The Cross and the Capitol, Part 1: How Christian Nationalism's Pulpit-to-Policy Pipeline is Rewriting Iowa Law
Unpacking how a powerful ideology is wielding faith to influence political power, affect all Iowans, and drive a transformative shift in the state.
UPDATE: Part 2 of the series, The Cross and the Capitol, Part 2, is here; Part 3— Mapping the Network – Iowa's Christian Nationalist Infrastructure Exposed; Part 4 — Shattering Iowa – The Human Cost of Christian Nationalism; Part 5 Finale—Our Iowa – Reclaiming Democracy from the Christian Nationalist Grip
How Iowa Became Ground Zero for a National Movement to Reshape Democracy
The heated debate over library books at the school board meeting. The starkly political sermons echoing from Sunday pulpits. The hardening lines in local social media groups. Something feels different in Iowa lately. Maybe you've noticed it too—a shift in the tone from Des Moines, a deepening divide in community debates, and a new boldness in certain church messages that sound less like scripture and more like political strategy.
As your neighbor and fellow Iowan, I’ve felt it too. These changes spurred me to investigate the links between Sunday sermons and Statehouse votes. This series isn’t just about reporting events; it’s about decoding the network beneath them. By connecting publicly available data—legislative votes, campaign finance disclosures, organizational reports, and rhetorical patterns—it paints a clearer picture of an influence that often operates just below the surface of daily headlines.
What I’ve uncovered over months of research goes beyond partisan disagreement, revealing patterns I call the “Church-to-Statehouse Pipeline.”—where a specific political ideology, White Christian Nationalism, is being actively funneled into the laws that govern all of us. This isn’t about attacking anyone’s personal faith. It’s about understanding how a political movement, cloaked in religious language, is reshaping Iowa’s foundational values: fairness, equality, and even democracy itself.
Across this five-part series, I’ll piece together evidence from legislative records, campaign finance data, organizational networks, and the public rhetoric of key players to reveal how this pipeline operates, who’s building it, and what it means for Iowa’s future.
Defining the Threat: What is White Christian Nationalism?
To understand the pipeline, we first need to understand the fuel. White Christian Nationalism (WCN), as defined by scholars like Samuel Perry and Andrew Whitehead, goes beyond religious belief. It is a potent cultural framework that fuses a particular Christian identity with American identity and civic life.
While the idea of a “Christian nation” has roots in American history, modern White Christian Nationalism is a distinct political ideology. It seeks to wield political power to enforce a specific set of religious beliefs. At its core is the contested – Contested belief that the United States was established as a Christian nation, a claim many historians challenge.
Researchers and watchdog groups have identified several key tenets of WCN:
Fusing Identities: Merging a narrowly defined, conservative Christian identity with the definition of what it means to be a “true” American.
"Christian Nation" Mandate: Advocating for the U.S. to be governed by specific Christian values, with laws reflecting this mandate—a view that conflicts with the Constitution’s secular framework. Amanda Tyler of the Baptist Joint Committee warns that WCN "uses the language of religious freedom to advocate for religious privilege."
Privileging Christianity & Hierarchy: Seeking to ensure its interpretation of Christianity holds a dominant position, often reinforcing social hierarchies based on religion, race, and traditional gender roles.
Exclusionary Worldview: Establishing clear boundaries – an "in-group" of perceived "true" (conservative, White) Americans and Christians, versus "out-groups" comprising non-Christians, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, immigrants, and those with differing political views.
Dominionism and Divine Mandate: Influential factions within the movement, guided by ideas like the Seven Mountain Mandate, believe Christians have a divine calling to "take dominion" over all areas of society, from government to education.
It's critical to distinguish this political ideology from personal faith. While many adherents are deeply religious, White Christian Nationalism is not simply about faith— it is a political movement. Its aim is to translate one narrow interpretation of Christianity into law and policy, often at the expense of others' rights and the foundational principle of separating church and state.
