With Pete Hegseth in the pews, a Christian nationalist church plant launches in DC

Pastor Jared Longshore isn’t exactly a holy roller preacher. Bearded and bespectacled, his sermon before the D.C. plant of Christ Kirk church on Sunday (July 13) was delivered in the subdued, heady style typical of the often buttoned-up Reformed Christian tradition.

But as Longshore stood underneath an American flag suspended just above his head, its stars and stripes facing toward the floor, the pastor made clear that the new congregation — an outpost of an Idaho church run by a self-described Christian nationalist — wanted to make some noise.

“We understand that worship is warfare,” Longshore said, leaning over the lectern. He paused for a moment, then added: “We mean that.”

Many in the roughly 120-strong congregation nodded in agreement, a few fanning themselves with church bulletins as they sat packed together in the small, non-air-conditioned room just a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol. And the message appeared to resonate with the most notable attendee among the crowd of worshippers: U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Children in the pews whispered excitedly when Hegseth entered, and the defense secretary was mobbed by supporters as he left the church.

Religion & Politics

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Dan Beazley, left, holds a large cross as he prays with visitors at a memorial victims on Thursday, July 10, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

In Opinion

And finally, Camp Mystic's Christian sisterhood spans generations and nations

Sandy Davis Kirk woke at 5 a.m. on July 4 to a roaring sound outside her window.

“I heard people shrieking from the waters,” said Davis Kirk, whose backyard is bordered by the Guadalupe River. “It was hard to even believe it was real.”

Like most Kerr County, Texas, residents, Davis Kirk did not receive any emergency alerts on her phone when the Guadalupe quickly spilled over its banks, leading to unexpected flash floods. Thankfully, she is an early riser.

Davis Kirk is a minister, Christian author and former president of the Christian ministry Aglow International. Originally from West Texas, it was Davis Kirk’s love of Camp Mystic that motivated her to move to Kerr County in 2023. The now-devastated Christian girls camp is just a 10-minute drive from her home.

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