you, dear listener, we're hitting Moscow's restaurant scene. We're at a place called Tapt, just in time for morning prep. Cooks and other kitchen staff are shredding cheese, simmering sauces and washing dishes. The guy I'm here to see is one of the co owners, Tyler Ann Koviak.

[Sarah Levy]

This is one of the original downtown buildings, was built in the 1890s.

[Co-Reporter]

He's a big beer nerd, which you kind of have to be in his line of work.

[Sarah Levy]

We have 40 taps, we do beer, wine and cider.

[Co-Reporter]

Tyler came to Moscow in 2008 for college and loved it. He says he connected with the community and felt like he belonged here. He met his wife and got married. Tyler worked as a teacher after graduating. When he first started at tapt, he didn't have much professional experience in the hospitality industry, but he had a lot of informal training. Growing up in the Baltimore suburbs.

[Sarah Levy]

At least three out of four Sundays a month, somebody had everybody over and very often it was my family to the point where we kind of became this like small in home restaurant where it's between me and my siblings, under my parents direction. We just kind of knew how to feed 30 and then next year 40 and then a couple years on 80 people a couple of times a month, every month. And so yeah, grew up with a love of good food and good drink.

[Co-Reporter]

There's something we haven't really told you yet about Tyler though. Those gatherings, they were related to Tyler's church. It's affiliated with Christchurch. His school in Maryland is modeled after logos, the K12 school connected with Christ Church, the college he went to in Moscow. Yep. New St. Andrews also connected to Christchurch, the school he taught at Logos online division. He's a member of one of Christchurch's sister congregations. He's a boogeyman to critics. They're afraid he's one of those Christchurch affiliated members taking over the city's downtown. Those feelings aren't exactly without merit. Remember, these congregants own nearly 20% of properties in this six block area.

[Heath Druzen]

Tyler's affiliation gets him labeled a Kirker, a name used by members of the congregation and critics. It kept coming up in my conversations. Equally used as a pejorative and a term of affection. The word kirk is Scottish for church, along with roots in a few other European languages. Doug Wilson says he used the term in the days when web addresses had strict character limits.

[Doug Wilson]

Christchurch was too long. But Kirk fit. So we started, we became ChristKirk.com and then sometime after that I was thinking about it and I thought, you know, if we don't name ourselves, somebody else will. And I didn't want to be the Mongoons or something, you know, So I came up with Kirkers as a. Okay, this is a short way of naming us to head off other people naming us.

[Heath Druzen]

Critics paint Kirkers as a monolith. Anything Doug says goes and you'd better fall in line. The perceived divide between Kirkers and non Kirkers was on full display in June 2023. Businesses had a sort of flag off. They either hung rainbow flags celebrating Pride month or a flag adopted by Christian nationalists. It's a white flag in the upper left hand corner. There's a red cross imposed on a blue square.

[Co-Reporter]

Tyler says he didn't join in. The flag off his restaurant tapped didn't fly anything. He says he just wants to take care of people.

[Sarah Levy]

If you look at somebody right, you have two needs. You have physical needs and you have spiritual needs. And I feel that God made me in such a way that I'm particularly well equipped to feed physical needs.

[Co-Reporter]

Right.

[Sarah Levy]

I can take care of you. I can feed you all right. I can make sure that you feel valued and honored and that your body is taken care of.

[Co-Reporter]

But Tyler does agree with Doug and many other Kirkers when it comes to taking over the town, the country and the world. They would do it through establishing new churches to spread the gospel, through building schools, teaching their flavor of Christianity and of course through businesses. But it would be a friendly takeover, according to Tyler.

[Sarah Levy]

We want to be as entrepreneurial, hard working Christians as we can be because we want to see that day come and so hostile takeover? No. Do we do that by torch and pitchfork and driving people out? Absolutely not. Right. I believe that the Holy Spirit will work through the entire world to make it a Christian, Christian world. So yeah. Do I think this town will be taken over by the gospel? 100%. Do I think that we are supposed to honor God with our effort?

[Co-Reporter]

Right.

[Sarah Levy]

And be as again thoroughly consistent Christians as we can? Absolutely. Should anybody be scared of that? I don't think so.

[Co-Reporter]

But people in Moscow are concerned and they have been for a while.

