Organizations Promoting Christian Political Power
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Organizations Promoting Christian Political Power
A large network of religious, legal, electoral, educational, policy, donor, and church-based organizations has developed in the United States to increase Christian participation and influence in politics and government. These organizations vary considerably in theology, structure, tactics, and political goals. Some describe themselves primarily in terms of religious liberty, family policy, biblical citizenship, voter education, or civic engagement, while critics and scholars sometimes place portions of the network within the broader Christian Right or Christian nationalist movement.
The organizations operate through several overlapping strategies. These include registering and mobilizing voters, distributing voter guides, lobbying legislators, litigating constitutional and religious-liberty cases, recruiting Christians to run for office, connecting pastors with elected officials, training activists, shaping school and education policy, funding political campaigns and advocacy organizations, and promoting explicitly Christian approaches to public policy.
Electoral Mobilization and Christian Voter Networks
Electoral mobilization is one of the most visible forms of Christian political organization. Groups such as the Faith & Freedom Coalition, Faith Wins, Christians Engaged, My Faith Votes, iVoterGuide, and related organizations encourage Christians to register, vote, participate in campaigns, and remain active in politics between elections.
The Faith & Freedom Coalition describes large-scale voter registration, canvassing, church outreach, voter guides, text messaging, and turnout programs directed toward religious voters. Faith Wins similarly works with pastors and churches to encourage voter participation and connect religious leaders with political candidates and public officials.
Christians Engaged promotes prayer, voting, and political participation and has built a national voter-mobilization network. Its merger with the Family Policy Alliance Foundation expanded the relationship between voter mobilization and state-level Christian policy organizations.
My Faith Votes uses church outreach, voter information, technology, media, grassroots activists, and issue education to encourage Christian participation in elections. iVoterGuide provides candidate information and evaluations designed for voters who wish to make electoral decisions according to Judeo-Christian values.
These organizations reflect a broader effort to transform churches and religious communities into durable political constituencies rather than relying only on election-year campaigning.
Legal Advocacy and Religious-Liberty Organizations
Legal organizations form another major component of Christian political influence. Alliance Defending Freedom, First Liberty Institute, Liberty Counsel, and the American Center for Law and Justice have participated in litigation involving religious liberty, abortion, education, sexuality, free speech, church-state questions, and constitutional law.
Alliance Defending Freedom has become particularly influential through litigation and legal advocacy at both state and federal levels. First Liberty Institute concentrates heavily on religious-liberty cases and constitutional disputes. Liberty Counsel combines litigation with public-policy advocacy, while the American Center for Law and Justice has participated in constitutional litigation, legislative advocacy, and cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Legal organizations can influence policy differently from electoral groups. Instead of primarily attempting to elect candidates, they seek favorable legal precedents, defend religious organizations and individuals, challenge government policies, and shape constitutional interpretation.
The growth of these organizations demonstrates how litigation has become an important long-term strategy for religious conservatives seeking political and institutional influence.
Family Research Council and National Policy Organizations
The Family Research Council is one of the most prominent institutions within the modern Christian conservative political network. Through Family Research Council, FRC Action, the Center for Biblical Worldview, the Watchmen on the Wall pastor network, conferences, public-policy research, voter education, and political advocacy, the organization has sought to connect Christian social teachings with public policy.
The Values Voter Summit and its successor, the Pray Vote Stand Summit, have brought together religious activists, political candidates, elected officials, pastors, and conservative organizations. These gatherings illustrate the close relationship that developed between portions of the evangelical political movement and Republican political leadership.
Focus on the Family has also played an important historical role in evangelical political mobilization. The organization encouraged Christians to participate in elections, contact elected representatives, organize voter-registration efforts, and cooperate with state Family Policy Councils.
Organizations such as the American Family Association, Concerned Women for America, Eagle Forum, and The FAMiLY Leader represent additional parts of the institutional infrastructure that emerged from the Religious Right beginning in the late twentieth century.
State Family Policy Networks
Much Christian political advocacy occurs at the state rather than federal level. Family Policy Alliance coordinates or works alongside a broad network of state Family Policy Councils and allied organizations.
These groups include organizations such as the Idaho Family Policy Center, Kansas Family Voice, Nebraska Family Alliance, Minnesota Family Council, Wisconsin Family Action, Texas Values, The Family Foundation of Virginia, Center for Arizona Policy, California Family Council, Pennsylvania Family Institute, Massachusetts Family Institute, Indiana Family Institute, Palmetto Family Council, Montana Family Foundation, Wyoming Family Alliance, and Center for Christian Virtue.
Their activities commonly include lobbying state legislatures, producing voter guides, organizing churches, training activists, monitoring legislation, developing public-policy proposals, communicating with elected officials, and mobilizing voters.
Some organizations also operate candidate-training programs, school-board academies, leadership programs, or networks connecting pastors with legislators. Because many major policy disputes involving education, abortion, parental rights, sexuality, religious liberty, and election administration occur at the state level, these organizations can exercise influence far beyond national election campaigns.
Pastors, Churches and Political Mobilization
A recurring strategy within Christian political organizations is the recruitment of pastors and churches into civic and political activity.
The Family Research Council's Watchmen on the Wall network encourages pastors to address public-policy issues and become more involved in government and civic affairs. Faith Wins works to connect pastors with candidates and elected officials. The American Pastors Network seeks to develop networks of pastors and church liaisons engaged in public-policy issues.
The American Renewal Project goes further by encouraging pastors, elders, deacons, and other Christians to consider running for public office. Its programs have promoted the idea that religious leaders should seek positions on school boards, city councils, legislatures, and other government institutions.
Church Ambassador Networks, including programs associated with the Center for Christian Virtue and several state family-policy organizations, seek to build relationships between pastors and lawmakers.
These efforts reflect a broader strategy of viewing churches not merely as religious institutions but also as existing social networks capable of mobilizing citizens, developing leaders, communicating political information, and sustaining long-term civic participation.
Candidate Recruitment and Training
Some organizations explicitly train Christians to seek elected office.
The American Renewal Project has promoted pastor-to-office recruitment for many years. Family Policy Alliance operates leadership-development programs including the Statesmen Academy and School Board Academy. For Liberty & Justice, associated with Mercy Culture Church in Texas, has developed programs intended to identify and train Christian candidates.
