Welcome to Snohomish Hate Free
We have our differences as a community. A hate free Snohomish is our aspiration and we’re going to work for it.
Not From Snohomish?
August can be pretty sleepy
First! If you are a registered voter, please VOTE! August 4th, ballots for primaries and special initiatives are due.
(A note about our picture of the Centennial Trail here, this portion close to First Street, in town. I live by “a brown lawn from July on”; and apparently so does the condo owner whose lawn is pictured closest to the camera. THAT is the correct color of a summer lawn. What you see beyond is a lawn trying too hard.
Water/sewer utility rates in Snohomish rose by 21% in 2025 and again by 15% in 2026. Watering grass has always been a luxury; but more it denies you the pleasure of a change of color palette. And your grass doesn’t die, it mellows, thinks about the meaning of its precarious life, and sobers up. Believe me, it will be green again in November).
After that, it’s summer, it’s hot, fingers crossed Oregon doesn’t spontaneously combust and send its smoke our way. Mostly things slow down significantly. If you want entertainment, it’s on you! I can offer options. First, the Pilchuck River is low, cold, and wadeable, and accessible in at least three points in town: Pilchuck Park, Morgantown Park, and the levee across the Sixth Street bridge on the east side of Snohomish, as you leave town. Second, there are an ice cream AND a frozen yogurt parlor, barely two blocks apart on first street. Third, if it is late enough in both the afternoon, and the week, the best shady outside pizza dining is at Piccola’s Pizza, just off First Street, on Union. Shady outside dining is also available at Spada Farmhouse Brewery on First Street, across from the Carnegie, at Andy’s Fish House on First Street at Avenue D Bridge, and at Todo’s Mexican Restaurant, also on First. All of these locations are great for people watching. Come on Tuesdays and stay for open mic at the Oxford Tavern on First Street. Jerry Battista (a pro) does an opening set, then turns the stage over to those musicians who have signed up to perform.
If you have a bicycle, you can ride from Snohomish to Lake Stevens, then Arlington, and turn around at Nakashima Farm and ride back. If you don’t have a bicycle, you can rent one from the bicycle shop on Maple Ave, next to the Centennial Trail. Do the round trip to Nakashima Farm and back, you will have pedaled 60 miles. Take water.
And of course, there are all of the dog walks we have provided in our archive, which, when your dog refuses to go because it’s too hot, you can walk yourself.
WE ARE SMALL TOWN SNOHOMISH
THESE ARE TIMES THAT CALL FOR A DRINK!
(It’s August, and a gentle reminder…anything you would drink hot the other months of the year, can be iced).
And Snohomish can help! All throughout our history, drinking establishments have outnumbered churches downtown. The difference between then and now…now at least 30% of those drinking establishments are coffee houses. And the taverns? They serve meals. Here we offer the Oxford Tavern.
What's New and Blog Posts
August 1, 2026: No we don’t have a fabulous crosswalk like this one…but we could.
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CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM, AND YOUR VOTE, IN OUR PART OF THE COUNTRY
The following is reporting for election season. As you can see I am asking Claude (Anthropic AI) to research national and local reporting on Christian Nationalism and how it is unfolding in our part of the world. If you do your own queries you will be provided with references allowing for a more comprehensive read. I have not supplied those here, though there is note of Oregon Public Broadcasting reporting with regard to Battleground, WA. Battleground, WA, is not Snohomish, you say…not our problem. Read on.
Please do your homework, and please vote.
(My request to Claude AI: Provide history, news and a summary of recent events regarding Christian Nationalist takeover of Battleground, Washington).
This is a rich, well-documented story that has been developing rapidly. Here’s a comprehensive overview:
Christian Nationalist Takeover of Battle Ground, Washington
Background: The Town
Battle Ground is a rapidly growing city of roughly 23,000 people in Southwest Washington, about 30 minutes north of Portland, Oregon. It’s a Clark County community that had been a fairly typical, politically mixed Pacific Northwest small city — until a calculated, years-long campaign began reshaping it.
