Trumpy church torn apart over 'dumbest' political war

A Tennessee church thinks that it's fighting Satan when it's fighting the political culture war, and the modern crusade has turned a "charismatic" movement into politics.

Extreme churches and beliefs that trend toward the more bizarre are those that often get ignored by politicians who don't want to be associated with something far outside of the mainstream. But the Tennessee church is using its charisma to turn culture wars into a very real battlefield where Satan is active in public life and Christians are called to fight back through prayer, prophecy and political engagement.

An extensive report from The Atlantic details the journey of Andrea and Mike Brewer, the founders of the Well, where they promote their belief that the Earth is the battlefield on which Heaven and Hell fight. Mike Brewer tells a story about his addiction to adult videos and was leading an unhappy life. While praying, he heard voices calling to him and felt what he believes was a demon being removed by God and replaced with the Holy Spirit.

"He and Andrea came to believe that God was unleashing new signs and wonders and raising up modern-day apostles and prophets, including, it turned out, them," the report said.

The couple belongs to a group of ministries called "Global Awakening," and Andrea has begun "studying demon history and hierarchies." The couple then started a demon hunt, finding it in a local bookshop and cafe. The owner discovered that the Brewers were accusing her of demonic activity when a customer flagged it. It happens to be across the street from the Brewers' new church.

Mike Brewer released several videos of himself sitting behind a desk and "he explained in a calm and methodical manner that the bookstore had been identified as a 'regional demonic stronghold.' A high-ranking demon named Lilith was involved, [owner Lisa] Misosky would learn, and the bookstore was being targeted for something called 'strategic-level spiritual warfare,' the goal of which was to 'remove the enemy.'"

Misosky was born in the town, she's a Catholic, a Democrat and she's gay. It might be the reason that the Brewers didn't first approach her to offer help or conduct their own blessing. They simply went to war.

“This is probably the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” said Misosky.

These are the same phrases coming from President Donald Trump, however. His ally, far-right firebrand Steve Bannon called Lutheran and Catholic people helping immigrants "demonic." His vice president, JD Vance thinks that "aliens" and "UFOs" are actually demons. One FEMA official claimed that he was transported through time and space to a Waffle House.

"In that beginning moment, though, Misosky was simply wondering what the accusations meant for her bookstore and the people who went there. Why was she being targeted? What, precisely, was demonic about Southland? The mah-jongg? The romantasy section? A drag performer called Icky Stardust? Her? She wondered if she needed to worry about security," the story read.

Misosky looked up her own demonology for answers and to prepare for what she could expect. A group known as the New Apostolic Reformation has devised its own "end times" narrative where they believe the Bible's tales of an afterlife are wrong and they're supposed to build their own Heaven on Earth while they await the return of Jesus Christ.

The Atlantic story noted that the narrative follows the political goals of the MAGA movement. "The Kingdom would have limited government, free markets, two genders, one kind of marriage, and one kind of God." The movement is no longer a marginal one. There are now Tens of millions of American Christians drawn into these kinds of ideologies and the explicit goal is to "dismantle the secular state," the American government itself.

Churches are no longer a place of peace but a "war room" and services are rallying cries. There are maps and battle themes and prayers that constantly focus on "victory over evil" language, the latter of which is government, education, the media, and businesses.

Trump's political victories have become signs of divine triumph over those they consider to be not fellow citizens but enemies in some kind of cosmic struggle.

The group has become a politically potent force, and the conflict between the Tennessee church and the local bookshop is only the beginning.