About
When we moved our little family to Moscow, ID in 2018, we never imagined that we would publish a blog about Doug Wilson, a local controversial pastor who garners an international following. We originally moved to this small town to pursue healing after a difficult transition from the mission field. But as we slowly recovered, we increasingly sensed a darkness shrouding Moscow, with Doug Wilson at its center. It felt like everywhere we went, we encountered stories from broken souls from within his church community. Stories of tyranny and abuse. Stories of marital rape and misogyny. Stories of pedophilia and child pornography. Of shame and shunning. Of fear and control. Of deception and duplicity. Of a works-based righteousness where faithfulness superseded faith. As someone who had already experienced spiritual harm within another personality-driven church and had also survived the trauma of childhood sexual abuse, Christiana was particularly aware of the darkness when we first moved to Moscow, but as we engaged with devoted Wilson followers and with those who had been harmed by his teachings, we both became increasingly alarmed.
As the years continued, dear friends within Doug’s church began to raise concerns and were met with a hurtful backlash from their community. We were also troubled by the often mocking, potentially heretical writings emanating from both Doug and his daughter, Rachel Jankovic, and their seeming hatred for the world or those who did not agree with them. In addition, the number of witnesses testifying of abuse within the community was still growing at an alarming rate. We began to wonder if all of this rotten fruit flowed from a diseased tree. Nathan began a deep dive into Wilson’s theology over a period of about two years. He read more than twenty of his books and also met with Doug twice during that time, first for clarification, and then later to confront him on what we believe to be major gospel perversions and dangerous teaching. And while Doug expressed that he would consider Nate’s words, no fruit of repentance came from that meeting.
At this point, we were convicted that we could not remain silent and soberly decided to create this blog as a public proclamation against Doug Wilson and his harmful teachings. We did not arrive at this decision lightly and our hearts are heavy as we echo the words of Jude: “Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 3–4, ESV).
We are writing this blog from Moscow, Idaho to stand with those who feel unheard and alone. We are writing because our consciences will no longer allow us to remain silent while Doug Wilson continues to distort the gospel, continues to harm God’s children, and continues to make the name of Christ abhorrent to a watching city, and world. We write this to warn others to stay away from his unsound doctrine, and we pray that Doug and his followers would turn to the clear, undistorted gospel, and no longer see the world as their enemy, but rather be filled with compassion for those who are lost.
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