The additional negative news is that Vollmers social media pages suggest her comfort with election-fraud conspiracy theories, such as those promoted in the film [S]election Code, produced by My Pillow Guy Mike Lindell. While his two hours weekly at the church are important to him, he said, they have less weight in his life than the forty-plus hours he spends working and interacting in the city. Theyre not telling you what to do, or how to do it or keeping track of what you do. In reply to R.V. Were you afraid to write black people? For example, when The Stirring held a preachers conference, among the slate of speakers were BSSM staff member Hayley Braun, and Pastor Tinasha LaRaye, a frequent Bethel speaker and performer. Instead, I make my selections based upon candidates backgrounds, experience, endorsements, creativity, tenacity, enthusiasm, ideas, energy, and the amount of work theyve invested in their campaigns. Is this heaven, or Redding? Editors note: This section was revised on 10/20/22 for corrections. They feel like their vision for Redding is being supplanted by someone elses, that theyre being replaced by Bethelbots, that the system is rigged. About | Bethel - Bethel Church Redding Chamber Goes Full Bethel - anewscafe.com Lake has claimed the vote was rigged and B.S. and is challenging the outcome. Prayer Meeting for Redding. Bethel members Tenessa Audette, 45, a first-time candidate, and Jack Munns, 64, who first ran two years ago, will now join Bethel elder Julie Winter on the 5-member council. Some of the replies are incorrect, such as the widely-reported assumption that candidate Johnson is a Bethel Church member. Lead Bethel pastor Bill Johnson has written all about it in hisbook, Invading Babylon, The Seven Mountain Mandate. . The same observation is true for Resner, a member of The Stirring. Julie Winter, Redding City Council member/Bethel Church elder, The 10 following candidates are competing for three available Redding City Council seats. Connections between some of those candidates and Bethel Church have become a flashpoint in the race. Let Us Worship participants, many from Bethel Church and The Stirring church, crowd around Sean Feucht and musicians. Thursday, August 17, 2023 Aug 17, 2023 - Register Now. Im not religious. Westbrook: 2.8 inches. She left the church eight years ago. Shea said only that he has heard both positive and negative comments about the impact of Bethel in conversations around the dinner table with his wifes family, who has lived in Redding for generations. Shes engaged with the public. Scripps. If you live in Shasta County, youre probably familiar with Bethel Church, a North Redding megachurch with an attendance of approximately 10,000. Redding City Council Candidates - 2022 Redding Chamber of Commerce This site uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Redding residents are divided on the churchs impact on their city. Bethels 2017 donation of half-a-million dollars to help fund Redding police and another $25,000 to fund police drones hasnt been forgotten by the community. Audette, a district representative for state Sen. Brian Dahle, has received $37,670 in contributions since the beginning of the year, according to electronic financial disclosure statements. Independent online journalist Doni Chamberlain founded A News Cafe in 2007 with her son, Joe Domke. CT Firewood - Seasoned Firewood delivery to Bethel, Brookfield, Danbury, Newtown, Redding, Ridgefield, Wilton.. Ive been in churches my whole life, she said, and Bethel is the least religious church Ive ever been in. Some Christian Nationalists advocate keeping prayer in schools, outlawing abortion access and gay marriage and enshrining a Christian Nationalist version of American history in public school curriculums. Now Im not.. I'm scared Lol. Literally. But right now, after all the North States been through, Redding could benefit from some youthful zeal. is listed by the Shasta Economic Development Corporation as the 8th largest employer. Ten candidates are running for three seats on the Redding council this fall. She's been featured and quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, L.A. Times, Slate. Things got especially slick when you introduced HR departments to this conversation and mention of potential lawsuits. Our news will always be free to read, but its not free to create. I believe elected officials should serve the people they represent, not control them, and that the government should empower its constituents, not restrict them., Audette said Bethel leaders wouldnt influence her vote because they dont tell her what to believe about anything. There are three seats open for this November's election for Redding City Council. The device costs $2,000 and will make AED available to the general public 24/7. Candidate Alex Sheaalso confirmed that he attends Bethel Church. We will never charge for the news but would so deeply appreciate your voluntary support. Redding Area Bus Authority - Regular Meeting. Bethel is a church not a PAC, she wrote. compared the COVID vaccine to the mark of the beast. Thats where it says, [N]o religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States. At first, to look at the un-clicked link, one might assume its an active, working site. Hmm! My heartburn worsened after watching Audettes guest appearance on Bethel top-gun pastor Kris Vallottons podcast, where Audette discusses, among other things, Gods role in government and if politicians should Christianize a nation. All rights reserved. Pastor Bill Johnson, who became leader of the Assemblies of God congregation in 1996, described his view of the churchs role in society in Invading Babylon: The 7 Mountain Mandate, a book he wrote with self-proclaimed Trump prophet Lance Wallnau: Jesus instituted it as an army that brought transformation to society, starting with salvation and continuing with seven spheres of influence: Church, family, education, government, media, arts, and commerce, they wrote. the three fall flat when it comes to suggesting tangible, realistic solutions for those problems. Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. These groups arent devoted to hating Bethel Church and its members, theyre devoted to exposing the grip Bethel has on Redding and their lives, and theyve garnered national media attention with their efforts. Two early candidates emerge in Redding City Council race - Yahoo! News This is Vollmers second try at elected office. His answer matters, because if he lives in Mt. Bethel teaches what is known as the 7 Mountains Mandate, a theology that encourages Christians to influence the seven mountains of society, including the political realm, to bring Gods kingdom realities to earth. In the meantime, pass the Alka Seltzer. I know what he means, because Audette and Shea in particular do come across a bit on the Up-With-People uber-perky side. Theyll show up and work hard. The theology is sometimes referred to as dominionism, and is widely believed to include the idea that believers should take dominion over society to bring more of heaven to earth. But he lacks endorsements, and his social media pages look like neglected, empty warehouses decorated with some 60s-era posters that fit perfectly with his slogan, Chill with Hill. Redding native Jack Munns sits down with KRCR's Sam Chimenti to discuss how he'd help improve his hometown if elected to council (9/1/22) Turn to KRCR: Nort. I spend just 2 hours at Bethel each week and 45+ hours in the community, helping unlock funding for real estate deals, putting my financial skills to work, and investing in our local nonprofits. Bethel Church is an American non-denominational neo-charismatic megachurch in Redding, California with over 11,000 members. That struggle led Jones to create a new, On February 28, Supervisor Jones hopes to persuade others on the Board to initiate hand counting as a way to tabulate election results in Shasta. In this election cycle, one of the things that candidate Marcus Partin has become most known for is as Michael Dacquistos sidekick candidate. For some, its one more reason to appreciate the churchs outsized local impact, which they feel is mostly positive. What is Bethel Church, Redding CA? | GotQuestions.org Annelise Pierce is Shasta Scouts Editor and a Community Reporter covering government accountability, civic engagement, and local religious and political movements. Who Will Pay for the SBCs Abuse Reforms Over the Long Term? Votes NO without offering any solutions, vision, or alternative direction. The church elder on the Redding City Council. She also praised the volunteerism Bethel students are required to engage in with the city as part of Bethels School of Supernatural Ministry, a total she says of over 14,000 hours of community service every year. Audette says those hours indicate strong community buy-in and that as a result of them, the city has regularly qualified for andreceived grant funding. Even so, his campaign is lackluster, with just a smattering of campaign signs, and to date, few to none endorsements. Six evangelicals three Bethel members and three members of The Stirring church, which has connections to Bethel were among 10 candidates running for three open seats, according to Doni Chamberlain, editor of A News Caf, a feisty local publication that expressed concerns about Bethel dominance. Hes back for more, and once again, he hasnt asked for anyone to endorse him, or to donate money to his campaign, because he doesnt want to be beholden to any person or organization. 2018. Cancelled . The four have disagreed over everything from land issues and staff raises to homeless solutions and even holiday lights at Turtle Bay Museum. The North State city of 91,000 is home to a church, Bethel, with 11,000 members and a commitment to community so intense it's almost supernatural. Michael Dacquisto is the only incumbent candidate, and hes struggling to keep his footing upon a slippery slope studded with loopholes, gray areas and alleged white lies. Bethel Church Members Now Have Majority on Redding City Council As you can imagine, the conversation sometimes gets testy. Its not clear whether he continues to attend there. Scheide. His work has appeared in the Tenderloin Times, Sacramento News & Review, Reno News & Review, Chico News & Review, North Bay Bohemian, San Jose Metro, SF Bay Guardian, SF Weekly, Alternet, Boston Phoenix, Creative Loafing and Counterpunch, among many other publications. Absolutely. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of "Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse" by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. We could have heaven and hell on earth, twin beacons demarking our strategic position on the I-5 corridor. Local critics oppose Bethels promotion of gay conversion therapy, and its fight against COVID masks, vaccinations, and closures. I was born in the mid 80's in Yuba City, California but moved as an infant to Redding, California where I was raised and ultimately started my family. The Redding City Council consists of five council members elected "at large" for staggered four-year terms. Non-Bethel City Council Candidates. Here are nine things you should know about the Johnsons and the Bethel movement. They say that judging by his frequent absences, it appears he no longer prioritizes his city council position. Some in the community worry about how the churchs out-sized funding and theological beliefs, including the 7 Mountains Mandate, might impact local political candidates. Online streaming now reaches over 412,800 users internationally. She is a member of Turtle Bay, Friends of the Library, Redding Rotary, Shasta County . A big fat $150 million casino on the south side of town, a den of iniquity to balance the $150 million purity palace Bethels constructing on the north side of Redding. On the plus side, Vollmers has fairly lively, updated social media pages. Many Buck Fethel citizens vehemently believe that Bethel Church in particular will lead to the North States eventual downfall. 