# Andrew Isker [[CREC]] pastor, *Boniface Option* author, and self-proclaimed Christian nationalist who relocated from Minnesota to rural Tennessee to serve as the **spiritual infrastructure** of the [[Christian Network State]]. If [[Joshua Abbotoy]] buys the land and [[Nate Fischer]] provides the capital, Isker plants the church. His role in the Highland Rim Project is the one that makes it more than a real estate play — he's the person who transforms a land development into a confessional community with a CREC church at its center. Isker is also the movement's most prolific propagandist, co-hosting the *Contra Mundum* podcast (self-described as the "#1 Christian Nationalist Podcast in the World") and authoring *The Boniface Option* — the aggressive counter-thesis to [[Rod Dreher]]'s *Benedict Option* that argues Christians should go on **offensive**, not retreat. ## Background - Sixth-generation resident of Waseca, Minnesota (before relocation). - BA from Minnesota State University, Mankato. - Ministerial training at **Greyfriars Hall** in Moscow, Idaho — [[Douglas Wilson]]'s pastoral training school at [[Christ Church]]. This is the direct pipeline: Wilson trains the pastors, the pastors plant CREC churches, the churches become the institutional anchors of new communities. - Ordained in the **CREC** (Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches) — the denomination Doug Wilson co-founded. - Married to Kara; father of five or six children (sources vary). - Has served churches in Missouri, West Virginia, and Minnesota before Tennessee. ## Pastoral Career ### 4th Street Evangelical Church (Waseca, Minnesota) Isker's previous pastoral post. Left Minnesota around 2024, citing concerns about progressive state policies — claimed schools might put his autistic son "in a dress" without parental permission. ### Whitleyville Reformation Church (Jackson County, Tennessee) Isker's CREC church plant on/near Highland Rim Project territory. Currently meeting on an **invite-only basis** during its startup phase. Plans to build a permanent facility on RidgeRunner property. The church serves as the religious anchor of the [[Christian Network State]] settlement — it's the institution that transforms individual lot purchases into a *community* with shared theology, governance norms, and cultural expectations. The CREC affiliation is critical: it places Whitleyville Reformation Church within Doug Wilson's network of 130+ churches across nearly 40 states, connecting the Highland Rim settlement to the broader institutional infrastructure of Reformed Christian nationalism. ## Published Works ### *Christian Nationalism: A Biblical Guide for Taking Dominion and Discipling Nations* (2022) Co-authored with **[[Andrew Torba]]** — founder of Gab, the social media platform popular with white supremacists and antisemites. Endorsed by Doug Wilson. The book advocates for Christians to "take dominion" over all areas of society and apply biblical principles to governance. Represents a "general equity" theonomic approach — the idea that Old Testament civil law principles should inform modern governance, adjusted for context. The Torba co-authorship is significant: it connects the CREC pastoral network directly to the alt-right social media infrastructure. ### *The Boniface Option: A Strategy for Christian Counteroffensive in a Post-Christian Nation* (2023) Published by New Christendom Press. The book's title is a deliberate riposte to Rod Dreher's *[[The Benedict Option]]* (2017). | | Benedict Option (Dreher) | Boniface Option (Isker) | |--|------------------------|------------------------| | Named after | St. Benedict of Nursia (monastic withdrawal) | St. Boniface (chopped down the pagans' sacred tree) | | Strategy | Retreat, preserve, build enclaves | Attack, confront, conquer | | Posture | Defensive | Offensive | | View of secular culture | Escape it | Destroy it ("Trashworld") | | Community role | Shelter from the storm | Base for counteroffensive | Isker's argument: "You cannot flee to a Benedict Option community and think you and your family will be safe there" — the secular world will pursue you. The only option is to go on offense: confront the culture, present Christ unapologetically, and build communities that are **fortresses, not monasteries**. The *Boniface Option* provides the theological justification for the Highland Rim Project's aggressive settlement strategy. It's not a retreat to the hills — it's a staging area. ## The Contra Mundum Podcast Co-hosted with **C. Jay Engel** (Northern California blogger and Christian nationalist). "Contra Mundum" = "Against the World." Self-described as: *"Right Wing; Classically Protestant; Subversive of the Effeminate Regime."