Therefore:
Lutheran (EL C S*A) Ping!
* as of August 19, AD 2009, a liberal protestant SECT, not part of the holy, catholic and apostolic CHURCH.
Keep a Good Lent!
Posted on 03/24/2026 7:54:34 AM PDT by Twotone
A North Austin church attended by Texas state Rep. James Talarico (D-TX) is drawing increased attention amid his U.S. Senate campaign, with church leadership citing both heightened visibility and security concerns.
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, where Talarico has been a member since childhood, has recently hosted and is continuing to promote a series of events that include political organizing and activist training sessions. Pastor Jim Rigby told congregants in a Facebook post that the attention surrounding Talarico’s campaign has led to an increase in both positive engagement and “hostile press” and negative communications.
“Because we have also received some hostile press and an influx of negative communication, we have temporarily hired plain clothes security as a safety precaution,” Rigby wrote, adding that the church is considering longer-term safety measures. Among the events promoted by the church was a gathering tied to the “No Kings” protest movement, which took place Sunday, June 22, following the church’s morning service.
“Join us this Sunday following the 11:00 service in the sanctuary as we prepare together for the upcoming No Kings protest,” the church said in an event listing. “We’ll review key materials and relevant training, set up shared communication channels … and close with a digital safety training.”
The session included guidance on “personal privacy, protest device recommendations, and best practices for keeping yourself safe,” according to the church’s website. A third wave of “No Kings” protests is scheduled to take place nationwide on March 28, including an event in Austin planned from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. CDT.
The church has also advertised a self-defense seminar, coached by a man described as “a martial artist trained in boxing, MMA, and traditional disciplines.” The event, open to the public, notes that instruction will incorporate “gender-neutral and body-affirming language.”
Rigby has not replied to The Daily Wire’s request for comment on the training at the time of publishing.
Talarico, an Austin Democrat, is running in a high-profile Senate race that will pit him against either Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton or Sen. John Cornyn, depending on the outcome of the Republican primary runoff.
Conservatives have highlighted Talarico’s public statements about Christianity, such as abortion being a biblical teaching and that God is nonbinary, arguing that his views are out of step with many Texas voters. Talarico, who began pursuing a master of divinity degree at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in 2022, has defended his positions as grounded in his faith.
He has also criticized Republican-backed policies, including a Texas law requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in public schools, describing such measures as inconsistent with Christian teaching.
Talarico has said he aims to “reclaim Christianity for the Left,” framing his political positions as rooted in biblical principles and social justice concerns. His approach reflects a broader trend within mainline Protestant denominations that have aligned with progressive political priorities. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the denomination to which St. Andrew’s belongs, has experienced decades of membership decline, falling significantly from its peak in the mid-20th century, even as more theologically conservative Presbyterian groups have reported growth in recent years.
As Talarico’s Senate campaign gains national attention, his home congregation will likely continue to be viewed not just as a place of worship, but as a venue where faith and contemporary political activism intersect in highly visible ways.
Dear FRiends,
We need your continuing support to keep FR funded. Your donations are our sole source of funding. No sugar daddies, no advertisers, no paid memberships, no commercial sales, no gimmicks, no tax subsidies. No spam, no pop-ups, no ad trackers.
If you enjoy using FR and agree it's a worthwhile endeavor, please consider making a contribution today:
Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you,
Jim
Just like Obama’s. His was/is a cesspit of racist hatred — which is why that family fit right in.
Shocking, not.
North Austin of course
Presbyterian Church USA aka PCUSA
Figures.
PCUSA. That’s the evidence I need to know it’s heresy. They are looney as they are. I’ve noticed how PCUSA, ELCA, UMC, TEC, UCC, and CBF are the ones controlling. When churches promote CBF published karaoke “cantatas” for Easter, they refuse to admit the truth that they are funding Big Entertainment efforts to change churches.
I had it with Big Entertainment controlling churches. Entertainment giants are taking control of churches here and nobody wants to admit it. I called it out and was mocked because of learning a different era of church music from the way the generation was taught. Learning classical voice opened the door to a style most won’t accept because they are knee-deep into karaoke pop.
That’s not a church; it’s a social club/political organization (but I repeat myself) cloaking itself in religious vestments.
I think that it’s safe to say that after a presidential candidate was elected after his pastor damned America and after a Mormon was nominated as a presidential candidate, Americans aren’t terribly concerned with church affiliation.
Presbyterian.
I figured it was something like that.
Therefore:
Lutheran (EL C S*A) Ping!
* as of August 19, AD 2009, a liberal protestant SECT, not part of the holy, catholic and apostolic CHURCH.
Keep a Good Lent!
We're Presbyterian & Progressive
We are Presbyterian, yet our first allegiance is to Christ’s gospel of universal love.
We are Christ centered, yet we respect and learn from all religions of love.
We affirm the ancient symbols of our faith, yet we strive to speak a new language that includes all people and affirms the scientific discoveries of our day.
We hope to teach children the stories of the Bible without sectarian dogma.
We strive to be a close, nurturing community, yet we welcome all people into our midst.
We wish to live in inner peace, yet hear God’s call to work for peace and for universal human rights.
We take faith seriously, yet believe the journey should be fun. We celebrate life in many artistic forms.
Wonder if an extreme right-wing group has plans to disrupt and confront members of this church during services? Maybe invite journalist Don Lemon to come along to document the event?
Ah, look at all the lonely people
Ah, look at all the lonely people
Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been
Lives in a dream
Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door
Who is it for?
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?
How does his church pull off all these partisan political activities and maintain tax exempt status?
“As Talarico’s Senate campaign gains national attention, his home congregation will likely continue to be viewed not just as a place of worship, but as a venue where faith and contemporary political activism intersect in highly visible ways.”
Coming from a conservative outlet, I appreciate the “just the facts, ma’am” approach of the author. This is what journalism should look like. This pablum at the end, however, suggests that he had reached the word count for the article and needed to wrap it up quickly
then that church needs to have it’s tax free status removed. Or whatever special privilege a church has.
imagine most of the aggression is of the passive type. I do not trust these leftists.
I’m surprised that Little jimmy Trannyrico and Davy “Look At Me!” Hogg boy haven’t hooked up yet.
That “church” should lose its tax exempt status for engaging in political action.
And here I thought Rev Talerico was a minister. Silly me.
EC
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.