To the Editor:
Imagine! Snohomish’s very own Russell Johnson, pastor of the Pursuit Church, quoted in the Seattle Times, calling for Mayor Bruce Harrell’s resignation (or an apology).
Searching for more, I found this analysis article from May 27 in Baptist News Global (BNG) titled “‘Worship warfare’ event in Seattle was planned to be violent”: “They act like they’re innocent victims…But the violence this weekend in Seattle looks exactly like what they feature in their promo videos leading up to the event.” This is apparently how Mayor Harrell also sees it. In a radio interview, Johnson said Mayor Harrell is full of crap. Someone is.
The BNG calls protest organizer groups like this “self-proclaimed Christian Supremacists” waging worship warfare on the country under cover of Donald Trump’s presidency. And, on cue, on May 27 the FBI opened an investigation of targeted violence against religious groups after Pursuit and other evangelicals’ rally at Seattle City Hall.
Just a reminder, it’s campaign season in Snohomish. Snohomish saw armed, indignant white nationalism 5 years ago when Mayor John Kartak allowed the Proud Boys and others to defend against a hallucinated Antifa invasion of Snohomish in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. Kartak’s “brilliant” defense strategy of Snohomish was to assure his re-election. It did not.
The Pursuit Church, their Political Action Committee, and Russell Johnson are beginning a political campaign now, for Snohomish, Seattle, and the Federal midterms next year. They will be providing staged performative outrage, political chaos, and financial assistance supporting their favored candidates.
Janice Lengenfelder
Snohomish
