Voters, candidates will rally against Christian 'nationalism' in West Olive on Friday
EDITOR'S NOTE: The rally has been moved to Pigeon Creek Lodge at 12524 Stanton St. in West Olive
WEST OLIVE — A national evangelical group that advocates for common good in politics will make a stop in West Olive on Friday, Oct. 14, as part of a series of events in West Michigan.
Vote Common Good urges voters to vote based on "the common good, not political party." The group is currently touring the country to mobilize voters and “educate the public about the dangers of Christian nationalism.”
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“We are in a fight to protect our democracy from election-denying, insurrection-supporting, law and order-attacking, democracy-downgrading candidates and movements,” said VCG Executive Director Doug Pagitt. “Voters of faith can and must choose the common good, not political party, when heading to the polls this November.”
Friday’s rally will take place at 7 p.m. at the Nature Center at Hemlock Crossing, 8115 W. Olive Road. During the rally, participants are intended to “denounce candidates who espouse Christian nationalism.” In addition to members of Vote Common Good, local faith leaders and candidates will be in attendance.
Candidates include Kim Nagy for the 31st Senate District, Mercedes Watts for the 20th Circuit Court, Larry Jackson for the 86th House District and Ottawa County Commissioner Roger Bergman.
Bergman is the lone sitting commissioner who survived a primary challenge from a slate of Ottawa Impact-endorsed candidates. Ottawa Impact was formed in 2021 by parents and residents critical of the state and local government’s response to containing the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Ottawa Impact was founded “to preserve and protect the individual rights of the people in Ottawa County,” according to the group’s website, including “freedom of speech, freedom of association, religious liberty, due process, and sanctity of conscience. These are essential qualities of liberty and freedom.”
In addition to masking mandates, the group has protested other issues, such as employee vaccine mandates, schools teaching critical race theory and the justification for Ottawa County’s Office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion.
The group typically does not respond to media inquiries and isolates itself from the traditional processes of a local election cycle. Ottawa Impact hosts its own political forums with only its endorsed candidates at a local church that aligns with the group’s politics.
Vote Common Good, meanwhile, held a similar anti-Christian nationalism rally at Holland’s Park Theatre the night before the primaries in August. At the time, director Pagtit said there were things on the ballot that “feel dangerous in this country.” Several speakers at the event denounced Ottawa Impact.
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This week's rally is part of Vote Common Good‘s tour — “Faith, Hope and Love: Not Insurrections and Christian Nationalism" — which also includes a pair of events in Grand Rapids, including an anti-Christian nationalism training at 7 p.m. at Grand Valley State University.
A canvass launch with congressional candidate Hillary Scholten and state senate candidate Winnie Brinks will take place at 1 p.m. Friday at 1621 Leonard St.
— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @SentinelMitch.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Vote Common Good hosting rally against Christian 'nationalism' in West Olive
