However, we hope you will support our work with your prayers and financial gifts. Crockett says while hes sure some in the church would endorse Christian Nationalism he doesnt believe most in the churchs rank-and-file are even sure what that term means and he has not heard it taught from the pulpit. Again, its not necessarily hateful to notice this. But Shasta County is anything but normal. We break down why. 2023 anewscafe.com. Dacquistos now-predictable Partin endorsements usually include Dacquistos mention that one of the reasons he endorses Partin is because Dacquisto is sick of being on the losing end of so many 3-2 or 4-1 votes. 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. He ran for a seat on the Redding City Council in 2018, but lost. Independent online journalist Doni Chamberlain founded A News Cafe in 2007 with her son, Joe Domke. Earnest deputy county clerk Ian Hill falls into a bless his pea-pickin heart category. Based upon his performance during forums (though absent from the Shasta Environmental Alliance event), he seems a nice enough, grandfatherly guy. Johnson, who publicly endorsed Trump in 2016 and 2020, teaches that part of that revival will come through ballot boxes. Feucht kicked off his first unauthorized Let Us Worship event beneath the Sundial Bridge in Redding. In the meantime, pass the Alka Seltzer. Am I too angry about the subject material? encourage attendees to vote for Trump or risk facing Gods displeasure. This view is shared by numerous Christian discernment websites around the world that consider Bethel pastors Bill Johnson and Kris Vallotton frauds and heretics. Members of Bethel the 11,000-member northern California megachurch famous for elaborate healing services, Bethel Music and musician Sean Feucht's nationwide worship protests against COVID restrictions now hold the majority on the Redding City Council after November's elections, according to nearly complete vote counts.. Bethel members Tenessa Audette, 45, a first-time candidate . That meant that some people threw their votes away on Vollmers, who endorsed Erin Resner, someone currently embroiled in an extremely heated run-off against opponent Kevin Crye in next months election. With three more Bethel-affiliated candidates running for three open council seats this fall, a win by any two would leave the council with what might be described as a Bethel majority., Thats exactly what persuaded candidate James Crockett to run for the council this election. Non-Bethel City Council Candidates. The two churches sometimes share resources, facilities, musicians, staff and speakers. Shes engaged with the public. A dear Democrat friend of mine, whos voting only for Hill out of solidarity with his fellow progressive, said he finds Audette, Johnson and Shea just a bit too zealous for his liking. 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. Bethel withdrew from the Assemblies of God in 2006. They have creative ideas. Frankly, theres an unfortunate campaign trait shared by Vollmers, Hill and Valenzuela: Although they can accurately identify Reddings problems homelessness, crime, water issues, mental illness, housing shortages, etc. And Redding City Council member Resner decided to run for the Shasta County Board of Supervisors District 1 seat being vacated by Supervisor Joe Chimenti, who opted against running for re-election. Bruce Dean . Did you mean the Blue Man Group? They feel like their vision for Redding is being supplanted by someone elses, that theyre being replaced by Bethelbots, that the system is rigged. Candidate Alex Sheaalso confirmed that he attends Bethel Church. As a result, followers of such anti-Bethel Facebook pages as Investigating Bethel (924 members) and Bethel Affiliated Businesses (1.8 mil members) have vowed to shun Bethel/Stirring candidates and choose only from the remaining candidates. You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time. Redding is the economic and cultural capital of the Shasta Cascade region of Northern California and the county seat of Shasta County.Redding lies along the Sacramento River, 162 miles (261 km) north of Sacramento, and 120 miles (190 km) south of California's northern border with Oregon.Its population is 95,542 as of the 2022 census, up from 89,861 from the 2010 census. Yes, Johnson attends the Stirring Church. It's designed to attract shoppers downtown . The race for Redding City Council is heating up as two candidates have made public announcements in recent days. Bethels theology and practices have long been controversial. 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. Behold, Redding City Council candidate choices: (Click on their names for more information.). Mr. Scheide welcomes your comments and story tips. Likewise, this new Bethel-hater label could easily lead HR folks to feel pressured just to be on the safe, right side to take action against any employee who says so much as an unkind word about Bethel on social media. Below are excerpts from Johnsons post of accusations against Dacquisto: City of Redding insiders describe incumbent Dacquisto as weary and worn out. 1. Like the $500,000 Garden of Lights project dreamed up by Redding City Council member and Bethel Elder Julie Winter and recently passed by the council. No one from Bethel staff has organized, solicited or directed anyone to donate to my campaign., Sheaagreed, saying that Bethel has not contributed to his campaign and has no legal means of doing so. Even so, his campaign is lackluster, with just a smattering of campaign signs, and to date, few to none endorsements. 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. On the negative side theres that yawning gap in her leadership experience; a chasm too large for Vollmers to leap over and propel herself onto the dais as a qualified city council member. During winter storms, Shasta Countys lack of low-barrier shelter leaves many struggling to stay warm in the cold and snow. And then there is the $500,000 donation to the city police department: "They did that with one thing in mind, to curry favor," Brady says. 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. He later explained his point, that homelessness is a community problem, not a government problem. While neither candidate directly addressed whether they might be able to pull on Bethel funding for the city in future, both said the churchs finances had not impacted their campaigns. I certainly dont advocate boycotting, doxing or threatening anyone. Bethel is a church not a PAC, she wrote. 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. Have I done the research? In fact, aside from the times she recused herself to avoid even the perception of a conflict, as far as I know, Winter never uttered the the word Bethel. And with that slippery slope, youve hit rock bottom. 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. Erin Resner. 