The Authoritarian Connection
Beyond specific policies, scholars increasingly identify authoritarian tendencies intertwined with the ideology of White Christian Nationalism (WCN). This isn't simply about conservatism—it touches upon the very health of democratic norms and institutions. Experts on authoritarianism offer chilling warnings that strongly echo WCN's characteristics.
Recent American politics provides stark examples of the intersection between WCN and authoritarianism. The January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol featured elements associated with White Christian Nationalism, such as the use of Christian symbols alongside nationalist imagery. Christian symbols—wooden crosses, “Jesus Saves” signs—were carried alongside nationalist and white supremacist imagery, including Confederate flags and makeshift gallows. While many secular observers found this juxtaposition baffling, scholars like Philip Gorski and Samuel Perry identified it as a manifestation of White Christian Nationalism: an ideology capable of motivating anti-democratic, authoritarian, and even violent actions. That day revealed the troubling potential of WCN to inspire the rejection of legitimate election results and the use of violence to achieve political goals.
Authoritarianism expert Ruth Ben-Ghiat, in her book Strongmen, explains how authoritarian leaders often rise by promising to restore a mythical, "purer" past. In doing so, they target democratic institutions and norms as obstacles to their vision of national rebirth. This narrative aligns closely with WCN’s framing of America’s decline from a perceived Christian golden age and its adversarial stance toward secular governance.
This “us vs. them” rhetoric—this promise to restore a lost “purity”—has begun to feel disturbingly familiar here in Iowa.
Similarly, historian Timothy Snyder, in On Tyranny, warns against the patterns that lead to the erosion of democracies. “To abandon facts is to abandon freedom,” he writes—a warning that resonates deeply in the context of WCN. This ideology frequently elevates specific religious interpretations over established science (e.g., on gender identity) or historical truth (e.g., on the nation’s founding). WCN’s tendency to frame policies as divinely mandated rather than rooted in democratic consensus places it squarely in Snyder’s “danger zones.” He also cautions, “Be wary of paramilitaries,” a warning that becomes chillingly relevant when considering the overlap between WCN adherents and support for extra-governmental actions.
When facts are dismissed, and entire groups are targeted as enemies, the freedom of all is ultimately at risk.
Scholars have identified several anti-democratic patterns within WCN that align with authoritarian tendencies:
Imposition over Persuasion: Rather than persuading fellow citizens through democratic debate, WCN often seeks to impose its vision of a “Christian Nation” through political power. Compromise is viewed as betrayal, and dissent is treated as illegitimate.
"Othering" and Exclusion: WCN defines stark “in-groups” (white, conservative Christians) and “out-groups” (religious minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, immigrants, progressives, etc.). This division justifies discrimination and erodes the pluralism essential to a functioning democracy. The rhetoric against LGBTQ+ Iowans or immigrants, for example, portrays them as threats to traditional “Iowa values,” creating a scapegoat dynamic that echoes classic authoritarian tactics.
Challenging Democratic Processes & Norms: Adherents of WCN exhibit significant distrust in democratic institutions, skepticism of election integrity (especially when results are unfavorable), and a willingness to support leaders who flout democratic norms. Alarmingly, a 2024 Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) report found that Christian Nationalism adherents were nearly three times more likely than other Americans (31% vs 11%) to agree that “true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country.” This embrace of potential violence represents a dangerous departure from democratic principles and threatens civic stability.
The tendency toward violence statistically linked to this ideology isn't just a number. It’s a warning. It signals a chilling departure from the peaceful, democratic engagement most Iowans expect and deserve.
This isn’t a debate about cultural preference. It’s a profound challenge to democratic governance itself. When a movement prioritizes ideological purity over legal and democratic processes, demonizes vast swathes of the citizenry as “outsiders,” claims divine sanction for its political agenda, and cultivates a base more willing to embrace political violence, it threatens the very foundations of a diverse, peaceful, and free society.