Campaign University and similar initiatives illustrate a growing emphasis on creating a pipeline of candidates rather than merely supporting candidates who already exist.
This approach seeks to build long-term political influence by developing activists who can move from churches and advocacy organizations into school boards, city councils, state legislatures, and other governmental institutions.
Turning Point Faith and Church-Based Political Organizing
Turning Point Faith represents the expansion of conservative youth and political organizing into evangelical churches.
The organization has developed relationships with pastors and congregations and promotes political participation among conservative Christians. Partnerships involving Turning Point Faith, Liberty Pastors, MyChurchFinder, and other organizations illustrate attempts to identify churches receptive to more direct political engagement.
Such programs combine religious networks with techniques developed by modern political organizations, including digital communications, activist databases, leadership training, conferences, and voter mobilization.
Donor Networks and Coordinating Organizations
Political organizations require substantial financial and institutional support. Networks of donors, foundations, nonprofit organizations, and coordinating groups have therefore played an important role in sustaining Christian conservative political activism.
Ziklag is an invitation-only network of wealthy Christian donors whose internal planning documents described efforts to influence elections and major cultural institutions. Reporting has connected Ziklag funding with voter-mobilization efforts and charismatic Christian political activism.
The Council for National Policy has historically provided a private forum linking conservative donors, activists, religious leaders, legal organizations, political strategists, and policy institutions.
The National Christian Foundation and other philanthropic organizations have also appeared in reporting examining financial connections among conservative Christian organizations.
These networks illustrate how political influence can be produced not only by individual organizations but also through relationships among donors, ministries, advocacy organizations, think tanks, media operations, churches, and political campaigns.
New Apostolic Reformation and Seven Mountains Networks
The New Apostolic Reformation represents a decentralized charismatic Christian movement whose leaders and affiliated ministries have become increasingly visible in American politics.
Some NAR-associated leaders promote versions of the Seven Mountains idea, which encourages Christian influence within major spheres of society commonly described as government, business, education, media, family, religion, and arts or entertainment.
Political activity associated with these networks has included prayer gatherings, political rallies, voter mobilization, candidate support, church organizing, spiritual-warfare rhetoric, and relationships with political leaders.
The Courage Tour associated with Lance Wallnau became one prominent example of this form of organizing during the 2024 election cycle. Reporting also connected portions of this network with Ziklag and other donor organizations.
Scholars distinguish charismatic dominionist movements from other forms of Christian nationalism and from the older Religious Right, although organizational and political alliances frequently overlap.
Project Blitz and Model Legislation
Project Blitz illustrates a legislative strategy aimed at influencing state policy through coordinated model bills.
The project brought together organizations including the Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation, WallBuilders, and the National Legal Foundation. Model legislation addressed issues such as religious expression, schools, religious exemptions, historical displays, and other church-state questions.
Rather than relying solely on federal legislation, Project Blitz demonstrated how national advocacy organizations can provide templates and strategic support to state lawmakers.
Academic research has examined Project Blitz as part of the evolution of Christian Right political strategy and the increasing importance of coordinated state-level legislative campaigns.
WallBuilders, Patriot Academy and Biblical Citizenship
Political education is another important component of Christian political organizing.
WallBuilders promotes an interpretation of American history emphasizing Christianity's influence on the nation's founding and political institutions. Founder David Barton has worked with churches, political organizations, and state and federal lawmakers.
Patriot Academy combines constitutional instruction, leadership training, and explicitly Christian civic education. Its Biblical Citizenship courses are frequently hosted by churches and encourage participants to apply biblical principles to politics and government.
These programs attempt to shape political participation by providing Christians with a historical and theological framework for understanding citizenship, constitutional government, and public policy.
Education and School-Board Politics
Education has increasingly become a central arena for Christian political activism.
Organizations have mobilized around school-board elections, curriculum, parental rights, sexuality, religious expression, homeschooling, school choice, and the role of Christianity in public education.
Family Research Council, Family Policy Alliance, Patriot Mobile, Turning Point organizations, state Family Policy Councils, and other groups have participated in education-related political campaigns.
Patriot Mobile became particularly visible through involvement in Texas school-board politics. Family Policy Alliance and affiliated organizations have developed programs for training potential school-board members, while other organizations provide voter guides and policy resources concerning education.
The emphasis on school boards reflects a broader move toward local political organizing, where relatively small numbers of organized voters can significantly affect elections and policy decisions.
Local Political Infrastructure
Christian political organizing increasingly operates through local networks rather than only national institutions.
Citizens Defending Freedom, Mercy Culture Church, For Liberty & Justice, Patriot Academy, local pastor networks, and related organizations illustrate strategies focused on counties, school districts, city governments, and local elections.
Local activism can involve candidate recruitment, election volunteering, school-board campaigns, church organizing, voter registration, policy advocacy, and attendance at government meetings.
This decentralized approach allows national ideas and organizational strategies to be adapted to local political conditions.
Christian Ministries Inside Government Institutions
Not every organization seeking Christian influence in government engages directly in lobbying or elections.
Capitol Ministries conducts Bible studies and discipleship programs for elected officials while distinguishing its work from direct lobbying. Capitol Commission similarly places ministers in state capitols to provide Bible study, prayer, counseling, and discipleship to legislators and government staff.
The Center for Christian Statesmanship provides religious education, leadership development, and networking for Christians working within the federal government.
These ministries represent a different form of institutional influence based on relationships with officeholders rather than electoral campaigning or legislative lobbying.
Catholic and Business-Oriented Political Organizations
Christian political advocacy is not limited to evangelical Protestant organizations.
CatholicVote seeks to mobilize Catholics in public life and operates affiliated entities capable of lobbying and electoral activity.
The Christian Employers Alliance represents Christian business owners and employers in public-policy debates. Its CEA Action arm engages in legislative advocacy and government relations, while projects such as the Biblical Business Index evaluate legislation and lawmakers using explicitly biblical criteria.
These organizations demonstrate the expansion of religious political advocacy into professional, business, and Catholic networks.
Organizational Overlap and Network Structure
The Christian political movement is not controlled by a single organization. It functions more accurately as an overlapping network.
A pastor may participate in a Family Research Council conference, distribute material from a voter-mobilization organization, host a Patriot Academy course, work with a state Family Policy Council, attend events organized by Turning Point Faith, and support litigation conducted by a Christian legal organization.