[Arlene Falcon]

I just boycott those places, not where I want to go.

[Co-Reporter]

That's next after the break.

[Narrator]

Support for NPR and the following message come from Betterment, the automated investing and savings app. CEO Sarah Levy shares how Betterment utilizes tech tools powered by human advice.

[Arlene Falcon]

Betterment is here to help customers build wealth their way.

[Co-Reporter]

And we provide powerful technology and complete.

[Sarah Levy]

Human support where technology can deliver ease.

[Arlene Falcon]

Of use and affordability.

[Sarah Levy]

And the people behind that technology can.

[Co-Reporter]

Provide advice and guidance.

[Narrator]

Learn [e-mail] Investing involves risk. Performance not guaranteed.

[Andrew Krapusetz]

This message comes from CarMax. Searching for your next car? Don't settle. Thrive at CarMax. It's easy to shop online or in person. With upfront pricing and tools designed to help, finding a car you love has never been easier. Plus, you can sell or trade in your current vehicle with an online offer in minutes. No strings attached. Start shopping now to find a car you'll [e-mail] CarMax the way it Should.

[Narrator]

Be this message comes from Intuit TurboTax now taxes is matching with an expert backed by tech to get you the most money [e-mail] Experts only available with TurboTax Live. See guarantee [e-mail] Guarantees.

[Co-Reporter]

On the sidewalk in downtown Moscow, there's a pudgy dragon made out of scrap metal. The dragon's holding a sign and if you follow its directions, you'll find your way to Arlene Falcon. Sweet name, right? She runs tie dye.

[Arlene Falcon]

Everything here is my production area and we use every little square foot of space that we have and things start over there where we soak the things in that bucket over there and that's what makes the colors stick to what we're doing.

[Co-Reporter]

Arlene has been in downtown Moscow for about 25 years. She says when she first arrived it was a supportive and friendly vibe downtown. But that didn't last long. People in town started actively boycotting Kirker owned businesses around that time. There was an official list of those businesses passed out that continues online today, even decades later. The blowback came after the discovery of a pamphlet co written by Doug Wilson about slavery. He said it wasn't nearly as bad as people made it out to be. We'll get into the details in the next episode. People also started becoming more publicly critical of the church's very conservative beliefs, like subservient wives who must vow to obey their husbands.

[Arlene Falcon]

We don't want to support the Christchurch. They're a little crazy kind of cult like and it's we don't like the idea that they think they can try to take us over. So as an alternative progressive business, I feel even more strongly about that. With the advent of Christchurch getting all these businesses downtown, there's definitely more of a schism and more of a them and us kind of thing.

[Co-Reporter]

More people almost exclusively shopping at either Kirker or non Kirker businesses.

[Arlene Falcon]

I've had Jehovah Witness people in here. I've had ROTC people, I have army people. I rarely see people that are part of the Christchurch in here. When I go to a place like Bootsers, I feel like an outsider.

[Co-Reporter]

Bootser's is a Kirker associated coffee shop. Nicky Woodland can feel the Tension more too.

[Nicky Woodland]

It feels like an invasion. It feels like they are trying to take over.

[Co-Reporter]

Nikki and her husband run the Monarch Motel and a restaurant across the street called Nectar. They moved back to the area around 2005, a little bit after the slavery pamphlet controversy had mostly died down.

[Nicky Woodland]

Well, I thought it was awful, but at that time I didn't think it was a big deal in the sense that I didn't think that they were very big, this church, or had very much influence.

[Co-Reporter]

Nikki eventually would have to learn more about Christchurch. She was interested in opening another business in a space owned by New St Andrews College, one of the Christchurch affiliated schools. Nikki says during lease negotiations, she asked the college if it would be an issue that she wasn't a Kirker.

[Nicky Woodland]

They phrased it as they were happy to bring in outside people who weren't part of the church into their business because they wanted to bridge the gap in the community. And I thought, well, that's kind of nice, like maybe we should, you know, give people the benefit of the doubt. And we're living together, we can live side by side. So it felt okay.

[Co-Reporter]

So they decided to lease the space. Blum opened in 2011, serving breakfast and lunch in the heart of downtown Moscow. And it quickly took off. Business was good and Nikki was happy. But as Bloom grew in popularity, Nikki says, so did her uneasiness about her landlords.

