New Campaign- "Conscience of the State"
A Faithful Response to the Christian Nationalist War on History
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When I realized Donald Trump would preside over the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, it felt like someone had loaded two 45-pound plates onto a bar I was already struggling to lift.
And that was before the election.
Just one week after taking office, Trump issued an executive order promising propaganda in place of history.
The “Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday” executive order:
Establishes Task Force 250 with Trump as chair and J.D. Vance as vice chair
Reinstates plans for a new “National Garden of American Heroes” which will include 250 statues at an estimated cost of more than $30 million.
Reinstates an order to “protect America’s monuments from vandalism” such as “pro-Hamas” graffiti
Then came the follow up—an order called “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.”
That executive order contends:
Over the past decade, Americans have witnessed a concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation's history, replacing objective facts with a distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth. This revisionist movement seeks to undermine the remarkable achievements of the United States by casting its founding principles and historical milestones in a negative light. Under this historical revision, our Nation's unparalleled legacy of advancing liberty, individual rights, and human happiness is reconstructed as inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed.
This order has promised to
Defund Smithsonian museums that “degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy.”
Reinstate “the pre-existing monuments, memorials, statues, markers, or similar properties” that were removed or renamed during the 2020 racial justice uprisings
Review descriptions on markers, monuments, memorials, and statues to ensure they “ do not contain descriptions, depictions, or other content that inappropriately disparage Americans past or living (including persons living in colonial times), and instead focus on the greatness of the achievements and progress of the American people”
What the Trump regime has in mind is not just a year of patriotic celebration, it’s a year of political manipulation.
And the church is being recruited to regurgitate the lies.
White Christian nationalism doesn’t just want to shape the future. It wants to rewrite the past.
This isn’t just about commemorating the 250th anniversary.
This is about fighting a state-sponsored campaign to rewrite U.S. history in the image of white Christian nationalism.
That’s why I’m launching a new initiative:
Conscience of the State: A Faithful Response to the Christian Nationalist War on History
Martin Luther King, Jr. said
“The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.”
Martin Luther King, Jr., “A Knock at Midnight”, 1967
In that spirit, the church must embrace it’s role as a clear voice of justice and righteousness in relation to actions of the state.
This campaign is for Christians who believe:
The church must tell the truth even when the state demands silence
Historical honesty is not “division”—it’s discipleship
Our memory is spiritual formation. What we remember, shapes our sense of identity and our moral imagination
Over the next 12 months, you’ll receive:
Monthly themes rooted in faith and history
Historically grounded essays and videos
Theological reflections on truth and memory
Free guides and resources for churches and small groups
Podcasts, panels, and interviews with public scholars and faith leaders
This campaign isn’t just for individuals. It’s church-ready. So bring your small group. Bring your congregation. Bring your pastor.
And it’s all going to be right here on my Substack. Be sure to subscribe to this publication for updates.
The war on history is real. But so is our resistance.
We have the Scriptures. We have the stories. We have the Spirit.
And we still have a voice.
The church is not the servant or the master of the state. It is its conscience.
And now is the time to speak.
The appropriate response to the truth about racial relations and history in America is humility and repentance, not denial and obfuscation. May we all stock our libraries and memories with these truths, while working to educate our communities with the truth. We are building a social justice library at our church and your books, Dr Tisby, will be there.
Dr Tisby, the Episcopal Church has a program called Becoming Beloved Community, one of the foundational pillars and areas of commitment being truth telling. We are with you and actively pulling in the same direction and for the same purpose. Bless you!