Christian nationalists moving into Jackson County, Tennessee, focus on 'far, far more political power'

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A newly discovered video provides more insight into what out-of-state Christian nationalists hope to accomplish as they move into a small Middle Tennessee town.

This follows NewsChannel 5's revelation about the move into Jackson County by the controversial figures who oppose the Civil Rights movement, want to kick out immigrants who've become U.S. citizens and think women should not be going to college or voting.

In the video — posted by one of the developers who has been buying up land for the project — one of the Christian nationalists talks about their plan to gain political power.

"We're not just fleeing as refugees to somewhere else that might be better, we are going to somewhere where we can do the thing we wanted to do here, quite frankly," says Andrew Isker, a right-wing pastor from Minnesota who is moving to the area along with fellow Christian nationalist podcaster C.Jay Engel.

"If you were able to take even a few hundred people that all think the same way, have all the same ideas about the common good and politics and so forth, and you could consolidate them in the same place, you could exercise far, far more political power even with a few hundred or a few thousand people than you can on your own widely dispersed across the entire country."

Similarly, Engel has also argued that, for fellow Christian nationalists, "The best way forward is to take over local level outlets of the Republican Party."

Isker's video was posted on X by a company known as RidgeRunner, one of the developers linked to the purchase of 600 acres in the area. They hope to attract buyers from across the country to establish a foothold in Jackson County, and the county seat of Gainesboro.

The developers have also purchased a small office building in the heart of the town as their base of operations. Isker and Engel are also building a podcast studio there.

That video, posted on Aug. 29 (before Jackson County had been announced as Isker's destination), was first referenced Sept. 30 article by Baptist News Global.

For local residents who gathered this week for an impromptu town hall, NewsChannel 5's revelation of the Christian nationalists' plans came as a shock — especially the revelations of some of the more extreme beliefs they hope to bring to the place these people call home.

"It scares me that they are very clear about taking over," said Diane Murphy, vice chair of the Jackson County Republican Party.

For one, it was reminiscent of the mysterious characters who came to town in a Stephen King horror story.

"I think they kinda came in under the radar and want to recreate it in their own image," said Mark Dudney, drawing applause as he added: "And, as far as I'm concerned, Mr. Barlow and Mr. Straker can load up the coffin and get out of Salem's Lot."

On Monday on NewsChannel 5 at 6 p.m., hear what Jackson County residents are saying about this controversy.