From Godspeak to City Hall: The Christian Nationalist Network Showing Up in Thousand Oaks Politics

If you've attended a Thousand Oaks City Council meeting in the last 6 months, you've probably noticed a familiar group of speakers.

They regularly argue that America was founded as a Christian nation, as if the puritans wrote the constitution. They advocate placing "In God We Trust" in public buildings. Some repeat conspiracy theories regarding "the big lie" and election denialism during public comment. Others frame local political disagreements as part of a larger battle between good and evil. 

At first glance, it can seem eccentric, even entertaining. One attendee, Michael Steel, recently wore a Steve Hilton campaign flag like a cape while addressing the council (Cape man, as we call him). Another, Stella, became emotional and started crying (time stamp 8:25) while telling the Board that we have forgotten God and “In God We Trust” should be displayed on our government buildings. 

Michael Steel "Cape Man" often appears at Thousand Oaks City Hall wearing a cape and screams "MAGA" at people.

But after obtaining internal meeting materials from a local political group called TPUSA Faith operating out of Godspeak Calvary Chapel of Newbury Park, it becomes clear that these appearances are not random. They are part of a broader effort to organize politically around a narrow religious and ideological worldview.

The January 2026 agenda for the local TPUSA Faith chapter, led by Paul Johnson, who recently ran unsuccessfully for Ventura County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters, offers a revealing look into that strategy.

TPUSA Faith chapter leader Paul Johnson Speaking at the February Thousand Oaks City Council meeting.

The document outlines plans to promote "public policy consistent with Christian values," conduct church outreach focused on voter registration and "Biblical Voting," create teams that regularly attend city council, school board, and county meetings, evaluate candidates, produce voter guides, and partner with organizations including Patriot Academy, WallBuilders, Family Research Council (recognized as a designated hate group),  and Biblical Voter.

Those names matter.

WallBuilders, founded by David Barton and now led alongside his son Tim Barton, has spent decades promoting the claim that the United States was founded as an explicitly Christian nation. The trouble is that many professional historians, including conservative Christian historians, have repeatedly challenged those claims. In 2012, Barton's book The Jefferson Lies was withdrawn by its own evangelical publisher after scholars documented numerous factual errors and fake quotations. In fact, Before the recall, the book was notably voted the “least credible history book in print” by the history news network. 

Yet the movement has continued to grow through organizations such as Patriot Academy and Turning Point USA Faith. In fact, many of the historical claims, political talking points, and "Christian nation" narratives repeated by this ragtag group of public commenters at city hall appear to come directly from the Wallbuilders educational materials that historians and researchers have spent years debunking (if you want a really good read on the subject, check out constitutional attorney Andrew Seidel's work, especially The Founding Myth: Why Christian Nationalism Is Un-American.)

According to the agenda, which is posted at the end of this blog, Godspeak's local TPUSA Faith chapter appears to be moving in a new direction. Members were encouraged to attend a Patriot Academy course called "Rebuilding Liberty," hosted at Godspeak. The meeting also included a discussion about distancing the group from the TPUSA brand and potentially rebranding entirely.

The stated reason wasn't a change in ideology. Instead, attendees discussed concerns about controversies surrounding TPUSA and whether continued association with the organization might harm the group's effectiveness.

A lengthy section is devoted to conspiracy theories surrounding Charlie Kirk's death. The materials repeatedly suggest that TPUSA insiders are hiding information and entertain the possibility that the organization's leadership cannot be trusted. This is a group that spent years organizing under the TPUSA banner. They promoted TPUSA causes, attended TPUSA events, started clubs at Moorpark College and California Lutheran University, and aligned themselves with TPUSA leadership. The Founder of Godspeak Calvary himself was co-founder of TPUSA Faith. Yet now, according to their own agenda, some members appear convinced that the organization itself is compromised.

That level of distrust speaks volumes. A movement built on suspicion eventually turns that suspicion inward.

Its fascinating to watch a movement built on conspiracy theories about political opponents and falsehoods inevitably expand to include former allies, partner organizations, and even movement leaders. In real time we see the result is a political project that becomes increasingly disconnected from verifiable facts and increasingly dependent on narratives that cannot be disproven because every disagreement is treated as evidence of a coverup.

