Floodgate Church promotes extreme political and religious ideologies, discriminatory acts that violate our laws, and is the most un-Christian church I've come across in my life. Here are the main reasons to avoid them.
1) They promote NAR Evangelicalism. Theologians, pastors, and scholars criticize this form of religion because it promotes (a) unbiblical authority structures such as claiming the President is a modern Messiah, (b) forced Christian dominion over all spheres of society - religion, family, education, media, government, arts, and business violating our constitutional laws (c) incorrect and distorted interpretations of the bible and scripture, and (d) political entanglement in nationalist and extremist political movements.
2) They promote Christian Nationalism. This ideology rejects pluralism, separation of church and state, and democracy. They favor authoritarianism that enforces Christian doctrine as law and elevates white male Christians into positions of power while excluding immigrants, people of color, and religious minorities. They oppose women's right to vote, civil rights, and want to eliminate Amendments 11-27 of the constitution.
3) They use false testimonies and charlatans: Guests include charlatans who use tactics like cold-calling illnesses or afflictions into the audience and then promising healing. Bolin claims to witness a paraplegic woman in Brazil miraculously get out of her wheelchair after being 'divinely healed'. It is widely known that evangelicals pay actors as deceivers. They tell these stories to try and convince people that God must favor their religion to bestow such miracles. Then they financially exploit people to pay money for healing. They also use them to sow distrust in modern day science and medicine so people will turn to the church instead. It's a money-making scheme for them. It's so dishonest and deceptive, especially to elderly people. If Jesus thought the Pharisees were corrupt, he'd flip more than a few tables with this church.
4) Un-Christian and Un-Inclusive. The pastor, Bill Bolin, is extremely homophobic and has spent more of his career attacking gay people than following Jesus's teachings. He spent his early years engaged in gay conversion therapy. He has said that gay people corrupt children, should be imprisoned, and that the AIDS virus is Gods retribution against them. He uses his church members to apply to local positions in school, library, and government boards to promote and install discriminatory policies against LGBTQ+ citizens, as well as push policies that support his extremist views.
5) Woe to you, hypocrites! Bolin spread lies about Hartland Cromaine Library staff accusing them of reading and exposing children to pornographic books. Yet, he brought Tim Ballard, a Mormon Christian Nationalist, to the church to talk about protecting children from sex trafficking when Ballard himself was federally charged with multiple counts of sexual misconduct including rape, grooming, possession of child sex material and drugs, and sex trafficking. Too busy spreading lies about others to do a background check on who they expose women and children to at their own church. read more