Similarly, donors may support several organizations simultaneously, while political activists and organizational leaders often move between ministries, nonprofits, campaigns, government positions, and policy institutions.
This network structure helps explain how organizations with different primary functions—litigation, lobbying, voter mobilization, political education, candidate training, media, philanthropy, or ministry—can reinforce one another without operating under a single centralized authority.
Christian Political Participation and Christian Nationalism
Christian political participation and Christian nationalism are not synonymous.
Many Christians participate in politics for religious reasons without embracing Christian nationalism, and organizations described in debates about Christian nationalism vary considerably in ideology and objectives.
The term "Christian nationalism" is generally used by scholars to describe ideas that connect national identity and political authority with a particular understanding of Christianity. Some organizations or leaders reject the label while defending Christian political participation, biblical influence on public policy, or the idea that America's historical institutions were deeply shaped by Christianity.
Other organizations, scholars, journalists, and religious leaders argue that certain efforts to establish explicitly Christian authority over government or public institutions represent forms of Christian nationalism or dominionism.
Because these categories overlap imperfectly, evaluating individual organizations requires attention to their stated goals, policies, political activities, theology, and organizational relationships rather than assuming that all Christian political advocacy represents the same ideology.
Conclusion
Organizations promoting Christian political influence in the United States form a large and diverse political ecosystem.
Their activities include voter mobilization, candidate recruitment, litigation, legislative advocacy, pastor networks, political education, school-board campaigns, donor coordination, state policy organizations, government ministries, and leadership development.
Some institutions emerged from the Religious Right of the late twentieth century, while newer organizations use digital media, decentralized church networks, candidate-training programs, local political organizing, and sophisticated voter databases.
The resulting system operates across multiple levels of American government and civil society. National advocacy organizations interact with state Family Policy Councils; legal organizations pursue court cases; churches provide community networks; political training programs develop candidates; donor organizations supply financial resources; and voter-mobilization organizations attempt to translate religious identity into electoral participation.
Understanding Christian political power therefore requires examining not only individual organizations but also the networks connecting churches, donors, activists, legal organizations, educational programs, political campaigns, public officials, and state and national policy institutions.
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Family Research Council and FRC Action
| Staff | Freedom From Religion Foundation | September 28, 2026
Examines the Family Research Council's 2026 Pray Vote Stand Summit and the connections speakers drew between Christianity, elections, government service, and public policy.
| Peter Montgomery | Right Wing Watch / People For the American Way | March 14, 2025
Reports on Family Research Council advocacy concerning public education and its effort to increase the role of biblical teaching and conservative Christian values in schools.
| Peter Montgomery | Right Wing Watch / People For the American Way | May 4, 2023
Describes FRC's Association of Churches and Ministries, created to connect pastors and ministries with the organization's cultural and public-policy work.
| Staff | Family Research Council | September 22, 2021
FRC announces Pray Vote Stand as the successor to the Values Voter Summit and describes its goal of informing and mobilizing citizens around faith, family, religious liberty, education, and public policy.
| Peter Montgomery | Right Wing Watch / People For the American Way | September 9, 2021
Examines FRC fundraising and organizing aimed at encouraging conservative Christian involvement in local school-board politics.
| Peter Montgomery | Right Wing Watch / People For the American Way | May 27, 2021
Covers FRC's creation of the Center for Biblical Worldview to train Christians to apply biblical perspectives in schools, workplaces, communities, and public life.
| Peter Montgomery | Right Wing Watch / People For the American Way | November 18, 2019
Examines FRC Action's role in mobilizing supporters around judicial nominations and potential Supreme Court vacancies.
| Jared Holt | Right Wing Watch / People For the American Way | October 18, 2017
Reviews an FRC impact report describing access to the Trump administration, judicial appointments, and placement of former FRC personnel in government positions.
| Donald J. Trump | American Presidency Project | October 13, 2017
Transcript of President Trump's address to the Family Research Council's Values Voter Summit, illustrating direct interaction between national Republican leadership and conservative Christian activists.
| Kathleen Hennessey | Los Angeles Times | September 17, 2010
Reports on Republican candidates courting activists at the Family Research Council's Values Voter Summit and the summit's role in national conservative politics.
Alliance Defending Freedom, First Liberty and Christian Legal Networks
| Staff | New York Post | October 1, 2026
Reports on an Alliance Defending Freedom lawsuit concerning the treatment of Christian student ministries at Virginia State University.
| Kyle Mantyla | Right Wing Watch / People For the American Way | April 21, 2025
Reports on Liberty Counsel's political fundraising gala and its relationships with conservative political activists and officeholders.
| Andy Kroll and Nick Surgey | ProPublica / Documented | September 4, 2024
Investigates First Liberty Institute's political and legal advocacy surrounding proposed Supreme Court ethics reforms and its relationship with conservative political figures.
| Carter Sherman | The Guardian | March 2, 2024
Examines Christian-right legal organizations, including Alliance Defending Freedom, in the broader context of abortion, IVF, religious conservatism, and Christian nationalism.
| Frederick Clarkson | Political Research Associates | June 30, 2019
Describes cooperation among Alliance Defending Freedom, Family Policy Alliance, state Family Policy Councils, and other conservative policy organizations.
| Brian Tashman | Political Research Associates | November 5, 2012
Examines the American Center for Law and Justice, founded by Pat Robertson, and its role as a legal institution within the Christian Right.
| Staff | Right Wing Watch / People For the American Way | n.d.
Profiles the Home School Legal Defense Association and its relationships with conservative Christian legal, educational, and political organizations.
| Staff | American Center for Law and Justice | n.d.
ACLJ describes its litigation, legislative advocacy, constitutional work, religious-liberty cases, and participation before the U.S. Supreme Court.
| Staff | Liberty Counsel | n.d.
Liberty Counsel describes its Christian mission and its work concerning religious freedom, abortion, family policy, litigation, and cultural advocacy.
| Staff | Right Wing Watch / People For the American Way | n.d.
Provides a profile of Liberty Counsel, its leadership, legal work, public-policy advocacy, and relationships with other Religious Right institutions.