The Key Players
Camden Spiller & Maddox Industrial Transformer
The driving force behind these changes is Camden Spiller, co-owner and CEO of Maddox Industrial Transformer, far and away Battle Ground’s fastest-growing company. The company has seen over 400% revenue growth in the past three years — in part because of the unquenched thirst for electricity needed for data centers and the AI boom. Its customers include Amazon, Meta, X, and many other commercial and industrial power users. During a 2024 interview, Spiller said Maddox expects to do $1 billion in revenue by 2027.
Pastor C.R. Wiley
Wiley is listed as the senior pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Battle Ground. He is a leader in the ultra-conservative Presbyterian Church in America and has spoken candidly about his aims: “We want owned space,” Wiley said. “We want to be the people who have a very strong say, significant say, in how things are done and how the business is conducted.” In a conference talk he elaborated: “What we, as Presbyterians and people who belong to the reformed tradition, bring to the larger church, are the resources of a public theology that helps us to govern unbelievers.”
Doug Wilson — The Idaho Connection
For years, Pastor Doug Wilson’s Christ Church has been expanding its footprint in Moscow, Idaho. Wilson, a self-described Christian nationalist, is well known for his hope of turning Moscow into a Christian town. On a larger level, he wants America to become a theocracy. Wilson has endorsed turning the Ten Commandments into civic law, argued that women shouldn’t have the right to vote, and has defended slavery in past writings. “I know Camden and I’m friends with Chris Wiley,” Wilson said in an interview with OPB.
The Strategy: “Christian Localism”
This is not a spontaneous grassroots movement. It follows a deliberate, multi-year playbook:
Phase 1 – Build goodwill and buy property quietly. Maddox quietly employed local people and existed in the background building community goodwill. In 2020, its billionaire owner started buying up local property. A parcel here and a storefront there. It was spaced out and did not draw attention. Real estate activity accelerated dramatically in 2025.
Phase 2 – Control community gathering spaces. Wiley described the church’s approach as creating all the spaces you’d want to go and hang out with friends outside of your home and work — so a local bakery would “double as a Bible study location after hours,” and the same for a local cigar shop.
Phase 3 – Capture elected office. Several of their hand-picked people ran for office and won races in late 2025. The Mayor, a Maddox employee, assumed the role in January 2026.
Phase 4 – Control the narrative. Most recently, as detailed below, the Spillers acquired the town’s only newspaper.
The podcast that laid this out explicitly, The Battle Ground Project, was co-hosted by Wiley and Maddox’s VP of Real Estate Max Booth. Shortly after OPB began investigating this story, the episodes were removed from podcast feeds.
The Property Portfolio
Using state and county property records, OPB confirmed that more than a dozen corporations controlled by Spiller have purchased over 30 properties in Battle Ground in the past six years. These include the Battle Ground Farmers Market, Al & Ernie’s Bakery Cafe, Tukes Public House, and a 60-acre development site east of Battle Ground Village planned to include a 14,000-square-foot chapel and a 25,000-square-foot conference center. The Battle Ground City Council voted unanimously in September 2025 to advance the development agreement for this project, with groundbreaking expected in early 2026.
A chilling side effect: OPB contacted a dozen residents, public officials, and business owners in buildings owned by Spiller or near Spiller acquisitions. Several declined to discuss the recent purchases — because they were worried about criticizing a company as large and influential as Maddox in a town of 23,000.
Political Capture
In January 2026, Eric Overholser, a production operations manager at Maddox, was elected mayor after serving as a city councilor since 2023. Deputy Mayor Aimee Vaile is married to a Maddox employee. Another Maddox employee was recently elected to the local school board.
Mayor Overholser has since taken a series of actions that alarmed residents:
• In June 2024, Overholser, along with two other councilors, voted to remove a Pride Month proclamation from the agenda, calling it “controversial.” For 2026, Cole alleges the current mayor had already denied a Pride Month proclamation for the June 1 Battle Ground City Council meeting.
• In an official proclamation read before the city council on June 15, 2026, Mayor Overholser recognized the city’s traditional, nuclear families in the name of “God’s design,” drawing immediate concern from residents and media observers.
