NPR podcast details fears about Christ Church

MOSCOW — A new podcast focusing on Christ Church and its role in the rise of Christian nationalism shared concerns from Moscow community members about the church’s growth in the city.

National Public Radio and Boise State Public Radio partnered to create the podcast series “Extremely American: Onward Christian Soldiers,” hosted by journalists Heath Druzin and James Dawson. The first two episodes were released Wednesday.

The podcast is the result of a yearlong project in which Druzin and Dawson interviewed Moscow community members and Christ Church leaders, including Pastor Doug Wilson.

In it, Wilson reiterated his church’s goal to make Moscow a Christian town, though not through a “top-down takeover.” He wants the church’s evangelizing efforts to attract more people to move to Moscow and be converted.

The podcast discussed Christ Church members buying property in downtown Moscow and beyond. According to the podcast, nearly 20% of Moscow’s downtown buildings are owned by Christ Church, its affiliate organizations or known church members.

Christ Church elder Andrew Crapuchettes has bought several downtown properties and broken ground on a 240-acre subdivision in southern Moscow in 2021.

Crapuchettes did not respond to Druzin’s or Dawson’s interview requests for the podcast. But Dawson spoke to Crapuchettes at a Christian Nationalist Conference in 2023. Crapuchettes reportedly told Dawson his opinion that an influx of Christ Church members moving to Moscow could sway local elections.

Ben Merkle, president of New Saint Andrews, the classical Christian college founded in Moscow by Wilson, said he loves to see his graduates shaping the culture by starting churches, starting families in town and creating businesses.

“When you do that for a while, it becomes infectious and it spreads and it draws other people to it,” he said.

Tyler Antkowiak, Christ Church member and owner of Tapped Taphouse and Kitchen, said he believes Moscow will be “taken over by the gospel.”

“Should anybody be scared of that? I don’t think so,” he said.

Several Moscow community members shared their fears about Christ Church’s intentions.

“Directed change by so few people with such a singular focus is dangerous to a community that has been built on being different, being inclusive, being relatively diverse, and welcoming everyone to this place,” said former Moscow Mayor Nancy Chaney.

Local business owners Arlene Falcon and Nikki Woodland discussed concerns about the church’s influence in the local economy, and how it has led to people boycotting businesses owned by Christ Church members.

Falcon described the church as “cult-like” and said it has created a schism in Moscow because of the church’s conservative beliefs.

Woodland started a restaurant called Bloom in the NSA-owned building downtown, but NSA ended Bloom’s lease in 2021 so that it could replace the restaurant with a college library. Woodland said her relationship with her landlords became increasingly uncomfortable because of NSA’s opposing views on issues like women’s reproductive rights.

She said when any new business opens in Moscow, people immediately wonder if it is owned by a church member.

The podcast detailed the rise of Logos School, a K-12 school created by Wilson, as well as the origin of NSA. Both schools teach a conservative, Bible-based curriculum.

Wilson discusses his hope for a theocracy in America and wants his church to play a pivotal role in that change. For example, he described NSA as a munitions factory training students to go out in the world and fight against secularism. He said secularism is resting on America “like a dense fog.”

“We want students who are threats to that fog,” he said.

The podcast touched on Wilson’s controversial views that women should have less power to vote and will go into his opinion that slavery, in his words, “wasn’t as bad as people think.”

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.