Iowa: Fertile Ground for the Pipeline
Why is this ideology finding such purchase specifically in Iowa? Several factors converge to create the perfect conditions:
Demographics: Iowa’s population is approximately 89.6% White and 78% Christian. This demographic makeup provides fertile ground where WCN messaging can resonate more deeply with a majority population.
Political Landscape: The state’s pronounced shift toward Republican control in both the legislature and the governor’s office has created an environment where policies aligned with the WCN agenda face fewer obstacles. Ideas once relegated to the political fringe now find champions in positions of power.
Activated Networks: As we'll explore, well-funded and highly organized groups have effectively mobilized this demographic base, transforming latent sympathies into direct political action.
Many of us cherish an Iowa built on community, pragmatism, and mutual respect. But these converging factors have created an environment where an ideology seeking religious and cultural dominance can flourish—shaping policy in ways that demand our close attention.
Case Study: Eternity Church – The Pipeline in Action
To understand how the Church-to-Statehouse Pipeline operates in practice, let’s examine the case of Eternity Church in Urbandale—a megachurch and highly visible example of this network's influence. My previous reporting first flagged Eternity's political entanglement, but further investigation reveals it as a near-perfect model of the WCN influence strategy.
Pastor Jesse Newman doesn’t just preach scripture. He openly identifies as a Christian nationalist. His rhetoric, delivered from the pulpit and amplified across social media, frequently echoes the movement’s most extreme positions. Newman has publicly urged his congregation to “have more babies” to “outbreed the unbelievers”—a pro-natalist call rooted in the desire for demographic dominance. His sermons and online posts often target LGBTQ+ individuals, DEI initiatives, and political opponents, casting civic disagreements as spiritual warfare.
This goes beyond ordinary political disagreement. It’s language intended to polarize and dehumanize. It casts fellow Iowans not as partners in a shared society but as adversaries in a spiritual battle.
This is far more than local organizing; it’s a deliberate, well-resourced strategy to elevate particular voices while marginalizing others, eroding the fundamental idea that all Iowans deserve an equal say in our democracy.
What makes Eternity Church especially significant is not just its rhetoric but the mechanisms of influence it deploys. It provides a clear demonstration of how religious authority, political access, and financial backing connect to form a powerful circuit of influence:
The Political Stage: Eternity Church doesn’t shy away from overt political involvement. It famously hosted Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign launch, blurring the lines between a tax-exempt religious institution and a partisan rally ground. By positioning itself as a physical nexus for political activity, the church exemplifies how the pipeline operates in practice.
Amplification Network: Pastor Newman uses his platform to elevate national WCN figures like Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA, bringing their often divisive messages directly to his large Iowa audience. This feeds the ideological stream, ensuring that national WCN rhetoric finds a receptive local base.
Access, Endorsement, and Financial Corroboration: Newman maintains documented relationships with specific Iowa politicians, providing them with a platform and the implicit endorsement of his religious authority – a phenomenon I call the "religious authority amplification loop." Crucially, this isn't just about photo ops or shared stages. Financial records confirm the alignment.
Crucially, my independent research into Pastor Jesse Newman's political donations, conducted prior to consulting publicly available campaign finance records, is directly and unequivocally corroborated by data from OpenSecrets.org. These financial contributions mirror the public-facing relationships, creating a tangible link in the pipeline. Adding another layer, Nunn and Gehlbach are reportedly close personal friends, further reinforcing this political and ideological network.
Organizational Hub: Eternity Church is also affiliated with groups like Moms for Liberty and Turning point USA, serving as a local meeting point and recruitment ground for national organizations pushing the WCN agenda in schools and communities. This demonstrates how local nodes connect to broader networks, facilitating the spread of ideology.
Eternity Church serves as a case study in how a religious platform can be leveraged to achieve direct political mobilization, amplify messaging, broker access, and provide financial support for aligned politicians. These components are critical to the Church-to-Statehouse Pipeline and exemplify how this coordinated system operates in Iowa and beyond.
