Texas Rep. Nate Schatzline鈥檚 energy was palpable as he gazed out from the video on the computer screen, grinning ear to ear, the sleeves of his white dress shirt rolled up.
The Republican legislator from Fort Worth had a message to share with people watching the prerecorded video: As a Christian, you have an essential role in politics and local government.
鈥淭here is no greater calling than being civically engaged and bringing the values that Scripture teaches us into every realm of the earth,鈥� Schatzline said.
The legislator was teaching a section of Campaign University, a series of online lessons he and others associated with Fort Worth-based megachurch Mercy Culture created to raise up so-called 鈥渟pirit-led candidates.鈥�
The course, created in 2021, is an extension of Mercy Culture鈥檚 increasingly overt political activities that . The church鈥檚 political nonprofit, For Liberty & Justice, houses Campaign University.
Campaign University builds on Mercy Culture鈥檚 growing political reach as Schatzline, a pastor at the church, joins and as the course now is offered at other congregations across the country.
The lessons emphasize that would-be candidates don鈥檛 need to be experts in government or the Constitution to seek public office or a place in local government. They also train potential candidates to 鈥渟tand for spiritual righteousness鈥� and teach them how to build a platform and navigate the campaign trail while maintaining a strong family and church life.
At the core of Campaign University is the idea that there is no separation between what happens within the church and what happens in the government. Students are taught to interpret the First Amendment鈥檚 establishment clause on the separation of church and state as a protection against government involvement in religion, rather than vice versa.
Previously, churches risked losing their tax-exempt status by discussing or engaging in politics. Then this summer, the Internal Revenue Service decided to from the pulpit, a decision Schatzline took as a green light for him and other pastors to ramp up political activity.
Programs such as Campaign University serve as the 鈥渘ext stage鈥� of this religion-driven political movement, said Eric McDaniel, a government professor who researches the intersection of race, religion and politics at the University of Texas at Austin. Past movements encouraged churchgoers to become activists, he said, but Campaign University stands out for training Christian conservatives to seek public office.
鈥淥ne of the things about this movement that鈥檚 really important is that they started winning local elections, then started winning state and then now they鈥檙e winning at the national level,鈥� McDaniel said. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 how you鈥檙e able to build a movement and maintain a movement 鈥� you start locally.鈥�
In an attempt to better understand Mercy Culture鈥檚 approach to recruiting candidates, two journalists from the Fort Worth Report purchased and completed the more than five-hour Campaign University course and listened to hours of the For Liberty & Justice podcast. What became clear in the course is For Liberty & Justice鈥檚 mission to push Christian conservative values beyond church doors and into the public sphere.
The nonprofit states on its website that it vets and supports 鈥渃andidates who are willing to do whatever it takes to protect our God-given liberties and take a stand for Biblical Justice!鈥� Its leaders have said they stand and abortion access, and they have pushed for the in government and public education.
For $100, Campaign University provides its students the knowledge, practical skills and spiritual guidance 鈥渢o make an impact for the kingdom in government鈥� 鈥� not 鈥渏ust in a way that鈥檚 passionate but in a way that鈥檚 calculated,鈥� Schatzline says within the first five minutes of the course.
The Fort Worth Report identified at least 10 people 鈥� through social media posts, press releases and podcasts 鈥� who completed Campaign University. They included Texas GOP Chairman Abraham George; an unsuccessful candidate who ran for a Dallas City Council seat this year; Tarrant County Republican precinct chairs; campaign managers; and a number of people who work for or previously worked for Mercy Culture or For Liberty & Justice.
None returned the Fort Worth Report鈥檚 requests for comment.
Reporters Marissa Greene and Cecilia Lenzen watch training videos from Campaign University, a program that trains Christians to run for office. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report/CatchLight Local/Report for America) Schatzline twice agreed to an interview but never responded to efforts to set a date and did not return phone calls and emails seeking comment. He and other Mercy Culture pastors created Campaign University after working on Texas political campaigns, including the legislator鈥檚, through For Liberty & Justice. Schatzline previously told the Fort Worth Report that he鈥檚 working to .
It鈥檚 not unusual for churches or spiritual leaders to encourage political activity from congregants, said Amanda Tyler, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty and lead organizer of the national nonprofit鈥檚 campaign.
鈥淲hat does seem unusual 鈥� and perhaps unique 鈥� is an actual candidate training academy that鈥檚 run out of the church,鈥� Tyler said. 鈥淥ften, particularly if we鈥檙e talking about partisan campaigns for public office, that鈥檚 a place that churches and other houses of worship have largely steered clear of partisan politics.鈥�
Schatzline has said he won鈥檛 seek reelection to his seat representing north Fort Worth and its surrounding suburbs but plans to continue as a pastor with Mercy Culture and to lead For Liberty & Justice.
The national faith board that Schatzline has been tapped to join declares its mission is to be 鈥渁 strong, unified, uncompromising voice鈥� on issues such as religious freedom, marriage, reproductive and parental rights, and gender-affirming care.
