MAGA Preacher Prays for a Jesus ‘Fire’ to ‘Consume Spokane’

Nikki McCann Ramirez
·4 min read
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What happens when you combine a Christian nationalist musician and a disgraced former state representative-turned-pastor accused of domestic terrorism? According to local lawmakers and faith leaders in Washington state, it’s a recipe for “bigotry” cloaked “in religious language.”

Controversy has erupted in Spokane after Mayor Nadine Woodward appeared at a “Let Us Worship” event on Aug. 20, hosted by Christian singer Sean Feucht with special guest Matt Shea, a former state representative in Washington accused of domestic terrorism. The mayor’s appearance alongside Shea, as well as comments made by Feuch about a religious “wildfire” ravaging Spokane — while actual fires destroyed parts of the county — has angered members of the community.

Feucht rose to prominence during the pandemic, hosting anti-lockdown concerts that drew thousands of attendees. In 2023, he partnered with the right-wing group Turning Point USA (TPUSA) for a religious revival tour. The organization was present at the event in Spokane.

Feucht has made millions capitalizing on the overlap between the religious right’s reverence for Donald Trump and the rapidly growing influence of Christian Nationalism. Much like other celebrity evangelists, Feucht is living large on the financial contributions of his devout flock, purchasing millions in property and indulging in lavish vacations. But, as previously reported by Rolling Stone, the financials of Sean Feucht Ministry Inc. are raising eyebrows. Despite constantly soliciting donations, and raking in more than $5.3 million in 2020, the organization claimed it had received $0 in contributions that same year.

Shea was ousted from the state’s House Republican Caucus in 2019 after an FBI investigation and House report found that he had “planned, engaged in, and promoted a total of three armed conflicts of political violence against the United States government” between 2014 and 2016.

The investigation had been prompted by revelations that Shea had distributed a manifesto titled “Biblical Basis for War,’ which called for “warriors” to “kill all males” should their opponents not surrender to their demands. Shea has since become a pastor, founding On Fire Ministries in 2021.

During the “Let Us Worship” event with Feucht, Shea appeared on stage to lead prayer over Mayor Woodward. “We’ve got an enemy we need to fight, his name is Satan,” Shea said. “We pray a blessing over the leaders you have chosen for this time. …That you would give them supernatural discernment. You would increase their faith, you would increase their joy. That they could laugh in the middle of crisis Lord God, because you are with them. Not laughing at the crisis, but knowing that you are still on the throne.”

Spokane was in crisis at the time of the event. Wildfires had ravaged the county, killing at least three people and destroying dozens of homes. At one point, Feucht told the crowd “we don’t care about the smoke. Let’s pray for a fire that would consume Spokane” and “sweep our city like a fire sweeps through the woods.”

“Jesus, we know that you are in control of the fires. And we are on fire for you,” said Feucht.

But leaving it to Jesus was not enough for members of the Spokane City Council, who denounced Mayor Woodward’s participation in the event. In a statement, members Betsy Wilkerson, Zack Zappone, and Karen Stratton wrote that they “strongly denounce Mayor Woodward’s appearance with a domestic terrorist, former Representative Matt Shea, and extremist Sean Feucht over the weekend.”

“This pre-planned appearance by Mayor Woodward is alarming and makes clear that she is comfortable embracing dangerous and hateful individuals,” Zappone wrote. “Minutes before calling Woodward on stage, Shea stated the problems he believes the country is facing, specifically naming wildfires, homosexual marriage, and transgender issues. As a member of the LGTBQ community, I feel the hatred and violence that is being directed towards families like mine. Elected officials must be leaders that make it clear that hatred and extremism have no place in Spokane.”

According to Woodward, she attended the event to “join with fellow citizens to begin the healing process” after the wildfires. But her claim was contradicted by Shea, who said the mayor had agreed to participate in the event months before the fires.

In a statement to The Washington Post, Feucht said that his events “routinely have pastors, elected officials, community leaders, along with addicts, the lost, the hurting, and the forgotten onstage praying, praising, and worshiping Jesus.”

“Not all of them agree with each other on every issue, but we all agree that there is only ONE WAY under heaven to be saved, and that’s by the blood of Jesus Christ,” he added.

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