* The podcast functions as the **recruitment engine** for the Highland Rim Project: - Isker announced his Tennessee relocation on the show in July 2024 - Engel serves as a pseudo-ambassador for the settlement - The show platforms guests and discussions designed to attract settlers It's also where the most extreme content surfaces: guests have made antisemitic claims including "blood libel" conspiracy theories, promoted [[Great Replacement]] theory, and denounced universal suffrage. Engel has decried a "war on white America." The podcast has featured [[Tucker Carlson]]. ## Doug Wilson / CREC Connection Isker is a **direct product of the Doug Wilson pipeline**: ``` Doug Wilson (Christ Church, Moscow, Idaho) → Co-founded CREC denomination (130+ churches) → Founded Greyfriars Hall (pastoral training) → Trained Andrew Isker → Isker ordained in CREC → Isker plants CREC church in Highland Rim territory → Highland Rim becomes CREC-anchored settlement ``` Wilson endorsed Isker's *Christian Nationalism* book. They've debated modern Judaism and antisemitism together. Wilson was invited to preach at [[Pete Hegseth]]'s Pentagon worship services — creating a direct line from Isker's CREC network to the Secretary of Defense. See: [[Crusader Complex]]. The Moscow, Idaho model is the **precursor** to the Highland Rim Project: Wilson built an ecosystem in Moscow including Christ Church, [[New Saint Andrews College]], [[Canon Press]] publishing, Logos Schools, and a classical Christian education network. The Highland Rim Project is an attempt to replicate this template in Appalachia — same denomination, same theology, same institutional strategy, but with venture capital backing and a deliberate land-acquisition plan. ## Controversies ### Antisemitism - Rejected the concept of "Judeo-[[Christian religion]]" on Joel Webbon's podcast - Stated **"this country belongs to Jesus," not to Jewish people** - Argued Jews should be treated as second-class citizens in a Christian nation - Contra Mundum has hosted guests making "blood libel" conspiracy theories about Jews and engaging in Holocaust denial ### Racism - Downplayed the murders of [[Emmett Till]], Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd - Declared "the very concept of 'racism' was literally a creation of communists" - Co-host Engel has promoted Great Replacement theory ### [[Misogyny]] - Contra Mundum "perpetuates misogyny and denounces universal suffrage" - Cited Deuteronomy to claim [[Kamala Harris]] is "prohibited" from being President ### Local Opposition - Jackson County residents organized against the settlement: "This town is not for them" - Freedom From Religion Foundation condemned the project as creating a "white Christian nationalist town" - Demanded removal of "Hate Has No Home Here" signs in the community, citing the [[Assassination of Charlie Kirk]] as justification ## Why He Matters for This KB Isker is the **pastoral layer** of the [[Christian Network State]] — the person who makes the settlement a *church community* rather than just a land deal. His significance for this KB is threefold: 1. **CREC pipeline to the Pentagon:** Isker → CREC → Doug Wilson → Pentagon worship services → [[Pete Hegseth]]. The same denomination that anchors the Highland Rim settlement has direct access to the Secretary of Defense. See: [[Crusader Complex]]. 2. **Boniface Option as strategy:** The *Boniface Option* rejects both liberal pluralism *and* conservative retreat. It's the theological framework that turns the Highland Rim from a prepper commune into a staging area for cultural reconquest. This maps to the [[The Unholy Alliance]]'s broader project: not just capturing institutions (Leo), not just destroying them (DOGE), but building new ones from which to launch the next offensive. 3. **The Torba connection:** Co-authoring with the founder of Gab places Isker at the intersection of CREC theology and alt-right digital infrastructure — a convergence that mirrors the broader [[The Unholy Alliance]] between Christian nationalism and tech-right networks. ## See Also - [[Christian Network State]] - [[Joshua Abbotoy]] - [[Nate Fischer]] - [[Crusader Complex]] - [[The Unholy Alliance]] - [[Catholic Post-Liberalism]] - [[Dark Enlightenment]] - [[Pete Hegseth]] - [[Peter Thiel]] - [[Balaji Srinivasan]] - [[The Network State]] - [[Curtis Yarvin]]