鈥淚t鈥檚 never been more apparent that the church has to rise up and be a bold voice in American government today,鈥� Schatzline said in an Oct. 27 video he uploaded to social media .
That sentiment is recognizable in Campaign University.
At the start of the course, Schatzline tells Christians to ask themselves three questions the typical candidate might not consider but that he stresses are key to success if one is called to serve.
Did the call to government come from the Holy Spirit? Will your loved ones pray with you about it? Even if you don鈥檛 win, are you still giving God glory?
Don鈥檛 run if you 鈥渃an鈥檛 hear the Holy Spirit鈥� because other voices on the campaign trail may 鈥渟hift your perspective,鈥� Schatzline said.
Nate Schatzline, a Republican legislator and pastor at Mercy Culture Church in Fort Worth, speaks to a gathering of the True Texas Project, a conservative political group. (Mary Abby Goss | Fort Worth Report)
A divine calling
Campaign University and other Mercy Culture political activities deliver on a commitment that Steve Penate told the Report he and fellow church pastor Landon Schott made to each other years ago: build a church that would 鈥渢urn the city upside down鈥� and be a leader in local politics.
Schott and his wife, Heather Schott, senior pastor of Mercy Culture, did not return emails seeking comment for this story.
Over its six years, the church has become a center of conservative religious politics in the region and increasingly across the state. This year, members at the Texas Capitol, on the first day of the 2025 legislative session.
Last year, pastors urged Fort Worth City Council members 鈥� using threats of litigation 鈥� to approve the , despite opposition from residents of the adjacent neighborhood. Council members in favor of the move said at the time that politics did not affect their decision.
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, a Republican, did not return a request for comment on Mercy Culture鈥檚 impact on the city through political efforts such as Campaign University.
The skills taught in Campaign University build off lessons learned from Penate鈥檚 failed campaign for Fort Worth mayor in 2021, when he lost to Parker, the pastor told the Fort Worth Report.
Penate said 鈥渢ons鈥� of people have completed Campaign University since its creation. Neither he, Schatzline nor Campaign University鈥檚 other instructors provided lists of graduates. About 50 people were pictured in the Campaign University鈥檚 first graduating class, according to a 2022 .
Mercy Culture鈥檚 expansion has included additional church campuses in Fort Worth, Dallas, Waco and Austin, and it plans to open a San Antonio campus next year. Penate said For Liberty & Justice aims to partner with churches across the country as it seeks to elevate Campaign University to a national level. Although he didn鈥檛 provide specifics, Penate said the goal is to create lessons for local churches to politically mobilize congregants, similarly to how Charlie Kirk鈥檚 Turning Point USA mobilizes students on college campuses.
He said the church is already spreading awareness about Campaign University by opening For Liberty & Justice chapters in other states.
As of late October, two For Liberty & Justice chapters outside of Texas offer Campaign University, Penate said. They are Florida鈥檚 nondenominational Revive Church and Hawaii鈥檚 Pentecostal megachurch King鈥檚 Maui, according to Schatzline鈥檚 social media posts. Representatives from the churches did not return requests for comment.
The nonprofit plans to open its next chapter in Arizona at the start of 2026, Penate said. After that, he expects For Liberty & Justice to grow exponentially thanks to Schatzline鈥檚 visibility on Trump鈥檚 faith advisory board.
鈥淣ext year is going to be explosive,鈥� Penate said.
Religion has long had a historic role in major American political movements, McDaniel, the government professor, said.
Leaders such as Baptist minister Martin Luther King Jr. were involved in the Civil Rights Movement. Televangelist Jerry Falwell founded the political organization called the Moral Majority in 1979 and mobilized .
鈥淭his idea that God has called you to do this is a very empowering message. It gives you a clear source of identity and direction,鈥� McDaniel said.
Many of Campaign University鈥檚 teachings address basic civics that might be useful to anyone running for office. Its lessons and 92-page course materials offer hands-on assignments for participants to start engaging with local government, such as reading the U.S. Constitution, identifying the elected officials who represent them at different levels of government and creating lists of potential campaign donors.
Campaign University鈥檚 goal is to bring Jesus into 鈥渆very sphere of influence and every mountain,鈥� Joshua Moore, another course instructor, says in the course鈥檚 second lesson. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we鈥檙e called to do as political activists.鈥� Moore, who serves as Schatzline鈥檚 district director in the Texas House, is a former Republican New Hampshire state lawmaker. He did not return phone calls and emails seeking comment for this story.
In Campaign University, instructors often emphasize what they describe as a divine calling for Christians to serve in local government.
鈥淎 grandma can pray at home on her knees, but who鈥檚 in Austin on the inside, that has a voice, that has a vote?鈥� Penate told the Report. 鈥淚t starts in prayer, but you gotta get on the inside.鈥�
Joshua Moore speaks to the Tarrant County GOP's executive committee in Fort Worth. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report/CatchLight Local/Report for America) Schatzline embodies this ethos in many ways, and he鈥檚 become a well-known face in in Texas.