[Nicky Woodland]

So it progressively got more and more uncomfortable to pay rent to them.

[Co-Reporter]

Was that because they were raising your rent? Was it because of other considerations?

[Nicky Woodland]

Not just the moral factor, really. It was more just like a conscious thing.

[Co-Reporter]

That moral factor she's talking about is giving money to an institution that fights against principles Nikki holds dear, like women's reproductive rights. And these feelings kept building until in 2017, six years after she'd opened the business, Nikki and her husband pulled out. Her husband's family continued to run the restaurant until 2021. That's when new St Andrews declined to renew their lease. In a Facebook post, the college said it wanted to move its bookstore there in order to expand the school library. Either way, it was one less non Kirker business downtown. Nikki says her in laws bore the brunt of dealing with Kirkers. I reached out to them several times, but they declined to comment. For Nicky, this is when she really began to notice an even stronger divide.

[Nicky Woodland]

It's like, are you Christchurch or are you not? And whenever any new business opens, that's the biggest question. You know, it's the first thing people think of. I think. It's not like, what are they doing? What are they providing? What is the space like? It's who owns it, and I need to find out. Yeah.

[Co-Reporter]

Is that what you think?

[Nicky Woodland]

Yes. I used to not. I used to think that it shouldn't matter what other people believe. You know, they have the right to their beliefs and I have the right to mine. And it's not like I go into a convenience store and ask who owns it and what are your religious beliefs? But the more that they do take over downtown and buy up the buildings, the more it bothers me, and I want to make sure that my money doesn't go to that church.

[Co-Reporter]

Occasionally these boycotts have had an effect. Josh Flickner told NBC's Meet the Press his cafe Journey's End was hurting.

[Sarah Levy]

I really wanted this place to be actually a bridge builder in the community. And so, yeah, it's really a bummer that a lot of people in the.

[Co-Reporter]

Community are just so full of bigotry.

[Sarah Levy]

That they do not want to even.

[Co-Reporter]

Try to build those bridges. He said his employees would have to deal with prank phone calls. Three weeks after filming that interview, he announced he was closing his cafe. He's since reopened a gaming shop with the same name at that location. The boycott effort hasn't seemed to hurt Tyler's restaurant and bar Tap, though. Every time Heath or I walked by, it was packed. Tyler says the situation mostly just makes him sad.

[Sarah Levy]

I know what my intentions are, right? My intentions are to feed and take care of people. We've never refused service to anybody, right. I've never not employed somebody who is well qualified for the job because they didn't go to my church or anything like that.

[Co-Reporter]

While the boycotts have tried to keep people out of Kirker businesses, there's another issue at play. Businesses can come and go, but building ownership tends to be more permanent. And that has some people in Moscow very concerned. Coming up, the crooker who's buying downtown Moscow building by building.

[Josh Flickner]

We're not just in business to make some money. We are there to deeply affect culture.

[Andrew Krapusetz]

This message comes from CarMax. Boldly searching for your next used vehicle. With CarMax, you don't have to settle on anything when it comes to your ride. Instead, steer clear of the ordinary and buy the car that's right for you. Because CarMax makes it easy to stop settling and find a car you'll love today. Start shopping [e-mail] CarMax the way car buying should be.

[Narrator]

This message comes from Grainger. As a maintenance specialist for a historic high rise, you know that vintage charm historically needs constant attention. Which is why when it's time to upgrade turn of the century mechanicals, they turn to Grainger. With easy access to a million plus products and the scale to deliver when and where you need them, the right tools and supplies are never far away. So you can keep that vintage building running like new. Call click granger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done. This message comes from Pemco Mutual Insurance Company. You know that moment when things take an unexpected turn and you get that sudden sinking feeling that maybe it could have been avoided? Pemco Insurance wants to help you avoid that feeling by sharing prevention tips that empower you to prevent some of life's preventable pitfalls. Because Pemco's commitment to their customers goes beyond the moment of acclaim, it's about being with their customers every day. [e-mail] Prevention.

[Co-Reporter]

Now that Kirkers own about 20% of downtown Moscow, Pastor Doug Wilson is thrilled.