The move from TPUSA Faith to Patriot Academy is less a rebrand than a symptom of a movement losing faith in itself. The agenda makes clear that members were concerned about controversies surrounding the assassination of TPUSA’s founder, Charlie Kirk, and whether continued association with the brand was becoming a liability.

Many right-wing commentators and influencers have attempted to piece together what they believe is a web of circumstantial evidence surrounding Charlie Kirk's death, leading some to speculate that he was targeted by people within his own movement after becoming a political liability. Among the suspects in these theories is Mikey McCoy, son of Godspeak founder Rob McCoy and Kirk's former chief of staff.

Whether those claims have any merit is beside the point. What matters is that these accusations are coming from within the movement itself. The fact that some activists are now directing suspicion at longtime allies and prominent conservative figures reveals a deeper fracture. It is one more crack in a movement increasingly consumed by distrust, infighting, and competing conspiracy theories. 

The branding may be changing because the TPUSA label has become baggage. But the underlying network, leadership, worldview, and goals remain largely the same, and the push for influence at City Hall is only part of the story.

Running through the agenda is a persistent theme of "spiritual warfare," framing political disagreements not as debates between citizens, but as battles between the forces of good and evil. The concept of "spiritual warfare" is a defining feature within global network of charismatic churches called the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), and the movement's influence has reached some of the highest levels of national politics. Paula White-Cain, a longtime spiritual adviser to President Trump, is an apostolic leader within NAR. In 2025, Trump appointed her as Senior Advisor to the newly created White House Faith Office, and she also leads the National Faith Advisory Board.

A substantial portion of the Newbury Park TPUSA Faith meeting was devoted to matters of spiritual warfare with presentations asserting that world events are driven by Satanic forces working through "globalists" (an antisemitic dog whistle),  immigration, social change, and political institutions. Members viewed videos promoting conspiracy theories involving one-world-government plots, secret control networks, and alleged coverups involving political organizations.

The agenda repeatedly frames political disagreements not as policy debates between citizens, but as manifestations of a cosmic struggle between God and Satan.

That worldview helps explain why local issues are often presented in absolute terms. If political opponents are not simply wrong but part of a larger spiritual battle, compromise and debate becomes non-negotiable and democratic disagreement becomes Satan's rhetoric. Every speaker from this group at that podium shares this perspective. 

To be clear, none of this means people of faith should be excluded from politics. Far from it.

Religious Americans have every right to participate in civic life, advocate for their beliefs, and run for office.

The concern arises when a movement insists that the government, national or local, should privilege one religious interpretation of America over all others, while portraying political opponents as enemies in a spiritual war.

That's why Thousand Oaks residents should pay attention.

What we're seeing at City Hall isn't just a handful of colorful public speakers. It's the local expression of a national movement that has spent years building networks, training activists, influencing candidates, and reshaping public institutions.

And judging by their own agenda, they're just getting started.

Are they TPUSA? Patriot Academy? WallBuilders? NAR insiders?

At a certain point, the label becomes less important than the agenda.

These organizations may use different names, different branding, and different messengers, but they  promote the same underlying worldview and many of the same political goals. The real question isn't what they call themselves this year, it's what they are trying to accomplish.

Recognizing the common thread that runs through these movements helps residents see beyond the branding and focus on the ideas being advanced. When calls to blur the line between church and state, elevate one religious viewpoint above others, or frame political disagreements as spiritual battles appear in our local politics, they deserve scrutiny regardless of which logo is on the flyer.

Protecting religious freedom means protecting it for everyone. And that starts with recognizing the rhetoric, understanding where it comes from, and ensuring that our city remains welcoming to people of every faith, and those of none.

Sources:

• January 6, 2026 TPUSA Faith Godspeak Meeting Agenda and Minutes. (Below)

• WallBuilders and Patriot Academy public materials.

• Warren Throckmorton and Michael Coulter, Getting Jefferson Right.

• Frederick Clarkson, Political Research Associates reporting on Christian nationalism and Project Blitz.

• Public event records and announcements from Godspeak Calvary Chapel, Patriot Academy, and TPUSA Faith.