ENCYCLICAL LETTER

OF HIS EMINENCE, THE MOST REVEREND BRANDON W. MILLHOLLAND-CORCORAN

Presiding Bishop of the Holy Catholic Church of the Gospels
Bishop Ecclesiae of the Basilica of Saint Longinus the Centurion
Apostolus per Vocationem Dei

Adversus Evangelium

On the Corruption of the Gospel by Nationalism and Political Idolatry

To the faithful of Christ, and to all who seek truth in this troubled age:

I. The Cry of the Watchman

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel.” —Ezekiel 3:17

To all who dwell in the light of Christ, peace be with you.

It is with trembling hand and burning heart that I write to you, not from a place of anger, but of holy grief. I write not from the marble halls of Christendom, but from the foot of the Cross, where the blood of the Lamb still flows and the cries of the crucified still echo. I write as a servant—not of Caesar, nor of party, nor of nation—but of Jesus the Christ, the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.

For too long, a sickness has spread through the Church. It did not come from without, but from within. It crept in wearing vestments and waving flags, baptizing idols in holy water and calling it faith. It has dressed itself in the garments of patriotism but speaks with the serpent’s tongue. It has confused empire for kingdom, coercion for covenant, and propaganda for preaching. And now it sits in many pulpits, undiscerning and adored.

This sickness is called Christian Nationalism. And it is not a movement of the Spirit. It is a corruption of the Gospel. It is a lie.

For the Word declares:

“Our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” —Philippians 3:20
“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” —Mark 12:17
“No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other… You cannot serve God and mammon.” —Matthew 6:24

These are not mere suggestions—they are the very words of Christ and His apostles. The Christian cannot pledge ultimate loyalty to any flag, throne, or constitution. We are not saved by empire, nor sanctified by nationalism. We belong to the Kingdom of God, and it is that Kingdom alone to which our highest allegiance is due.

II. The Demons Within the Walls

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.” —Matthew 23:13

Let there be no confusion, no veil of ambiguity: The demons are no longer outside the Church. They are inside the walls.

They do not arrive in darkness but under banners. They wear not horns but vestments. They do not curse Christ—they claim to speak in His name, even as they betray Him again with a kiss.

This is not hyperbole. It is spiritual diagnosis. The disease has a name: Christian Nationalism—a heresy cloaked in piety, a dragon dressed as a lamb.

This lie, now rotting within the Body, teaches that the Gospel is the possession of a single nation, party, or culture. It preaches that the Kingdom of Heaven is best advanced through legislation, militarization, or dominance. It canonizes founding fathers while ignoring the Crucified Son. It speaks of “freedom” while binding consciences to party platforms. It forgets Gethsemane and glorifies Goliath.

It is an anti-Christ theology—because it does not proclaim the crucified Messiah who reigns through mercy and meekness, but a counterfeit Christ enthroned by force and fear.

“You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.” —1 Corinthians 10:21

The Church cannot belong to both the Lamb and the Beast. The altar cannot serve both the Gospel and the gun. You cannot wave both the cross and the banner of Babylon.

Those who preach Christian Nationalism are not shepherds. They are false prophets and teachers. They enchant the people with a gospel that demands no repentance, no humility, no transformation. They speak not the Word of God, but the whispers of the Accuser—disguised as doctrine, framed in fear, and sealed with the blasphemous slogan: “God and country.”

And yet Christ is clear: “No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve both God and Mammon.” —Matthew 6:24

We cannot serve both the Kingdom of Heaven and the cult of empire. We cannot love the Lamb and embrace the Beast. We cannot claim the name of Christ while worshiping at the altar of nationalism, white supremacy, and political dominion.

The demons are inside the walls, not snarling—but smiling.

They have found pulpits. They have found publishers. They have found pews that would rather be stirred than sanctified. They preach a gospel where the poor are despised, the stranger rejected, and the mighty exalted—all while invoking the name of Jesus.

But this is not Jesus. This is Baal in vestments.

