Christian nationalism
NC Senate leader endorses Lt. Gov. Robinson for governor
The person often identified as the most powerful Republican in North Carolina state government has endorsed the state’s current highest-ranking Republican in the race for governor. As had been expected by many observers ever since the two men shared a stage last April when the candidacy was announced, Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger of […]
LGBTQ rights, the UNC System and Christian nationalism: Three stories we’ll be watching closely in 2023
“It is difficult to make predictions,” Dutch politician Karl Kristian Steincke once wrote. “Especially about the future.” But if you’re a reporter who carefully follows a few issues, you don’t need a crystal ball to have a fairly good idea of what to look for in the new year. Here are some stories we're certain we’ll be following and reporting on in 2023: 1. Renewed legislative assaults on LGBTQ people
The week’s top stories on NC Policy Watch
1. Memo to Biden critics: We’d all love to see the plan The attacks on the president are relentless, but the political right offers no plausible policy alternatives Since Joe Biden assumed the presidency 21 months ago, the United States has, by any fair estimate, enjoyed a remarkable recovery in an array of vitally important […]
Demographic shifts, historical revisionism fueling Christian nationalist push among conservatives
This week, Policy Watch published a report on the Christian nationalism animating The American Renewal Project, a conservative evangelical group working closely with the N.C. Republican party to promote GOP candidates and recruit pastors to run for office. The group, which rejects the concept of a separation between church and state, seeks to make its […]
North Carolina Republican leaders embrace Christian nationalism
Conservative pastors, political allies aim to tear down any wall between church and state When Pastor Ken Graves took the podium at Calvary Chapel Lake Norman in Statesville last month, he cut an imposing figure. Dressed in jeans and heavy boots, the sleeves of his work shirt rolled up to reveal the large tattoos on his massive forearms, he wore a leather holster on his belt.
PW special report: Religious conservatives showcase close bond with NC Republican leaders
Recent church-based events test IRS rules, court allegations of Christian nationalism Gary Miller has a story he likes to tell about religion and politics. When serving as pastor of a church years ago, he was frustrated by how long it took to get a building permit. So he ran for city council - and lost by one vote. “I came back to my people Sunday morning,” Miller told a crowd earlier this month at Cross Assembly church in Raleigh. “And I said, ‘I’d like for everyone who voted for me to please stand’. And those that remained seated, I handed out voter registration cards.”