Faith & Freedom Coalition and Electoral Mobilization
| Staff | Family Policy Alliance | July 1, 2024
Announces the merger of Christians Engaged with Family Policy Alliance Foundation and describes plans to mobilize one million Christians for political participation.
| Staff | Christians Engaged | 2024
Reports the organization's 2024 election activities, including millions of emails and texts and a large national Christian voter-mobilization database.
| Jack Jenkins | Religion News Service | October 31, 2022
Reports on Faith & Freedom Coalition programs targeting Latino and African American voters through churches, voter guides, canvassing, and other electoral outreach.
| Paul Taylor | Pew Research Center | May 17, 2007
Reviews the Moral Majority's long-term impact on evangelical political participation and the normalization of organized conservative Christian activism.
| Staff | Faith & Freedom Coalition | n.d.
The organization describes large-scale voter registration, door-to-door canvassing, church outreach, voter guides, texting, and turnout programs directed toward voters of faith.
| Ralph Reed | Faith & Freedom Coalition | n.d.
Ralph Reed describes the coalition's purpose as mobilizing conservatives and people of faith to influence public policy.
Faith Wins describes programs to educate, activate, and mobilize faith leaders, conduct voter registration, distribute voter guides, and connect pastors with political leaders.
Explains Faith Wins' mission to increase the influence of Christian leaders and congregations in elections and governmental affairs.
Provides voter-registration, church-liaison, voter-guide, and election-integrity organizing opportunities for Christian activists.
| Staff | Christians Engaged / Christian Family Voice | n.d.
Describes a national Christian voter-mobilization effort focused on prayer, voting, political engagement, churches, and biblical voter education.
Family Policy Alliance and State-Level Christian Political Networks
| Authors listed in article | Politics and Religion / Cambridge University Press | 2026
Scholarly analysis of Project Blitz and the development of state-level Christian Right strategies using model legislation and coordinated political networks.
| Authors listed | Religion News Service | August 26, 2025
Examines the long-term political influence of Focus on the Family and organizations founded or supported by James Dobson.
| Authors listed | USC Dornsife | 2025
Reviews James Dobson's role in building Focus on the Family, Family Research Council, and other organizations central to modern evangelical political activism.
| Frederick Clarkson | Political Research Associates | November 4, 2022
Surveys organizations associated with dominionist ideas, including Family Research Council, Family Policy Alliance, Alliance Defending Freedom, and the Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation.
| Frederick Clarkson | Political Research Associates | November 25, 2013
Investigates Family Policy Councils and other state-based organizations that seek to influence legislation, elections, and conservative grassroots activism.
| Paulina Napierała | Ad Americam | 2013
Academic examination of Family Research Council and Focus on the Family and the political influence of James Dobson's organizational network.
| Authors listed in article | LISA / Revue Interdisciplinaire | 2011
Academic overview cataloguing numerous Christian Right organizations and their organizational forms, budgets, lobbying activity, litigation, and grassroots political work.
| Staff | Family Policy Alliance | n.d.
Family Policy Alliance describes its nationwide effort to increase Christian voter participation and coordinate state organizations working on elections and public policy.
| Staff | Right Wing Watch / People For the American Way | n.d.
Profiles Virginia's Family Foundation and its role in conservative Christian electoral and public-policy advocacy.
Council for National Policy, Heritage and Coordinating Networks
| Author listed in article | The Atlantic | September 2026
Discusses the Heritage Foundation and conservative organizations' role in education policy, school-choice advocacy, and contemporary culture-war politics.
| Phoebe Petrovic | ProPublica / Wisconsin Watch | October 26, 2024
Interactive historical investigation tracing organizations, leaders, donors, and theological movements involved in the growth of Christian nationalism and the Christian Right.
| Rachel Laser | Religion News Service | September 23, 2024
Commentary examines the participation of Family Research Council, Alliance Defending Freedom, Family Policy Alliance and other religious conservative groups in Project 2025.
| Ruth Braunstein | Religion News Service | August 16, 2024
Discusses the Heritage Foundation-led Project 2025 coalition and the debate over Christian nationalist ideas within portions of the project's organizational network.
| Jeff Bloom | Washington Area Secular Humanists | September-October 2024
Examines the Council for National Policy and its historical relationships with the Heritage Foundation, ALEC, donors, activists, and conservative organizations.
| Rick Pidcock | Baptist News Global | 2024
Investigates financial links among the National Christian Foundation, Project 2025 organizations, Turning Point USA, evangelical organizations, and conservative advocacy networks.
| Meghna Chakrabarti and guests | WBUR On Point | November 6, 2023
Discusses the Council for National Policy and relationships among conservative Christian donors, legal organizations, media operations, and political strategists.
| Andrew L. Whitehead and Samuel L. Perry | TIME | 2022
Discusses Christian nationalism, the Council for National Policy, Religious Right institutions, and the long-term political organization of conservative Christians.
| Andrew L. Whitehead and Samuel L. Perry | TIME | 2021
Traces historical organizations and political strategies associated with Christian nationalism, including the work of Paul Weyrich and ALEC.
| Kyle Mantyla | Right Wing Watch / People For the American Way | March 7, 2008
Describes the Council for National Policy as a private umbrella network linking influential religious and social conservative organizations.
Ziklag, Donor Networks and Seven Mountains Strategy
| Frederick Clarkson and contributors | Political Research Associates | 2025-2026
Research collection examining the New Apostolic Reformation, dominion theology, Seven Mountains strategy, spiritual warfare, and political organizing.
| Craig L. Nessan | Currents in Theology and Mission | June 17, 2026
Reviews Christian nationalism, Christian Reconstructionism, the New Apostolic Reformation, and the Seven Mountains Mandate as approaches to Christian political power.
| Brad Christerson and Richard Flory | Oxford University Press | 2026
Updated scholarly study of Independent Network Charismatic Christianity and its decentralized networks, charismatic leaders, social transformation strategies, and growing public influence.
| Authors listed | Politics and Religion / Cambridge University Press | 2025
Academic analysis distinguishing several varieties of American Christian nationalism, including charismatic dominionism and the New Apostolic Reformation.
| Alice Herman | The Guardian | December 16, 2024
Examines Jenny Donnelly's Her Voice Movement, its local political organizing, Christian women's networks, and financial support from Ziklag.
