About Me & Why: Wrestling for the Heart of the Church

Hello! My name is Kenton. I was raised in the buckle of the Appalachia Bible Belt, immersed in a culture where Christianity wasn’t just a belief system—it was a way of life. I attended Bible college, was ordained into ministry, and spent 17 years in full-time service to the church. My life revolved around shepherding others, upholding Christian principles, and striving to faithfully live out the teachings of Jesus.

But now, I feel lied to.

The church I gave my life to—the institution I trusted, defended, and loved—has become unrecognizable to me. The sacrifice of our principles, morals, integrity, and public witness in exchange for partisan political power has left me in shock and grief. The very communities that once held individuals accountable for the smallest moral failings now turn a blind eye to corruption, cruelty, and lies, so long as it serves a political agenda. The embracing of Christian nationalism, tied so tightly to the Republican party and the MAGA movement, has compromised the Gospel message and led us astray.

Why I’m Writing This

I’m not writing this out of bitterness, nor to attack or exact retribution on the church I once served. I know some will accuse me of these things. Others may try to gaslight me, saying I’m stuck in trauma or mental health struggles. But that’s not why I’m here.

I write out of a deep desire to wrestle back the church described in Scripture. The church that preaches the radical love of Jesus, stands for justice and mercy, and lives out the command to love God and love our neighbor. The church that refuses to bow to the idols of power, greed, or nationalism.

I write as a former insider, blunt in my critique but committed to “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). The American Church has gone astray, and like the prophets of the Old Testament, I hope to call us back to faithfulness—not alone, but alongside others who share this burden. This isn’t a solitary journey; it’s a collective call for those who love the church and grieve for what it has become to rise up together.

We do this not for our own sake, but for the sake of the Gospel and the witness of Christ in the world. Together, as a community of believers, we can remind the church of its true calling and work toward a future where our allegiance to Jesus takes precedence over all else.

An Invitation to Join the Discussion

This blog, Kingdom Over Empire, is a space for dialogue, truth-telling, and reflection. It’s not an attack on individuals or a particular political party, but a call to examine how our allegiance to Jesus has been compromised by our allegiance to political power.

I invite you to join me in this journey—not to argue, but to wrestle with the hard truths we must face as Christians in America today. Together, we can rediscover the beauty of a church that stands apart from worldly systems of power and points instead to the transformative hope of God’s Kingdom.

Let’s speak the truth in love, hold each other accountable, and remind the church in America of its first love—Jesus Christ.