MERCY CULTURE CHURCH PASTOR: "YOU ARE NOT A CHRISTIAN IF YOU VOTE FOR A DEMOCRAT

Landon Schott, the senior pastor of the multi-campus Mercy Culture Church in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Texas, has sparked controversy with his statement that Americans who vote for the Democratic Party are not Christians. The statement was made in an Instagram video on Tuesday morning, where Schott reiterated his views expressed the previous Monday.

"I'm not a big Trump supporter. I'm not a Republican ... but there is only one party that at their convention says they will overturn Roe v. Wade. Listen to me carefully. I know people don’t like this because most people are not spiritually led, and most pastors only care if people show up and give donations. If they show up and give, then they don’t care," Schott said in the video.

Schott emphasized that his primary concern is for people to have a right relationship with God, not about popularity or church attendance. "I don’t care if you like me or come to our church. I care that you know God and are right with Him. If you think you can align with a party that supports and celebrates abortion, you are not on the Lord’s side," he added.

Mercy Culture Church, a non-denominational charismatic church, was founded by Schott in 2017 after receiving the blessing of Robert Morris, the controversial founder of Gateway Church. Schott now leads seven campuses with thousands of members, including online services and a Spanish-speaking congregation.

In his initial Instagram post on Monday, Schott bluntly referred to the Democratic Party as the "Demon Party" and harshly criticized Christians who support the party. Citing Romans 1 and Revelation 3, he wrote: “I have been asked repeatedly, ‘Pastor Landon, are you saying you are not a Christian if you vote for a Democrat?’ LET ME BE VERY CLEAR... THAT IS CORRECT!! YOU ARE NOT A BIBLE-BELIEVING, JESUS-FOLLOWING CHRISTIAN IF YOU SUPPORT THE GODLESS EVIL OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY!”

Schott, who identifies as neither a Republican nor a Democrat and acknowledges there is evil on both sides, stopped short of endorsing the Republican Party. However, he firmly denounced the Democratic Party’s agenda, which includes support for abortion, homosexuality, and transgenderism.

The ongoing Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, is expected to see Kamala Harris accept the party’s nomination to become the first woman and the 47th president of the United States.

Schott also expressed confusion over people who claim to follow Jesus but support policies that, in his view, oppose God. "I’m baffled by how people who think they are following Jesus can align with worldly celebrities, wicked world leaders, and demonically led politicians who defy God’s Word and don’t want God in society," he stated.

Additionally, Schott addressed Christians who prioritize their racial or sexual identity over their religious identity. He argued that terms like "gay Christian" or "black Christian" are not valid categories within the Christian faith.

“We don’t try to be diverse. We built this church around God’s presence. The people who align with us are those who love God’s Word and His Spirit,” he concluded.