As Bishop Ecclesiae, I say now with the full weight of my office and conscience: To serve this false gospel is to serve the evil one.

And the Church of the Lamb must choose: Will we be the Bride of Christ, or the mistress of empire? Will we follow the Man of Sorrows, or the merchants of Mammon? Will we be faithful, or forfeit the Gospel on the altar of political gain?

“Friendship with the world is enmity with God.” —James 4:4

We must repent—not merely as individuals, but as institutions. We must cleanse our sanctuaries. We must silence the lies and cast out the spirits that have turned God’s house into a throne for idols.

Let those who have ears to hear, hear.

III. The Witness of Scripture

The Gospel That Was, and Is, and Is to Come

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.” —Hebrews 13:8–9a

If we are to speak plainly about the corruption of the Gospel, then we must also proclaim clearly what the Gospel is.

The true Gospel—the Gospel of Jesus Christ—is not bound to nation, race, or earthly authority. It is not a tool of kings or councils, not the servant of senators or slogans. It is older than any constitution and holier than any throne. It does not bow to Babylon, Rome, or Washington. It bows to the Father alone.

The Gospel is, and has always been, liberation for the captive, hope for the oppressed, healing for the broken, and salvation for the sinner. It is not a weapon to wield against one’s neighbor—it is a cross to carry.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,” said Jesus, “because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” —Luke 4:18–19

This Gospel begins at a manger and ends at an empty tomb. It does not conquer with violence but overcomes through sacrifice. It invites sinners to the table, not emperors to the altar. It speaks truth to power, and mercy to the powerless.

When Christ stood before Pilate, He did not summon legions. He did not seize the empire. He bore witness to the truth—and was crucified for it.

“My Kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight… But now my Kingdom is not from here.” —John 18:36

And yet today, His name is wielded like a weapon, as though the Lamb ever sought political office, or the Prince of Peace ever ruled by sword.

This must not be.

The early Church did not die for a party. The apostles were not martyred for a platform. The saints did not endure lions and fires to protect earthly borders. They died confessing Christ alone. And we are their heirs—not of gold, but of grace. Not of dominion, but of discipleship.

“Here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one that is to come.” —Hebrews 13:14

Let us remember what we were called to:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit… the meek… the peacemakers.” —Matthew 5 “Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me.” —Matthew 25:40 “Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you.” —Matthew 5:44

This is the Gospel.

And it has never needed the approval of Caesar.

IV. A Call to Repentance and Reformation

Cleansing the Temple, Restoring the Bride

“Judgment begins with the household of God.” —1 Peter 4:17

Let the trumpet sound in Zion. Let the Church fall to its knees, not in pride, but in repentance.

We must confess—not only the personal sins we whisper in private, but the public evils we have blessed with silence. We have allowed wolves to feed on the flock. We have traded prophetic fire for political favor. We have permitted the Lord’s Table to be guarded by gatekeepers instead of graced by shepherds.

This must end.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ does not need to be defended by nationalism, violence, or nostalgia for a past that never was. It needs only to be believed, embodied, and proclaimed without fear. But to do that, we must first repent—deeply, corporately, urgently.

“Return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your hearts and not your garments.” —Joel 2:12–13

So I say now, with apostolic authority: Let the Church renounce the false gospel of Christian Nationalism. Let the Church reject the lie that America—or any nation—is the New Israel. Let the Church repent of its complicity in racism, exclusion, greed, and violence. Let the Church restore the supremacy of Christ—not as cultural mascot, but as crucified King.

We must cleanse our sanctuaries of idols: remove the flags that compete with the cross, silence the sermons that enthrone earthly powers, and return to the altar of the Lamb who was slain.

This is not optional. It is not political preference. It is spiritual obedience.

If we do not do this, we risk becoming Ichabod—the glory departed. We risk being salt that has lost its flavor. We risk hearing the words no church should ever hear: “I never knew you.”

“Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” —Revelation 2:5

But if we do repent—if we humble ourselves, cry out, and return—then God, who is rich in mercy, will meet us at the altar not with wrath, but with restoration.

And the Church will shine again—not with the power of politics, but with the beauty of holiness.

V. The Church That Must Rise

A Vision for the Way Forward

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds.” —Romans 12:2

We stand at a threshold. The Church must decide whether she will be the servant of Christ or the chaplain of empire. Whether she will rise with the resurrected Lord or lie in the tomb of political compromise.

The future of the Church will not be written in ballots, headlines, or hashtags. It will be written in how we love, whom we welcome, and what gospel we dare to preach. And it must be this Gospel:

That Christ alone is Lord.

That every human being bears the image of God.

That the Kingdom of Heaven is not built by policy, but by grace.

That the Church is not the moral arm of any government, but the living Body of Christ—broken, risen, and given for the world.

“They will know you are my disciples by your love.” —John 13:35

It is time for a holy uprising—not against governments, but against idolatry.

Not through protest, but through presence.

Not with domination, but with the courage to wash feet, share bread, and speak truth even when it costs everything.

Let the Church that rises be marked by:

• • Sermons that stir souls, not votes.
• • Altars that welcome all nations, not exalt one.
• • Prayers that tremble with justice.
• • Prophets who will not bow to Pharaoh.
• • Communities where the refugee, the widow, the stranger, and the sinner find a home.

Let us be a people who love mercy, do justice, and walk humbly with our God.

Let our churches be places where Christ is not co-opted, but crowned. Where resurrection is not ritual, but revolution. Where love is not theory, but incarnate.

This is the Church that must rise.

VI. Apostolic Warning and Benediction

To the Unrepentant—A Rebuke; To the Faithful—A Blessing

“I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life, that you and your descendants may live.” —Deuteronomy 30:19

Let it be known to all who persist in the lie—that Christ is the servant of state, that the Church exists to uphold empire, that the Gospel can be used to enthrone the powerful and exclude the poor:

You are preaching another gospel. And it is accursed.

“If anyone preaches to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let them be anathema.” —Galatians 1:9

No priest, bishop, or self-ordained minister may cloak bigotry in vestments and call it righteousness. No church that worships nation, race, or power may claim the name “Christian.” No altar built for Caesar can be mistaken for Calvary.

To those who persist in preaching Christian Nationalism, white supremacy, violent dominion, or cultural conquest in the name of Jesus Christ:

You are warned. Repent.

Lest the Lord remove your lampstand,

Lest the Spirit depart from your sanctuaries,

Lest the words of Christ fall upon you as judgment:

“You say, ‘I am rich… I need nothing,’ not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” —Revelation 3:17

And yet—to the humble, to the brokenhearted, to those who mourn this false witness… hear this:

You are not alone.

Christ still walks among His lamps. The Good Shepherd has not forsaken His sheep.

If you have been cast out for speaking truth—He welcomes you.

If you have been silenced for loving mercy—He hears you.

If you have been shamed for rejecting the golden calf of nationalism—He honors you.

To all who remain faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ—take courage. The Church is being refined. And the crucified God is not finished with His Bride.

You are called to rebuild the ruins.

To plant vineyards where others sowed division.

To preach the true Gospel with trembling lips and holy fire.

And so I bless you:

✠ In the name of the Lamb who was slain,

✠ In the name of the Shepherd who gathers the scattered,

✠ In the name of the Spirit who burns away the dross—

Go now and build again.

Go now and speak again.

Go now and rise again.

“Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins.’” —Revelation 18:4

The Church belongs to Christ. Not to kings. Not to parties. Not to principalities.

To Christ alone.

Amen.

Given under my hand and seal this day, the Feast of Saint Mark the Evangelist, April 25, 2025.

+The Most Rev. Brandon W. Millholland-Corcoran

Presiding Bishop of the Holy Catholic Church of the Gospels

Bishop Ecclesiae of the Basilica of Saint Longinus

Apostolus per Vocationem Dei