2 min read. In many ways, Crockett is a bright outlier in this race; but also someone who can come across as somewhat prickly at times. Feb 21, 2023 5:15 PM Agenda Agenda Packet Action Agenda She attended Bethels School of Supernatural Ministry and says she now teaches a God and Government class there to help ensure that Christians know the importance of maintaining the appropriate separation between church and state. She cited the churchs involvement in bringing funding to the city to help secure a daily flight from Redding to Los Angeles on United Airlines, the half-million in funding given by Bethel in 2017 for local police staffing, and Bethels decision to form Advance Redding, a nonprofit that was awarded a contract to run the citys Civic Auditorium. Erin Resner. Opinion: What is Revivaland is it Happening at Asbury? When A News Cafe contacted Johnson last week for clarification, he replied that he and his family have attended The Stirring for eight years. Editors note: Portions of this column have been edited for clarity. People who havent drank the Kool-Aid find themselves on the outside looking in and naturally resent Bethels newfound economic power, attached as it is to the on-earth-as-it-is-in-heaven Seven Mountain Mandate. As a nonprofit religious institution, Bethel is not permitted to endorse or fund political candidates. Sunday morning sermons stream out to viewers in more than a hundred-and-fifty countries via Bethel TV, and church leaders are in demand as itinerant speakers both nationally and internationally. Bruce Dean . Aside from not attending either Bethel Church or The Stirring, another noteworthy distinction is that Hill is the only Democrat in the race, which tells you everything you need to know about Shasta County politics. Bethels slogan, On earth, as it is in heaven, directs its believers to infiltrate every aspect of their communities. I confess to suffering significant election heartburn with the knowledge that Audette was Winters former campaign manager, and that Audette received more than $15,000 in campaign consulting fees from Sean Feuchts failed congressional campaign in 2019 and early 2020, along with $2,800 in reimbursements. Whats Next For Shasta County Voting? Linen Service Companies near Redding, California, Petaluma, California and Irvine, California Yes, Johnson attends the Stirring Church. Youre committing the fallacy of composition here, mistaking the part for the whole, missing the forest for the trees. Scientologists have bought most of downtown and the chamber of commerce. by Religion . Together, the trio has amassed hundreds of endorsements from the proverbial Whos Who of Shasta Countys movers, shakers, makers, workers, creators, business people, educators, elected leaders, law enforcement and influencers. Both candidates said despite that teaching they would not discriminate against the gay community in any way in their role on the council. She also served on the board of Advance Redding that manages the Redding Civic Auditorium, as well as Bethel Tech. Email us, or join the community conversation at Shasta ScoutsFacebook page. Is it religiously intolerant to reject the most obviously qualified candidates solely because of the churches they attend, and their religious practices inside those churches? Were here to discuss the Redding City Council election. While two of Bethels candidates won their races, former Bethel celebrity Sean Feucht was less successful in his worship-music-meets-campaign efforts on behalf of two Trump-endorsed candidates. (Click on names for more information about each candidate.). I often find myself saying, each time a new Bethel business pops up, The place looks nice, but why would I want that? (This is probably because Im old. I presume your third analogy, easily the clumsiest, refers to the shopworn trope that gay males have prowess in interior decorating, but you appear to have confused the term sexual orientation with gender identity. Redding is teetering upon the unprecedented brink of being governed by a city-council majority comprised of followers of Bethel Church, The Stirring church or a combination of both. Connecting yet more Bethel/Stirring dots, Nathan Edwardson is The Stirring church pastor. Im not entirely clear on what the agenda was, Crocket responded to Shasta Scout on Friday, but when you raise questions (at the church) they are not heard.. Redding residents are divided on the churchs impact on their city. The second time they got involved, Audette continued, was when the city, county, and law enforcement asked for their help to pass Measure A (a 2020 proposed 1% county sales tax). Audette said the city ran a voter registration campaign at that time to encourage members to become more involved. Is it appropriate to scrutinize candidates religious beliefs or the church they attend? Having written thousands of articles over the course of my career, I know when my palms are perspiring on the keyboard as I type, something is drastically wrong and its time to take a step back and ask myself some serious questions. Some people even draw parallels between Councilman Dacquisto and his broken website address. The race for Redding City Council is heating up as two candidates have made public announcements in recent days.