• City staffers were reportedly concerned with Overholser’s Antifa and ICE proclamations, as well as his handling of LGBTQ-related proclamations.
The Most Recent Escalation: Buying the Newspaper
On June 11, 2026 — just weeks after the OPB story broke — came the move that perhaps most alarmed observers:
Brothers Camden and Mac Spiller announced they had purchased The Reflector, the town’s sole news outlet — a 117-year-old newspaper. The paper’s employees were required by the new ownership to reapply for their jobs, and the publication was planned for a six-month hiatus.
The sale immediately raised concern about the Spillers’ growing influence in Battle Ground from some community members on local social media pages. Critics note that the Reflector is also the legal newspaper of the City of Battle Ground — the paper of record for official public notices — giving the Spillers potential control over a key instrument of civic transparency.
Camden Spiller pledged in an editorial that coverage would not include “puff pieces or pulled punches” and would disclose conflicts of interest, saying: “North Clark County does not need a newspaper that belongs to our family. It needs a newspaper that belongs to north Clark County.”
The Broader Pattern
Commentators and researchers have noted that Battle Ground represents one documented template among several emerging models for Christian nationalist community capture. In Battle Ground, one billionaire brought his business to town, ingratiated himself in the community, quietly bought up real estate, likely brought in a pastor/accomplice, and likely bankrolled his own employees’ capture of city government. Analysts warn that his next target is most certainly Batavia, Ohio, where he opened two new facilities earlier this year and has already purchased several Main Street buildings to anchor future plans.
Summary
In under a decade, Battle Ground has seen a single wealthy, ideologically motivated business owner: acquire over 30 properties; install a theologically aligned pastor who openly speaks of governing non-believers; help elect a company employee as mayor and place affiliated individuals in other offices; develop a 60-acre campus anchored by a church; and purchase the only local newspaper — all while connections to prominent figures in the national Christian nationalist movement (most notably Doug Wilson of Moscow, Idaho) have become increasingly documented. The April 2026 OPB investigation broke the story into national consciousness, and events have accelerated visibly since. Community resistance exists but faces the structural challenge of criticizing the largest employer in a town of 23,000.
(My follow-up question: Where else is this happening in Washington state?)
The answer is: extensively, and through at least three distinct models operating in different parts of the state. Here’s a geographic and organizational breakdown:
Christian Nationalist Activity Across Washington State
1. Snohomish / Puget Sound Region — The Pursuit NW
This one is in your own backyard. Russell Johnson founded The Pursuit NW in 2014 in a Snohomish barn, which quickly grew a following with the promise of “healings, salvations, deliverances and miracles.” The barn’s old JCPenney building in Snohomish still serves as the church’s primary campus.
Since its founding, The Pursuit has grown to four locations across Washington state — headquarters in Snohomish and satellite locations in Seattle, Kirkland, and Spokane. Johnson travels between them in a private helicopter.
From 2023 until recently, Johnson’s church was affiliated with its own political action committee, Pursuit PAC. Johnson was listed as its president. In the 2024 election, Pursuit PAC endorsed Trump for president and a straight Republican ticket. The PAC received a warning from Washington state’s Public Disclosure Commission for failing to disclose its sponsorship of its voting guide.
Because the church owns the $2.3 million property that includes Johnson’s home, he pays no property taxes. According to the Snohomish County Assessor’s Office, the last private owners paid roughly $16,000 annually in property taxes; since the property was redesignated a religious residence in 2023, Johnson and his wife pay only around $300 in annual fees.
Johnson hosted televangelist Paula White, who leads the White House Faith Office, at the Kirkland campus. He has also partnered with Matt Shea, Jenny Donnelly, and Sean Feucht at provocative public events.
In Spokane: By January 2026, The Pursuit had purchased Browne’s Addition’s All Saints Lutheran Church for $2 million. Since taking over the property, the church dug up a community garden, beamed floodlights into neighboring homes, and had worship music rattling walls on Sundays. On April 19, 2026, Pursuit announced millions more in purchases of Seattle real estate.
