HOUSTON, TX — In a city where faith has long fueled movements for justice, Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church is preparing Houston for a conversation that could not be more timely. Documentary screening and national panel will examine White Christian nationalism and the political use of faith.

On Saturday, August 22, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church’s Social Justice Ministry will present “Hijacked Faith: Power, Politics, and the Church,” the latest installment of its Crucial Conversations series at 3826 Wheeler Avenue in Houston’s historic Third Ward.

The morning begins with a screening of the documentary Bad Faith, which examines the rise of Christian nationalism and its intersection with American politics, religious institutions and democracy. The filmmakers describe the documentary as an exploration of Christian nationalism’s growing influence in American political life.

Then comes the conversation.

Wheeler Avenue has assembled a heavyweight national panel featuring Dr. Michael O. Emerson; Dr. Frederick D. “Freddie” Haynes III, senior pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church; Bishop Leah D. Daughtry, co-founder of Black Church PAC; political communications strategist Ashley Etienne; and Dr. Cleve Tinsley IV of Imaginior Equity Group.

With the November midterm elections approaching, the gathering raises a distinctly American question: How can faith inform civic life without being hijacked by political power?

That distinction matters. Democracy does not ask people of faith to leave their convictions at the church door. It depends on citizens bringing their values into the public square while respecting the constitutional rights, voices and votes of their neighbors.

In Houston, where churches have historically helped register voters, organize communities and champion civil rights, Wheeler Avenue is creating space not simply for agreement—but discernment.

The church puts the challenge plainly: “Faith should guide our politics—not be manipulated by it.”

The event is free and open to the public, with advance registration encouraged.

 

REGISTER: https://www.wheelerbc.org/events/hijacked-faith-power-politics-and-the-church

DIRECT REGISTRATION: https://brushfire.com/wheeleravenuebaptistchurch/hijackedfaith/636020