Examines Ziklag funding for Lance Wallnau's Courage Tour and questions raised by experts about the political activity of tax-exempt Christian organizations.
| Lisa Hagen and Audrey Nguyen | NPR / OPB | October 7, 2024
Reports on the Courage Tour's efforts to mobilize conservative Christian voters and recruit election workers and poll watchers in battleground states.
| Authors listed | The Washington Post | September 28, 2024
Covers a campaign appearance connected with Lance Wallnau's Courage Tour and the relationship between charismatic Christian political activism and Republican electoral politics.
| Andy Kroll and Nick Surgey | ProPublica / Documented | July 13, 2024
Investigates Ziklag, an invitation-only network of wealthy Christian donors whose internal documents described plans to influence elections and reshape major institutions around biblical principles.
| Major Garrett and team | CBS News | 2024
Reports on Lance Wallnau, the Courage Tour, evangelical voter mobilization, and the Seven Mountain idea of Christian influence over key areas of society.
Project Blitz, WallBuilders and Legislative Strategy
| Kathryn Post | Religion News Service | May 23, 2024
Examines MyChurchFinder, Liberty Pastors, Turning Point Faith and other efforts to identify and connect politically active conservative Christian churches.
| Authors listed | Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies | 2024
Academic study examines white Christian nationalism in a Texas school-board election, including Patriot Mobile's involvement in supporting candidates.
| Staff | Patriot Mobile | November 3, 2022
Provides Patriot Mobile's own defense of conservative Christian political participation and its critique of the term Christian nationalism.
| Staff | Patriot Mobile | November 2, 2022
Reports on a Patriot Mobile event featuring Voddie Baucham and discussion of Christian political engagement, nationalism, culture, and voting.
| Jessica Glenza | The Guardian | June 4, 2018
Investigates Project Blitz, a coordinated campaign providing state legislators with model bills involving religious expression, education, and religious exemptions.
| Frederick Clarkson | Political Research Associates | January 19, 2018
Examines organizing strategies connecting Family Research Council, Family Policy Alliance, pastors, churches, elections, and conservative Christian public-policy campaigns.
| Staff | Challenging Christian Hegemony | n.d.
Provides background and documents concerning Project Blitz, its model legislation, organizational partners, and state legislative activity.
Tracks Project Blitz and identifies organizations involved in developing and promoting its model legislation.
Turning Point Faith, Churches and Candidate Mobilization
| Marissa Greene and Cecilia Lenzen | Texas Tribune / Fort Worth Report | November 10, 2025
Reports on a church-linked training program designed to prepare conservative Christians for campaigns and elected office.
| Marissa Greene and Cecilia Lenzen | ProPublica / Fort Worth Report | November 2025
Investigates Campaign University, a program associated with Mercy Culture Church and For Liberty & Justice that trains Christians to run for public office.
| Lisa Hagen | NPR | October 24, 2024
Investigates Turning Point's increasing focus on evangelical churches and conservative Christian voter mobilization.
| Steven Monacelli | Texas Observer | 2024
Investigates For Liberty & Justice's political activities, church relationships, candidate lists, and questions concerning nonprofit election rules.
| Religion News Service | The Washington Post | June 12, 2023
Reprints reporting on Turning Point Faith's strategy of building political engagement through evangelical congregations.
| Jack Jenkins | Religion News Service | June 9, 2023
Examines Turning Point Faith's relationships with pastors, megachurches, political activism, and conservative Christian culture-war organizing.
| Kathryn Joyce | Religion News Service | December 23, 2022
Examines homeschooling, Turning Point Academy and other education programs that combine conservative Christian identity with political ideas.
| Staff | For Liberty & Justice | n.d.
The organization describes its founding at Mercy Culture Church and its mission to train Christian candidates, influence government, and expand across Texas.
| Staff | For Liberty & Justice | n.d.
Describes plans to create church-based chapters throughout Texas to identify candidates, mobilize congregations, and advance biblical values in government.
Mercy Culture, Local Government and Christian Political Infrastructure
| Rachel Monroe | The New Yorker | March 15, 2026
Examines Mercy Culture Church and a new generation of conservative Christian political organizing following changes in federal interpretation of church political activity.
| Alice Herman | The Guardian | February 15, 2026
Discusses Mercy Culture and For Liberty & Justice within the broader political contest over Christian nationalism and local government in Tarrant County, Texas.
| Staff | For Liberty & Justice | 2026
Lists church-based political training, candidate forums, government-engagement events, canvassing, and other organizing activities.
| Staff | For Liberty & Justice | 2026
Describes the organization's national expansion ambitions, partnerships, Christian political mission, and connections with Patriot Mobile.
| Marissa Greene | ProPublica / Fort Worth Report | 2025
Reports on politically active Texas pastors and organizations including For Liberty & Justice and True Texas Project following changes involving the Johnson Amendment.
| Alice Herman | The Guardian | December 24, 2023
Examines local "patriot" organizations, Patriot Academy, conservative churches, election activism, and groups explicitly seeking greater Christian influence in government.
| Jack Jenkins | Religion News Service | July 12, 2023
Investigates Citizens Defending Freedom, its local political strategy, funding relationships, and connections with conservative Christian organizations.
| Michelle R. Smith | Associated Press / FRONTLINE | October 17, 2022
Investigates local political organizing associated with Michael Flynn's network and efforts to elect conservative candidates to school boards and other local offices.
| Stephanie McCrummen | The Washington Post | July 11, 2021
Long-form examination of politically active charismatic Christianity centered on Mercy Culture and efforts to apply biblical authority to public institutions.
| Staff | For Liberty & Justice | n.d.
Profiles organizational leaders and describes the group's goal of mobilizing churches for civic engagement and cultural change.
American Family Association, Concerned Women for America and Older Religious Right Organizations
| Peter Montgomery | Right Wing Watch / People For the American Way | June 11, 2024
Reports on the American Family Association's Center for Judicial Renewal and efforts to evaluate judicial candidates according to a biblical worldview.
| Rob Boston | Americans United for Separation of Church and State | January 3, 2024
Reviews Donald Wildmon's founding of the American Family Association and its decades of conservative Christian political and cultural activism.
| Nicky Woolf | The Guardian | September 26, 2015
Provides a view inside the Values Voter Summit and the coalition of Christian conservative organizations participating in national Republican politics.
| Staff | FactCheck.org / Annenberg Public Policy Center | October 27, 2011
Provides an organizational profile of Concerned Women for America, including its biblical mission, lobbying, legal activity, and public-policy priorities.
| Staff | Christianity Today | November 6, 1987
Contemporary account of Concerned Women for America's rise as a major grassroots organization within the Religious Right.
| Staff | Right Wing Watch / People For the American Way | n.d.