During this year鈥檚 legislative sessions, he authored 75 state bills on a range of issues, such as , banning drag show performances in front of children and further penalizing the possession or promotion of child pornography. He failed to get many of his bills passed this year, except for one aimed at criminalizing the promotion or possession of child-like sex dolls.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to give this space back to the Holy Spirit,鈥� during the Mercy Culture-led worship session earlier this year. 鈥淲e give you this room. 鈥� The 89th legislative session is yours, Lord. The members of this body are yours, Lord. This building belongs to you, Jesus.鈥�
Landon Schott, the Mercy Culture co-founder, at the Capitol, as did George, the state Republican Party chair, who has taken the Campaign University course.
鈥淭here is no separation between church and state,鈥� George said at the event, according to published reports.
Campaign University lessons highlight what its instructors argue were the Founding Fathers鈥� 鈥渄eep religious beliefs鈥� as evidence that 鈥淕od was not separate from the public square; nor was that the intent of the founders.鈥�
The Founding Fathers 鈥渋nsisted upon a country that welcomed the role of religion in society, viewing it as a public good,鈥� said Jeremy Dys, senior counsel for the First Liberty Institute, a Plano-based legal group known for , including a Plano student who was banned from distributing candy cane pens with a religious message on them at a school party and an Oregon woman who refused to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex couple due to her religious beliefs.
鈥淎bandoning our societal cynicism toward religion would strengthen our commitment to liberty. It would do much to strengthen our country to regain the vision of our founders that celebrated the role of religion in our lives, public and private,鈥� Dys said in an email to the Report.
But under the establishment clause, government entities shouldn鈥檛 impose religious laws or policies, said Tyler, the Christians Against Christian Nationalism organizer. Laws should 鈥渟erve and support a pluralistic society,鈥� she said.
鈥淚f our goal in engaging in partisan politics is to impose our own interpretation of the Bible, our own religious views on other people, that will lead to harm for people in our communities that are not of the same religious views,鈥� Tyler said.
Nate Schatzline speaks at a rally commemorating Charlie Kirk on the steps of the Tarrant County Courthouse. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report/CatchLight Local/Report for America)
County at a crossroads
For Liberty & Justice鈥檚 efforts to mobilize Christian conservatives through Campaign University come at a pivotal moment in Tarrant County, as Republicans seek to maintain control of the nation鈥檚 largest urban red county, which has shown occasional signs of turning purple. Tarrant voters supported Joe Biden鈥檚 presidential bid in 2020 and twice voted in favor of Republican Sen. Ted Cruz鈥檚 Democratic opponents, in 2018 and 2024.
鈥淓very single seat matters, and now is the time to rise up. Now is the time to run. Now is the time to get godly men and women in office,鈥� Schatzline told dozens of attendees at a Sept. 9 For Liberty & Justice event at Mercy Culture aimed at encouraging political action.
The Republican-majority Tarrant County Commissioners Court, led by County Judge Tim O鈥橦are, steamrolled through a redistricting process this summer to gain a stronger majority as detractors alleged racially motivated gerrymandering. In late October, a federal appeals court upheld a judge鈥檚 decision .
O鈥橦are did not respond to a request for comment.
After state lawmakers adopted a new congressional map to create additional GOP seats at , the political makeup of Tarrant County鈥檚 from five Republicans and two Democrats to four Republicans and one Democrat.
For Liberty & Justice continues to develop its pipeline of candidates for local and state offices. The group circulates a that it says share the same values. One candidate who repeatedly made the list was conservative Fort Worth City Council member Alan Blaylock, who announced his bid for Schatzline鈥檚 seat Oct. 27 after the lawmaker said he wouldn鈥檛 seek reelection.
Others named on the list included city council and school board candidates across the county. Several told the Report they weren鈥檛 required to complete Campaign University to be included on the list and that they hadn鈥檛 taken the course.
For Liberty & Justice is prepared to ensure strong Republican results as Tarrant voters gear up for next year鈥檚 elections, plus a runoff election to vacated by now-Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock.
It makes sense that Tarrant County, which political experts describe as a , may be a driver in national conversations around how religion and politics intersect, said McDaniel, the UT professor.
His message echoed the sentiments expressed by For Liberty & Justice leaders and attendees during a recent night of action at Mercy Culture Church.
Throughout the night, volunteers who completed Campaign University emphasized how the lessons can not only activate people to run for office but also enable them to lead small groups of fellow Christian conservatives in political action, such as advocating for policy issues at city council or school board meetings.
Event organizers encouraged attendees to get civically engaged that night by joining small political action groups in neighborhoods scattered across Tarrant County, with specific interests such as 鈥渂iblical citizenship鈥� or 鈥減rayer and intercession.鈥�
To end the night, one Campaign University graduate led the crowd in prayer. 鈥淲e need you, Lord, desperately to be able to accomplish what you are calling us to do for this nation, for our city, for our county, for our state.鈥�
Marissa Greene is a Report for America corps member covering faith for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at marissa.greene@fortworthreport.org.
Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org.
This article is co-published with the nonprofit newsrooms and as part of an initiative to report on how power is wielded in Texas.
News decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy .
This first appeared on and is republished here under a .