(My note: since, it’s founding about 10 years ago, the Pursuit NW has acquired between $12 and $15 million dollars of property and has begun investing in downtown Snohomish businesses and backing local political candidates including now Mayor Aaron Hoffman.
2. Spokane Valley / Eastern Washington — Matt Shea & On Fire Ministries
This is the most established and historically documented front, with deeper roots in political extremism.
Matt Shea is a former state legislator who was expelled from the state GOP caucus for participating in “domestic terrorism.” He authored “The Biblical Basis for War,” a pamphlet that calls for Christian supremacists to “kill all males” who refuse to go along with the “American Redoubt,” the plan for an evangelical Christian theocracy based in Montana, Idaho, and Eastern Washington.
After his political career ended, Shea became a pastor. He founded On Fire Ministries in Spokane. His network extends to Marble Community Fellowship in Stevens County, Washington, where he has been an annual speaker at its “God and Country Celebration.” That fellowship has ties to a pastor who promoted the deeply racist and antisemitic Christian Identity theology.
Shea wants Eastern Washington to secede and form a 51st state called “Liberty” embodying his style of Christian values. His influence reached into Spokane Valley’s city government, where critics described local bodies as having followed his political direction. Shea hosted former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn at On Fire Ministries in 2024.
Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward appeared at an event linked to Shea and religious extremists, where Shea and Sean Feucht laid hands in prayer over her.
3. Cashmere / North Central Washington — The Collective Church
The Collective Church in Cashmere is connected to the Portland-based NAR leader Jenny Donnelly and co-run by pastor Folake Kellogg. Its leadership explicitly references the Seven Mountain Mandate — a dominionist movement that teaches Christians must control the seven “mountains” of cultural influence: government, media, business, family, arts, education, and church.
In a sermon, Cashmere pastor Ross Kellogg declared: “We have to take land. And you don’t take land with part-time warriors. We take land with full-time Spartans.”
During a national Zoom call, Donnelly praised Kellogg for “signing up her church for every available spot” at library storytime sessions — though NCW Libraries stated their storytime program is led only by trained library staff, and that no such sign-up list for outside groups exists.
In Chelan, after a Collective presentation, attendees shared a “boycott or pray for” list of businesses that supported a local Pride festival. Another person doxxed the board of directors of Chelan Pride.
4. Seattle — The Convergence Hub
Seattle has become a flashpoint where these networks converge for high-visibility provocations. Mayday USA held a Memorial Day weekend 2025 event at Cal Anderson Park in Capitol Hill — Seattle’s historically LGBTQ+ neighborhood — featuring Donnelly, Shea, and Johnson. Twenty-three people were arrested.
The story made national news and caught the attention of Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino, who posted that his agency would investigate “allegations of targeted violence against religious groups.” Scholars of the movement noted that the choice of Cal Anderson Park — the heart of Seattle’s queer community — was a deliberate provocation designed to generate conflict and media coverage.
The Pursuit NW is currently suing the city of Seattle after former Mayor Bruce Harrell condemned it and other organizers of the Mayday USA rally.
The Connective Tissue
What ties all these Washington State threads together — and links them to the Battle Ground situation — is a shared national theological infrastructure: the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and its Seven Mountain Mandate, the Doug Wilson / Moscow Idaho Reformed Presbyterian network, and the touring Christian nationalist circuit of Sean Feucht, Michael Flynn, and associated figures. These networks share speakers, funding, tactical playbooks, and theological frameworks. The Battle Ground model (quiet real estate acquisition + political capture) and the Spokane model (confrontational public events + institutional entrenchment) are different tactical expressions of the same strategic project.
Media Bias Pyramid
Early in this website’s history we shared a media bias pyramid much like this one. It’s time for an update. Why ? If you’ve been paying attention you already know. Influential media platforms are being bought up by wealthy investors politically aligned with the current administration. The result has been the silencing of a number of voices. Reporters and entertainers have been forced out of programming or print. That’s the bad news. The good news is they are finding a following as independent journalists, commentators and comedians on independent media like YouTube on the internet and the Atlantic Magazine (subscription required) and the Guardian newspaper.