Profiles the American Family Association, its media operation, political advocacy, and involvement in conservative Christian campaigns.
| Staff | Concerned Women for America | n.d.
CWA describes its mission to bring biblical principles into public policy through prayer, education, media advocacy, grassroots organizing, and government engagement.
Eagle Forum describes its mission to mobilize conservative and pro-family citizens to participate in public policy and self-government.
| Staff | Right Wing Watch / People For the American Way | n.d.
Profiles Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum and its long history of conservative grassroots political organizing.
New Apostolic Reformation and Broader Christian-Power Networks
| Paige Stevens | The Lemur / Duke University | February 24, 2025
Discusses the NAR's development, political involvement, spiritual-warfare ideas, and participation in contemporary conservative politics.
| Peter Montgomery | People For the American Way Foundation | October 24, 2024
Examines the New Apostolic Reformation's political ambitions and its Seven Mountains approach to social and governmental influence.
| Bob Smietana | Religion News Service | January 6, 2023
Maps several streams of Christian nationalist politics, including the older Religious Right, charismatic movements, pastors, activists, and political organizations.
| Michelle R. Smith | Associated Press / FRONTLINE | September 7, 2022
Investigates Michael Flynn's use of nonprofit groups, public appearances, political endorsements, and Christian nationalist ideas to build a political network.
| Jack Jenkins | Religion News Service | February 9, 2022
Reviews research into Christian nationalist organizations, leaders, events, and religious networks involved in mobilization surrounding January 6, 2021.
| Brad Christerson and Richard Flory | Oxford University Press | March 23, 2017
Original academic study explaining Independent Network Charismatic Christianity, charismatic leadership networks, spiritual warfare, and societal transformation.
American Renewal Project and Pastor-to-Office Mobilization
| Staff | American Renewal Project | February 2024
Describes David Lane's North Carolina organizing strategy, which brought thousands of pastors and ministry leaders into political-engagement programs and encouraged some to become candidates for office.
| Staff | American Renewal Project | November 2015
Uses pastor Rob McCoy's political campaign as a model for recruiting ministers and Christian activists to seek governmental office.
| Staff | American Renewal Project | November 2015
Discusses the organization's goal of persuading pastors to run for school boards, city councils, legislatures, Congress, and other offices.
| Staff | American Renewal Project | November 2015
Argues that Christians and clergy should become directly involved in politics and government in order to increase Christian influence in public institutions.
| Staff | American Renewal Project | n.d.
The American Renewal Project states that its mission is to activate evangelical voters and encourage churches to place pastors, elders, deacons, and congregants in elected offices at the local, state, and national levels.
| Staff | American Renewal Project | n.d.
Describes the organization's strategy of mobilizing pastors and church members for civic participation, including encouraging Christians to run for elected office.
My Faith Votes
| Staff | My Faith Votes | September 6, 2017
Reports on the policy priorities identified by thousands of participants in the organization's Christian voter network.
| Staff | My Faith Votes | n.d.
My Faith Votes describes a national strategy using church outreach, voter information, technology, media, and grassroots activists to increase Christian participation in elections.
| Staff | My Faith Votes | n.d.
Describes its Action Partner network, which conducts Christian voter outreach, letter-writing campaigns, community organizing, and policy engagement.
| Staff | My Faith Votes | n.d.
Provides resources intended to encourage Christians to pray, analyze political issues through a biblical worldview, and participate consistently in elections.
Faith Wins and Pastor Mobilization
| Faith Wins | Apple Podcasts | June 10, 2026
Faith Wins discusses how pastors can build relationships with candidates and increase Christian influence without necessarily formally endorsing candidates.
| Chad Connelly | Faith Wins | August 22, 2025
Explains Faith Wins' efforts to connect thousands of pastors with political candidates and elected officials while expanding Christian influence in elections and public policy.
Watchmen on the Wall
| Kenyn Cureton | Family Research Council | May 28, 2021
Explains FRC's strategy of treating pastors as influential organizers capable of affecting churches, culture, and government.
| Staff | Family Research Council | May 22, 2018
Reports on congressional participation in a Watchmen pastors conference intended to promote greater Christian engagement with government.
| Staff | Family Research Council | May 21, 2018
Covers the 2018 Watchmen on the Wall gathering and its effort to equip pastors to influence communities and public policy.
| Staff | Family Research Council | May 18, 2018
Describes FRC's Watchmen briefing bringing pastors together with members of Congress and encouraging ministers to become active participants in public affairs.
| Family Research Council | Family Research Council | May 2015
Program for the 2015 Watchmen on the Wall conference includes sessions on pastors transforming America and the biblical basis for clergy addressing public policy.
| Staff | Watchmen on the Wall / Family Research Council | n.d.
Family Research Council's pastor network explicitly encourages ministers to influence government and work for public policies reflecting biblical principles.
| Staff | Watchmen on the Wall / Family Research Council | n.d.
Provides the central portal for FRC's national network of pastors encouraged to engage cultural and governmental questions.
| Staff | Watchmen on the Wall / Family Research Council | n.d.
Invites pastors to commit to prayer, preaching on Christian citizenship, and coordinated public engagement with other ministers.
Patriot Academy and Biblical Citizenship
| Staff | Patriot Academy | n.d.
Patriot Academy states that it seeks to train young people to develop government policy through a biblical worldview and become leaders in federal, state, and local government.
| Staff | Patriot Academy | n.d.
Describes a church-based Biblical Citizenship course intended to prepare Christians to apply biblical principles to contemporary politics and civic life.
| Staff | Patriot Academy | n.d.
Encourages churches to partner with Patriot Academy to train congregants in biblical citizenship and public engagement.
| Staff | Patriot Academy | n.d.
Presents a curriculum aimed at activating Christians and churches to restore biblical values in government and society.
| Staff | Patriot Academy | n.d.
Describes a Christian civic-training program featuring David Barton, Rick Green, pastors, and other conservative Christian leaders.
| Staff | Patriot Academy | n.d.
Lists Biblical Citizenship courses, Leadership Congress programs, constitutional training, and other civic-engagement events.
| Staff | Patriot Academy | n.d.
Central site for leadership training, biblical citizenship, constitutional education, and programs intended to prepare citizens for political participation.
WallBuilders and Christian Historical-Political Education
WallBuilders describes its work promoting the view that America's political institutions have significant Christian foundations and encouraging citizens to apply that understanding today.