[Doug Wilson]

It's a thriving downtown now. So that's the next thing is people in our church are in this respect like the people in every church. They have to feed their family, right? So if you talk to people in the Methodist church, it's not like nobody has a job. They have businesses and they, you know, insurance companies. But nobody gets freaked out at how many Methodists own businesses.

[Co-Reporter]

There's one Christchurch member who's been gobbling up a lot of this prominent real estate.

[Josh Flickner]

We're not just in business to make some money. We are there to deeply affect culture.

[Co-Reporter]

This is Andrew Krapusetz speaking at a conference called county before country in 2022. Andrew moved to Moscow in 2001 after hearing Doug Wilson preach on a cassette tape. Yeah, remember those? He was living in the San Francisco Bay Area at the time because I.

[Josh Flickner]

Was tired of traffic and liberals in the Bay Area and thought, well, there's this guy up there with the church. He's a little bit crazy. Let's give it a shot. I was getting sermons.

[Co-Reporter]

He eventually became friends with Doug and his family and he became an elder at Christchurch, a leadership position he still holds. When he first arrived in Moscow, Andrew worked at a labor market data company. Eventually he became the CEO and made a ton of money doing it, he says. But that wasn't his original goal.

[Josh Flickner]

My goal was to build people and change the economy of my local county and town. Right. 50 jobs at earning $50,000 a year in my local community. If I create two and a half million dollars of annual payroll in my town, then I will actually affect the economy. You'll see families who can afford to go to private education or get the right homeschooling curriculum. You'll see moms staying home with their kids. You'll see people being able to fund church buildings.

[Co-Reporter]

A business can change culture through its employees, according to Andrew. A business can also do that with its policies. Here's an example. Andrew says in recent years, liberals have been better than conservatives at realizing the power of employers to shape culture. Things like diversity, equity and inclusion, and critical race theory initiatives.

[Josh Flickner]

Don't think for a minute that they are not using their position in business to affect culture. Those DEI and CRT trainings are really a liturgy.

[Co-Reporter]

In 2021, Andrew decided to fully lean into America's culture wars as a full time job. He started his own company called Red Balloon, a job board for people tired of working for woke companies. He says he was forced out of his CEO role at that labor market data company earlier that year after initially saying he was willing to talk to us. Andrew hasn't returned our messages, so you'll just have to hear him through speeches and podcast appearances like on his own show, the Courageous Economy.

[Josh Flickner]

I had the board talk to me about saying, look, you're an unapologetic conservative Christian CEO and we're just not okay with that. In fact, they went so far as to say, look, if you want to be a CEO who happens to be a Christian, you know, maybe on the weekends, that's fine, but you're not allowed to be a Christian CEO.

[Co-Reporter]

We reached out to Andrew's former company, which sent us a statement. A spokesperson said Andrew left voluntarily in 2022, a year after his company merged with another firm. The statement goes on to say that it doesn't discriminate against employees, political or religious views. However, he left the company, Andrew got right back to business.

[Josh Flickner]

Oh, hey, remember me? How could you forget me?

[Co-Reporter]

He just took a bit of a break.

[Josh Flickner]

I knew you'd miss me. In fact, I missed me. Well, what's old crap been up to? You've probably been wondering. I've been wondering this as well. Some solitaire. Honestly, solitaire doesn't play itself. Long walks on an occasional beach and a new venture or three, one I'm even ready to share. Which is what brings.

[Co-Reporter]

That's when he announced the job board.

[Josh Flickner]

Red Balloon, which means lots of people are looking for new work and lots of companies are looking for new talent, especially in places with less fauci and more freedom to operate their business. The need forredball. Work is also being accelerated by Corporate sensitivity. Millions of people can no longer express their opinion anywhere without fear of being fired. Cancel culture is here.

[Co-Reporter]

And he's gotten traction with big players in the conservative arena, like this ad with Donald Trump Jr. That's why I'm so excited about Red Balloon. A lot of big companies are pushing woke ideology in the workplace and conservatives are being silenced and even removed. But Red Balloon is helping people find good jobs with companies who won't cancel. Andrew has other ways he's trying to change culture, too. He's using the fortune he made as the CEO of the labor market data company to buy up a lot of buildings in Moscow. Here's a short list. First, in 2017, he bought an iconic group of grain silos near downtown. It now has a coffee shop with plans to add residential housing and office space. Andrew has also used the spot as a massive beacon to celebrate Christmas. You can see it from all over town.

