DUNCAN – A political rally quickly turned into a spiritual revival when pastor and former Oklahoma lawmaker Dan Fisher pushed the notion that government cannot exist without God and His followers, citing those from the Revolutionary War who operated as patriot preachers.
The Dec. 16 rally, hosted by the right-wing conservative group known as Ekklesia of Oklahoma, started with Fisher dressed as Lutheran pastor and Revolutionary War commander John Peter Muhlenberg. During a 45-minute presentation, Fisher quoted Muhlenberg several times as a video displayed photographs depicting that era. The video showed how pastors in the 1700s became involved in the revolution and brought God and religion into government. The preachers at that time were known as the Black Robed Regiment for the black robes pastors wore when presenting a sermon.
“The pulpit was the tip of the spear,” Fisher said, referring to the pastors who turned into soldiers. “The church was led by pastors with spine and backbone. The pulpit of the 1700s played a role in the birthing of this nation.”
Comparing that time period to current events, Fisher said, “If the 21st century pulpit doesn’t move forward it will result in the destruction of this nation.” Fisher stressed that God and religion should play a pivotal role in addressing modern government issues and electing conservative leaders who will follow His path.
Talking as if he were Muhlenberg, Fisher asked “Will your generation do its job?”
Moving to the present, Fisher told the Stephens County Fairgrounds audience “Friends, we’re at war whether we want it or not. We need to get rid of the cowards and replace them with patriots.”
Fisher wasn’t the only speaker to invoke the name of God.
Aiya Kelley, chaplain for the Oklahoma Republican Party and a self-proclaimed Donald Trump supporter, called upon the Almighty to find leaders who will advance the conservative agenda. In addition, Warriors for Ranchers founder Mike Miller asked God to eliminate the “evil” immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. Miller, who lives in Texas, also demanded that the U.S. government secure the border and “put people in office who will do that.”
Jackson Lahmeyer, a U.S. Senate candidate, will oppose incumbent Senator James Lankford in the June 2022 primary election. Lahmeyer is a fourth-generation Oklahoman, pastor and small business owner. Lahmeyer criticized Lankford for reversing his decision to certify the presidential election results in Arizona following the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Lahmeyer, who claims to have raised more than $600,000 for his campaign, said, “what we have is a Republican problem and we need to clean our house first.” If elected, Lahmeyer said he would introduce legislation to cut off funding for any school district that teaches Critical Race Theory.
Later in his speech, Lahmeyer said, “Our hope is not in the Republican Party. Our hope is in God. God doesn’t join the Republican Party, the Republican Party joins God’s team.”
Lahmeyer called abortion “the greatest sin of all” while praising the work of the host group Ekklesia of Oklahoma, whose primary mission is to abolish abortion at the state and national levels.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Dr. Mark Sherwood, a former Tulsa Police Department SWAT member, said he would “go through that door first” to protect women and their unborn babies. Sherwood told the Duncan audience his mother “gave me a chance” by giving birth instead of having an abortion.
“Every human being is on purpose,” he said. “There are 29 babies murdered in this state every day.”
Sherwood claims Oklahoma needs a godly leader who has “backbone and spine” and can handle a crisis situation.
“We don’t need politicians. We need leaders,” he said. “I will stand up for no (vaccine) mandates. We will tell the federal government who the boss is.”
Meanwhile, Don Spencer, executive director of the Oklahoma Second Amendment Association (OK2A), encouraged voters to elect conservative candidates for local and statewide offices.
“We win at the ballot box, so we don’t have to go to the ammo box,” he said. “We need to take care of our own back yard before we can do anything with the crazies in Washington, D.C.”
Spencer referred specifically to state Sen. Jessica Garvin, R-Duncan, and state Rep. Marcus McEntire, R-Duncan. Spencer said Garvin failed to support the special legislative session to deal with the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Spencer also said not all Republicans are created equal, calling some state lawmakers RINOs (Republicans In Name Only).
“There’s no one to blame but Republicans,” he said of the state and federal political landscape. “It doesn’t happen by accident. I’m grateful this situation -- this tyranny -- is coming down upon us. It woke people up. People are more concerned about who the head football coach of a major university is than liberty.”