Describes founder David Barton's activities in education, law, public policy, grassroots mobilization, and consultation with state and federal legislators.
Offers WallBuilders speakers to churches, civic organizations, schools, and community groups to encourage greater civic involvement.
Provides historical and political resources centered on arguments about Christianity's role in the American founding and contemporary civic life.
| Staff | Trinity Broadcasting Network | n.d.
Profiles WallBuilders founder David Barton and notes his consulting work with state and federal legislators.
iVoterGuide and AFA Action
Describes iVoterGuide's 2026 program researching thousands of candidates for voters seeking to cast ballots consistent with Judeo-Christian values.
| Tim Wildmon | American Family Association | December 1, 2021
Announces iVoterGuide becoming part of AFA Action and describes the project as a resource for Christian electoral participation.
Explains iVoterGuide's Christian worldview and its mission to provide election information intended to help voters evaluate candidates according to Judeo-Christian values.
Provides nationwide candidate evaluations and election resources aimed particularly at faith-based voters.
Supplies churches with voter materials, election resources, bulletin inserts, and guidance encouraging congregations to vote according to biblical values.
AFA Action describes itself as the governmental-affairs affiliate of the American Family Association and states that it seeks to advance biblical values through public policy.
Sets out AFA Action's policy positions concerning religious liberty, abortion, family, sexuality, and governmental policy.
Provides tools through which supporters can contact officials and participate in policy campaigns promoting AFA Action's biblical policy agenda.
The FAMiLY Leader
| Harvest Prude | Christianity Today | January 9, 2024
Examines Bob Vander Plaats and The FAMiLY Leader's influence among evangelical voters and presidential candidates during the Iowa caucuses.
| Marianne LeVine, Hannah Knowles and Josh Dawsey | The Washington Post | July 14, 2023
Examines the political influence of Bob Vander Plaats and his Iowa-based Christian conservative organization during the presidential nomination process.
| Staff | The FAMiLY Leader | n.d.
The Iowa organization describes its strategy as inspiring churches, impacting elections, influencing policy, and building partnerships to bring biblical principles into government.
| Staff | Baptist Convention of Iowa | n.d.
Describes The FAMiLY Leader's effort to activate churches, influence elections, recruit Christians to run for office, and hold public officials accountable.
Family Policy Alliance's State Network
| John Paulton | Family Policy Alliance | June 9, 2026
Describes coordinated work by state Family Policy Councils to influence state legislation through lobbying, communications, churches, and grassroots organizing.
| Family Policy Alliance | Family Policy Alliance | 2026
Financial statements describe efforts to mobilize Christian voters, coordinate state Family Policy Councils, promote public policy, and elect officials sharing the organization's values.
| Staff | Family Policy Alliance | n.d.
Family Policy Alliance describes a nationwide network of state Family Policy Councils coordinating voter mobilization, policy campaigns, leadership development, and church relationships.
| Staff | Family Policy Alliance | n.d.
Lists nearly forty state organizations cooperating in the Family Policy Alliance network.
| Staff | Family Policy Alliance Foundation | n.d.
Describes the Statesmen Academy, School Board Academy, Christians Engaged, and other programs intended to train Christians for positions of governmental influence.
| Staff | Family Policy Alliance | n.d.
Identifies Family Policy Alliance as a Christian organization seeking a nation where God is honored and biblical principles influence public life.
Idaho Family Policy Center
| Staff | Idaho Family Policy Center | n.d.
IFPC states that it seeks to advance the lordship of Christ in the public square by engaging churches, promoting Christian public policy, and training statesmen.
| Staff | Idaho Family Policy Center | n.d.
Provides policy alerts, government resources, church-engagement programs, candidate information, and training intended to advance Christian political participation in Idaho.
Kansas Family Voice
| Staff | Kansas Family Voice | n.d.
Kansas Family Voice describes itself as operating at the intersection of church and government and advocating biblically informed policy.
| Staff | Kansas Family Voice | n.d.
Provides election endorsements, government action alerts, and Christian public-policy campaigns focused on life, family, sexuality, and religious liberty.
Nebraska Family Alliance
| Karen Bowling | Nebraska Family Alliance | December 16, 2021
Discusses the organization's effort to empower Christian citizens and promote public policies based on biblical principles.
| Staff | Nebraska Family Alliance | n.d.
Describes Nebraska Family Alliance as a Christian public-policy organization seeking to influence government while mobilizing prayer and grassroots participation.
| Staff | Nebraska Family Alliance | n.d.
Provides voter guides, legislative alerts, ballot campaigns, and Christian voter education.
| Staff | Nebraska Family Alliance | n.d.
Describes advocacy intended to protect religious participation in political and civic life.
Minnesota Family Council
| Rebecca Delahunt | Minnesota Family Council | February 19, 2026
Details the organization's legislative priorities and its advocacy with state lawmakers.
| Staff | Minnesota Family Council | n.d.
MFC states that it seeks to advance biblical truth in the public arena, mobilize Christian voters, support Christ-centered candidates, and build relationships between pastors and government leaders.
| Staff | Minnesota Family Council | n.d.
Describes advocacy in public policy, elections, courts, voter education, and the Church Ambassador Network.
| Staff | Minnesota Family Council | n.d.
Explains MFC's lobbying and legislative testimony as a Christian voice at the Minnesota Capitol.
Wisconsin Family Action
| Staff | Wisconsin Family Action | n.d.
Explains the organization's advocacy and election operations, including its ability to support candidates through an associated PAC and mobilize Christian voters.
| Staff | Wisconsin Family Action | n.d.
Provides voter guides, candidate endorsements, election information, and arguments for applying biblical values in voting.
| Staff | Wisconsin Family Action | n.d.
Provides legislative scorecards, lobbying information, action alerts, and election resources centered on the organization's family and religious principles.
Texas Values
Texas Values describes its effort to advance biblical and Judeo-Christian values through public policy, grassroots mobilization, voter education, legislative testimony, and legal analysis.
| Staff | Texas Values Action | n.d.
Texas Values Action describes itself as a lobbying and advocacy organization directly promoting faith, family, and freedom in the political arena.
Notes the organization's outreach to churches, political organizations, civic groups, and other audiences concerning public policy.
Virginia, Arizona and California Family Policy Organizations
| Staff | The Family Foundation of Virginia | n.d.