[Josh Flickner]

The son of God came into the world, changed it fundamentally. I'm going to celebrate this thing with a business that I can throw $25,000 towards Christmas in our community. So I built huge Merry Christmas signs, like 12 foot letters that I think one person said it was as close as you could get for Christmas decorations to be flipping someone off. But it was.

[Heath Druzen]

Merry Christmas.

[Co-Reporter]

Next, in 2019, he bought the 33,000 square foot McConnell Building on the north end of Main street. It has 34 apartments and six commercial spaces, some of them Kirker, including Andrew's own business, and some of them not. Andrew made his latest move in downtown Moscow in 2021. He bought another massive building with Doug Wilson's son, Nate Wilson, and another member of Christchurch. At the bottom of a press release announcing the purchase, there's a line encouraging other building owners in Moscow to get a hold of the group if they're interested in selling. That invitation scares some downtown business owners the most. If church members increasingly buy up this prime real estate, will they just lease it to their friends in the congregation? Will all secular businesses just be pushed out? One more thing. Andrew isn't just focused on downtown, which is where we've been this entire episode. In 2021, he also broke ground on 240 acres on the southern edge of Moscow. Here's Andrew speaking on a local podcast called kestrel country. In 2021, we put out 100 lots.

[Josh Flickner]

101 lots for phase one. And I let people know that they could reserve them with a $10,000 non refundable deposit. And we sold 85 of them in the first two days.

[Co-Reporter]

It's unclear just who bought these lots. Most are still linked to a company owned by Andrew, according to property records. Still, that's a lot of new space for a town of only about 26,000 people. And it's not all about business for Andrew. The one time we spoke in person at a Christian nationalist conference in October 2023, Andrew told me something I've long heard about from critics, the reason Kirkers say they aren't winning elections in Moscow. He says a lot of the congregation lives outside city limits, including himself. That development, though, sits just inside Moscow's borders. In a few years, when those lots are developed and people move in, which could include Kirkers, well, a few hundred new votes could start to change things in Moscow, according to Andrew. This is one of the blueprints Doug Wilson and his followers want to replicate. Build businesses, build a Christian culture.

[Doug Wilson]

It's part of the plan to bless, right? So, because when we started this, downtown Moscow was dying.

[Co-Reporter]

Build wealth and expand your ideology across the state, across the country, and eventually across the world to reshape everything in their version of God's image.

[Heath Druzen]

Next time on Extremely American Onward Christian Soldiers, how Pastor Doug became Doug and how he's navigated one controversy after another. You're making it sound like it wasn't as bad as people think. In fact, I think that's.

[Doug Wilson]

No, it wasn't as bad as people think. Right? Yeah. I was wanting to represent it as a normal social evil. Right. But I'm not a fan of slavery.

[Heath Druzen]

Extremely American was created by me, Heath Druzen. This season was written and reported by me and James Dawson. Story editing by Morgan Springer, mixing and sound engineering by James Dawson. Fact checking by Naomi Barr. Additional reporting and special thanks to Mary Ellen Pitney, who was a big help early on and throughout the project. Shout out to Madeline Beck, Sasha Woodruff and Rachel Cohen, who lent us their ears while we were writing this season. Music from Artlist. Boise State Public Radio is our partner for the this podcast. With distribution by the NPR Network, this podcast is made possible through a grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. If you're enjoying this season, check out season one of Extremely American. It's an inside look at armed militias and how they're influencing mainstream politics. Thanks for listening.

[Narrator]

This message comes from Warby Parker. What makes a great pair of glasses at Warby Parker? It's all the invisible extras without the extra cost, like free adjustments for life. Find your [e-mail] or visit one of their hundreds of stores around the country this message comes from Mint Mobile. From the gas pump to the grocery store, inflation is everywhere. So Mint Mobile is offering premium wireless starting at just $15 a month. To get your new phone plan for just $15, go to mintmobile.com/President Trump is.

[Sarah Levy]

Back in Washington pursuing major policy changes on his own terms. We know from the past that means challenging precedent, busting norms, and pushing against the status quo. NPR is covering it all with Trump's Terms, a podcast where we curate stories about the 47th president with a focus on how he is upending the way Washington works. Listen to Trump's Terms from NPR.