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. But both Audette and Shea say the 7 Mountains Mandate is really about reminding Christians to get involved in the community and find ways to use their skills and resources to make the community better for everyone, although, Shea added, he understands thats not always how the theology is seen. These are all responsibilities of a city council member. Some of them are angry, as youve probably gathered from the voluminous negative emails youve received in response to your blog. The council voted 4-1 to draft a contract with Bethel for running the 41-year-old . Several of the candidates running for the Redding City Council this fall are connected to Bethel Church. As a reader-funded outlet, we rely on donations to fund our work and keep our content paywall free. 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. Copyright 2023 Shasta Scout | Powered by. I don't know about Dacquisto. Redding is a city of 93,462 in Trump-red Shasta County, which has a population of 182,000. Bethel can be felt in the trendy new coffee shops and restaurants where young, well-dressed people huddle at tables with open Bibles and nary a mask . Tenessa Audette leads the way in fundraising in the crowded Redding City Council race. The Ridgefield Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce Pamme Jones as its newest addition to the Board of Directors. Listen to Audettes desire to make Redding a safe, thriving city. The large number of travelers who visit Bethel and its five schools (Bethel Christian School, Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, BethelConservatory of the Arts, Bethel School of Technology, Bethel Music College) helped attract nonstop United Airlines flights to Los Angeles. Now Im not.. Many Buck Fethel citizens vehemently believe that Bethel Church in particular will lead to the North States eventual downfall. Some of the replies are incorrect, such as the widely-reported assumption that candidate Johnson is a Bethel Church member. But you know what else has pretty lights? The sobering reality is that Redding voters are backed against a Bethel wall with some tough questions: Do I wish, for the sake of a more balanced election playing field, that the Redding City Council race wasnt flooded with candidates who attend The Stirring or Bethel Church? For the November 8, 2022 general election . Westbrook: 2.8 inches. Absences: Dacquisto has missed a number of meetings, including closed session meetings, joint session meetings, RABA, Library, Housing, Capital Services, and Successor Agency meetings. Both Bethels size and its commitment to Seven Mountain dominionism have gained it increasing local influence over the last decade as it seeks to create heaven on earth.. Some in the community worry about how the church's out-sized funding and theological beliefs, including the 7 Mountains Mandate, might impact local political candidates. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. 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. The same observation is true for Resner, a member of The Stirring. The wording in the article could lead some to believe that it is still in that fellowship. Ive never made such an inquiry, but it really is starting to look a lot like Clearwater around here. As Snow Falls In A Redding Camp, Unhoused Community Members Keep Warm With Propane Heaters And Campfires, Shasta County Supervisors, Sheriff, Face Off Over Constitutionality Of Proposed 2nd Amendment Resolution, Reddings Proposed Short Term Rental Ordinance Update Doesnt Take Into Account City Housing Data: Heres Why That Matters, Proposed 2nd Amendment Resolution Is An Overreach of Boards Authority, Shasta County Legal Counsel Warns, Heres What We Spent To Produce The News In 2022, Heres How Weve Funded Free And Independent Shasta County News This Year, Editorial: We Build Democracy By Telling The Truth About Power, Our Diverse Community and Ourselves, Building Democracy: Were Opening Our Reporters Notebooks. Jack Munns is one of three Bethel Church members running for the Redding City Council. Christianity Today defines Christian Nationalism as the idea that America is defined by Christianity and should take active steps to keep it that way. Scheide. Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. Hear his TEDxRedding talk and tell me you hate his ideas about neighborhoods. You, the well-paid president and CEO of the Redding Chamber of Commerce, barged ahead and went full Bethel, suggesting that thousands of members of the numerous Facebook groups dedicated to criticizing the charismatic evangelical megachurch in our midst are committing the sin of hate speech. (Stay tuned for that story soon.). This story is part of Shasta Scout's citizen-powered election coverage. the three fall flat when it comes to suggesting tangible, realistic solutions for those problems. Theres also concern that some church members are fanning secessionist movements and supporting militia groups in Shasta County. Although I dont always agree with Winter, theres no disputing that Winters been a responsible, dedicated and dependable city council member. 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. Now Im not, Listen to Sheas story, and then tell me youd reject this former Wall Street finance expert, Northern Pygmy Owl Whiskeytown Nat. compared women who seek out abortions to school shooters. Clearly, theres no love lost between Dacquisto and his three female city council colleagues, Erin Resner, Julie Winter and Mayor Kristen Schreder. Redding will lease its civic auditorium to Bethel Church for up to a decade. 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. Do I know what Im writing about? James Crockett, who says hes a former Bethel Church member, is now a member of The Stirring. R.V. 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. 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. A casino is more honest about stealing its customers money, pays its taxes and rakes the cash in 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Redding City Council on Tuesday night unanimously approved renewing Advance Reding's contract to run the Redding . Methinks this explains wee Patrick's attempt to change the oath for county employees. Since the late 90s, under senior leader Bill Johnson, the church has been devoted to the pursuit of the presence of God, manifested in supposed signs and wonders, including messages from heaven, miraculous healings, gold glitter, feathers, and special stones. Or will we now see what the true intentions of Bethel Church, School, And Ministry really are. In a few short weeks well learn one of two things: Either the Redding City Council will make history as the first council comprised of a majority of Bethel/Stirring Church members, or the fed-up-with-Bethel citizens will rise up and prevail with anyone-but-Bethel votes. Members of Bethel the 11,000-member northern California megachurch famous for elaborate healing services, Bethel Music and musician Sean Feuchts nationwide worship protests against COVID restrictions now hold the majority on the Redding City Council after Novembers elections, according to nearly complete vote counts.