Describes a Christian public-policy organization that lobbies state government, mobilizes voters, trains activists, works with pastors, and seeks policy based on biblical principles.
| Staff | The Family Foundation of Virginia | n.d.
Describes programs training students in public policy, government, political media, elections, grassroots activism, and Christian worldview engagement.
| Staff | Center for Arizona Policy | n.d.
Center for Arizona Policy describes itself as an advocacy organization promoting policies concerning life, marriage, family, and religious freedom.
| Staff | Center for Arizona Policy | n.d.
Describes CAP's strategy for influencing Arizona laws and public policy based on its religious and social principles.
| Staff | Center for Arizona Policy | n.d.
Provides policy resources on abortion, education, churches, religious liberty, sexuality, courts, parental rights, and other legislative issues.
| Staff | California Family Council | n.d.
Describes work analyzing legislation, educating Californians, coordinating political strategy, and building coalitions around biblically grounded public policies.
Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Indiana Family Organizations
| Staff | Pennsylvania Family Institute | n.d.
Pennsylvania Family Institute describes efforts to influence policymakers and encourage civic participation around life, marriage, family, and religious liberty.
| Staff | Massachusetts Family Institute | n.d.
Describes a faith-based public-policy organization promoting Judeo-Christian values through education, legal advocacy, and government engagement.
| Staff | Massachusetts Family Institute | n.d.
Provides advocacy resources concerning public policy, education, religious liberty, parental authority, life, and sexuality.
| Staff | Indiana Family Institute | n.d.
IFI describes policy work at every level of government, development of "God honoring" leaders, and efforts to connect ministers with government officials.
| Staff | Indiana Family Institute | n.d.
Provides legislative agendas, scorecards, action campaigns, and leadership-development programs.
| Staff | Indiana Family Institute | n.d.
Details policy advocacy on parental rights, religious liberty, abortion, education, and related issues.
South Carolina, Montana and Wyoming
| Staff | Palmetto Family Council | n.d.
Palmetto Family Council states that its mission is to advance biblical values within South Carolina's centers of influence.
| Staff | Palmetto Family Council | n.d.
States that the church should influence government and explains the organization's biblical approach to public policy.
| Staff | Montana Family Foundation | n.d.
Describes the organization's purpose as influencing culture through biblical principles and educating citizens on public-policy issues.
| Staff | Montana Family Foundation | n.d.
Argues that politically active citizens are necessary to shape family-related public policy.
| Staff | Wyoming Family Alliance | n.d.
Describes the organization's faith-based civic education, legislative advocacy, and public-policy activities.
| Staff | Wyoming Family Alliance | n.d.
Provides resources to pastors, citizens, and community leaders for engaging Wyoming's legislative process.
| Staff | Wyoming Family Alliance | n.d.
Defines the organization as a Christian ministry whose advocacy is grounded in biblical principles.
Center for Christian Virtue and Church Ambassador Network
| Staff | Center for Christian Virtue | July 24, 2026
Discusses ongoing legislative strategy and the role of CCV's Church Ambassador Network in policy engagement.
| Staff | Center for Christian Virtue | July 17, 2026
Describes CCV's expansion of a ministry intended to equip pastors and connect them with elected officials.
| Staff | Center for Christian Virtue | n.d.
CCV describes a network that connects pastors with legislators, operates Christian education programs, and represents Christian employers.
| Staff | Center for Christian Virtue | n.d.
States that CCV seeks public policy reflecting Gospel principles and intends to expand successful state-level strategies nationally.
| Staff | Center for Christian Virtue | n.d.
The Church Ambassador Network connects Ohio pastors directly with lawmakers and organizes prayer and educational programs at the statehouse.
Capitol Ministries, Capitol Commission and Christian Statesmanship
| Staff | Capitol Ministries | n.d.
Capitol Ministries conducts Bible studies and Christian discipleship programs for public officials at federal, state, local, and international levels while distinguishing its ministry from direct lobbying.
| Staff | Capitol Commission | n.d.
Capitol Commission places Christian ministers in state capitols to provide Bible study, discipleship, counseling, and prayer to legislators and staff while stating that it does not lobby.
| Staff | Capitol Commission | n.d.
Describes a nationwide effort to establish Christian ministry in state capitols and disciple government officials.
| Staff | Capitol Commission | n.d.
Maps Capitol Commission ministries operating or developing in statehouses throughout the United States.
| Staff | Center for Christian Statesmanship | n.d.
States that its mission is to equip Christian men and women serving in influential positions throughout the federal government.
| Staff | Center for Christian Statesmanship | n.d.
Provides Bible studies, policy resources, leadership development, and networking for Christians working on Capitol Hill.
CatholicVote and Christian Employers Alliance
| Kelsey Reinhardt | CatholicVote | March 12, 2026
Reviews CatholicVote's political advocacy and preparations to increase Catholic participation and influence in the 2026 elections.
CatholicVote states that its mission is to inspire Catholics to apply their faith in American public life.
Explains that CatholicVote's lobbying organization and political action committee can advocate legislation and support or oppose political candidates.
| Staff | Christian Employers Alliance | n.d.
Describes CEA Action as an organization representing Christian employers in legislative advocacy and government relations.
| Staff | Christian Employers Alliance | n.d.
The Biblical Business Index evaluates legislation and lawmakers through explicitly biblical criteria and encourages Christian business leaders to influence public policy.
American Pastors Network and Eagle Forum
| Staff | Eagle Forum | September 18, 2025
Describes Eagle Forum activists meeting members of Congress and administration officials and lobbying around legislation and election-related policy.
| Staff | American Pastors Network | n.d.
APN seeks to create a permanent infrastructure of pastors and church liaisons who engage congregations in public-policy issues and political participation.
Eagle Forum describes its purpose as enabling conservative and pro-family citizens to participate in government and public-policy making.
| Staff | Utah Eagle Forum | n.d.
Describes a faith, family, and freedom organization that trains and mobilizes citizens to influence legislation and government.
Focus on the Family and Christian Civic Engagement
| Focus on the Family | Focus on the Family | October 18, 2022
Discusses Christian responsibility to participate in elections and encourages voters to evaluate political choices according to their religious convictions.
| Staff | Focus on the Family | n.d.
Encourages Christians to contact elected representatives, support state Family Policy Councils, organize voter-registration drives in churches, and evaluate candidates on family-policy questions.