You likely have a favored source of news, but I am going to recommend you at least try the Guardian. It is free, though they do ask you to create an account, I would assume for metrics. Based in England, they cover news happening all over the world with journalists based in the reporting countries, including the United States. It is quite likely you will recognize a reporter’s name. The Guardian will give you access to a summary of daily news from everywhere.
The Atlantic Magazine is an excellent source for in depth stories.
YouTube is the Wild West, but there are reliable reporters doing in depth reporting on topics of interest in the USA. Robert Acosta, formerly of CNN, has a channel. So does Scott McFarlane, formerly of NBC and CBS.
Why We Love Diversity
I’ll admit this is a bit of history that is not local but is important for these reasons:
It demonstrates diversity goes back to the very earliest days of our European ancestors‘ arrival.
It documents crushing prejudice endured by, and the stunning resilience of, an oppressed group.
it provides inspiration, and a provides promise of path through and past bigotry.
Explore
The Thursday, July 30 edition of the Daily Herald has a front page article on the archeological work being conducted at the Japanese Gulch site in Mukilteo. Japanese Gulch just happens to be one of my, and my dog’s, favorite field trips. Now, for educational value, it could be a short hike you take with your kids. The picture here is of the horsetail forest along the lower Japanese Gulch trail. See more in EXPLORE.
Volunteering and Local Resources
We speak a lot about volunteering in your community and the opportunities volunteering provides in civic life generally. Use the button for possibilities.
Also, for folks wanting more information on focused areas of interest I offer these suggestions:
Outinsnohomish.org is a resource for our LGBTQ+ community. They will be working on the Pride events that were, in the past, managed by HDSA. They are also on Facebook and Instagram, have an events calendar and offer volunteer opportunities.
In Facebook, look for Wil Johnson’s Facebook page. He does a great job of elevating and broadening the reach of marginalized voices…or perhaps simply voices you might not otherwise hear from. He is a longtime educator, works for Snohomish County, and his page is well worth the feed.
HDSA has a podcast called Snohomish Storytellers. You can query it on Apple Podcasts, and they have been at this for awhile. There were 25 recordings in their library on subjects of all kinds but all focused on Snohomish.
Book Corner
Books for our times and our town.
Let’s start with Lost and Forgotten, by local historian Taylor Russell. She has done a comprehensive work of research on the history of Snohomish’s first cemetary. It was a cemetery shared with the local Snohomish tribe. It’s a facinating read, and unsettling in just how quickly almost, but not quite all, residents forgot this parcel’s history.
Candace Wellman’s book pictured above Russell’s is titled Peace Weavers, Uniting the Salish Coast Through Cross-Cultural Marriages. Wellman is a historian based in Bellingham. Her documented marriages in this book and one other provide witness to new arrivals’ and local indigenous tribes’ desire to form a peaceful union of cultures, in the earliest period of settlement.
Securing Your Financial Future, by Chris Smith, was written for Smith’s sons. Smith himself was known as the youngest division financial controller in Hewlett Packard, before becoming vice president of finance for two of HP’s global business units. He assessed his two sons as not inheriting the specific useful gene of financial cautiousness. With the financial future of our country now shaky for the foreseeable future, it’s time for everyone o do a financial wellness check. But for young folks especially, this is the very best time to learn wealth is built steadily and time can be on your side.
A Woman of No Importance is a book of historical research on one of the preeminent spies in Europe during WWII. Sonia Purcell tells the story of Virginia Hall, a woman whose impact on the course and outcome of the war warrants remembering.
The New Apostolic Reformation
If you are wondering why we haven’t moved on here: Christian Nationalism remains entrenched in the White House. They support a far right political agenda which includes Project 2025, and therefore pose a threat to religious pluralism and freedom generally.
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Christian Nationalism and the New Apostolic Reformation distinctions; and how to identify adherent churches in the wild. And what it means for you.