The Bigger Picture: A Coordinated Network
Eternity Church, while significant, is not an isolated case. It’s a highly visible node within a much larger, interconnected, and increasingly influential network across Iowa, working to channel WCN ideology into state policy.
At the center of this network is The Family Leader (TFL), led by Bob Vander Plaats. Frequently referred to as an Iowa GOP “kingmaker,” Vander Plaats exerts considerable influence. Operating under the mission to “inspire Christ-like leadership... in government” and promote a “gospel-centered approach to governance,” TFL serves as a powerful hub for advancing WCN ideology.
A cornerstone of TFL’s strategy is the "Church Ambassador Network," which is explicitly designed "to connect pastors directly with government leaders." This initiative institutionalizes the pulpit-to-policy pipeline, aiming to "bring God's Word into the Capitol." Through this network, TFL mobilizes its extensive church base to lobby for legislation aligned with its specific interpretation of “biblical values.”
Affiliated with the national Family Research Council (designated an anti-LGBT hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center), TFL is a major player in lobbying efforts in Des Moines. Its advocacy often translates into anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-abortion policies, with its fingerprints on key legislative battles, from judicial retention elections to recent changes in civil rights laws.
TFL's influence is amplified through partnerships with over 1,850 churches across Iowa. The Church Ambassador Network, explicitly designed "to connect pastors directly with government leaders," acts as a mechanism to institutionalize the pipeline, connecting pastors with lawmakers to influence policy directly.
Public lobbying records confirm TFL's systematic engagement via multiple registered lobbyists (Ryan Benn, Danny Carroll, Chuck Hurley, Josiah Oleson) on controversial legislation like HF419 (targeting transgender Iowans), anti-DEI measures, and other social policy bills. These lobbying efforts are carried out through both The Family Leader and The Family Leader Foundation, a tax-exempt charity, effectively leveraging both entities to push its agenda.
TFL isn’t the only organization employing these pipeline strategies. Several key groups and allies are operating in tandem:
Moms for Liberty: Local chapters of this group (designated an extremist group by the SPLC) focus on influencing school boards, advocating for book bans, and opposing inclusive curricula.
Turning Point USA: This organization activates conservative students on college campuses and increasingly in public secondary schools, often amplifying WCN themes and fueling grassroots energy.
Other Allied Groups & Churches: Lobbying records reveal coordinated efforts with organizations such as VALOR Iowa, Iowa Baptists for Biblical Values, and the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition, which frequently align with TFL on the same legislative efforts. Additional networks, such as the Engage Network focused on church planting, also contribute to the broader WCN landscape across Iowa.
This is not a loose collection of like-minded individuals. It is a well-organized and coordinated network that aligns messaging, mobilizes voters, directs resources, and applies sustained pressure on lawmakers. The result is a demonstrable success in transforming ideology into law through the established Church-to-Statehouse pipeline.
What's Next?
The influence is undeniable. The network is active. And the consequences are already being written into Iowa law, shaping everything from healthcare access and educational content to the fundamental civil rights of our neighbors. This pipeline isn’t just carrying prayers to Des Moines—it’s delivering a specific, exclusionary political agenda with deeply troubling authoritarian undertones.
In Part 2 of The Cross and the Capitol, we will pull back the curtain on the specific legislation passed and proposed right here in Des Moines. We’ll break down the text of these laws, explore the debates surrounding them, and reveal how the goals of the Christian nationalist network are being translated into policies that affect all Iowans.
This investigation is essential for understanding the forces reshaping our state. Engaging with these issues is critical as we navigate the path ahead. If you believe this work is important, please share it with your fellow Iowans to help spread awareness.
What has been your experience with these changes in Iowa? Share your thoughts and join the conversation as we continue to explore this issue in the next parts of this series. Part 2 is available here.
This investigation is vital for understanding the forces reshaping our state. If you believe this work is important, please share it with fellow Iowans. Subscribe to receive the next parts directly.