What is ‘the church’ and what is ‘Communion’?

This article originally appeared at Baptist News Global on October 6, 2025.

Much ink has been spilled over the last decade revealing the ways white evangelical Republicans have descended into the abyss of authoritarianism. But while they claim to be the most committed to Christ and the church, their empathy-starved embrace of empire actually has led them to redefine Christ and the church altogether.

Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” The Greek word for church is ekklesia, which means a called-out assembly or congregation.

At Charlie Kirk’s memorial service, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said, “Kirk actually in the German language means church. So on this Sunday morning, I’d like to think we’re all in Charlie’s Church.”

That’s not an original thought to Hegseth, by the way, as the church he attends in Washington, D.C. — with ties to Christian nationalist and misogynist Doug Wilson uses the German word kirk alternately for “church” in its name. The church’s website domain is christkirk.

Worship leaders at Charlie Kirk memorial service (Screencap)

Is this the church?

“Was Charlie Kirk’s pyrotechnic sparklefest really the church?”

But was Charlie Kirk’s pyrotechnic sparklefest really the church? And if the Gospels in the Bible subverted the gospel of empire by casting Jesus as the anti-Caesar, then were the worshipers at Charlie’s Church really preaching the gospel? As BNG’s Mara Richards Bim observed, “What struck me most about the service was the escalation of efforts to deify Kirk and to articulate a gospel of MAGA.”

And when those of us who aren’t card-carrying members of MAGA share any concerns these days, we’re met with sharp condemnation. One Christian nationalist defending Kirk on social media last week suggested, “God is turning to the political realm because the churches have become soft on sin and scared to offend someone.”

Silly Jesus. He claimed the gates of Hades wouldn’t prevail against the church. But apparently he forgot to mention he’d simply give up on the church and turn to Trump instead. Because we all know Trump isn’t soft on sin, right?

So how did we get to the place where white evangelicals, who claim to be the most committed to Christ and the church, are now redefining the church worshiping Christ as pyrotechnic-lined political sparklefests for the promotion of empire?

Continue reading at Baptist News Global.