FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — New video shows how the increasingly bizarre campaign for mayor in Franklin is being viewed by some as a spiritual war.
Video from a tent revival in Franklin late last week shows how Gabrielle Hanson appears to believe God is on her side.
But critics say that video should be a wake-up call about the dangers of those who are now trying to get political control to force their faith on others.
Watch Phil's investigation in the player above.
The video posted on Facebook by evangelist Amy Elizabeth Taylor shows a charismatic tent revival in the heart of Franklin.
The event — called "Revival Glory" — was held in the same city park as this year's Pride Festival.
A poster declared, "We are taking back the land by displacing demonic forces and ushering in His Glory."
The event included some of the same people who have tried to take over Franklin's historic town square every Saturday night, blasting out Christian music and claiming that time and space as their own.
On the night the video was recorded, the Franklin alderman and candidate for mayor was the guest of honor.
Hanson, of course, is the elected official who led the charge to block the Pride Festival and defended the worship group against complaints about the disruption to the quiet of Franklin's downtown.
Among Hanson's scandals: she lifted a social media image to falsely claim a group of women as her supporters, and she had white supremacists show up at a candidates forum in a show of force for her campaign.
Yet, at the tent revival, Hanson's problems are blamed on demonic forces.
"She is empowered to run for mayor," evangelist Amy Elizabeth Taylor declares as she invites Hanson to stand before worshipers. "She is empowered to be the mayor. She is anointed to be the mayor."
At that point, Hanson raises her right hand in a gesture of praise.
Taylor continues: "And the enemy has been moving through people in our very community with deception, with lies — and that happens when we stand for truth."
Here, they pray over Hanson and declare her to be God's chosen candidate for mayor.
The evangelist repeats: "Power and authority, power and authority, power and authority. She will be a mayor on fire. Mayor on fire!"
They insist her way is God's way.
"We are gonna sing over her right now," Taylor declares, telling Hanson, "Right now, you are the center of attention because you carry the Holy Spirit."
At that point, the band begins singing, "You are worthy of it all."
Together, they pray for the miracle they believe she'll bring to the city.
Another minister prays, "May other mayors come to this place and say: what did you do? I want to know how you changed this place. I want to know how there is no crime in this city. I want to know how there's no murders, no shootings, there's no rape."
NewsChannel 5 Investigates showed the video to Kevin Riggs, pastor of Franklin Community Church.
We asked, "What does that tell you about this campaign?"
"What it tells me," Riggs answered, "is that it, from my perspective, is steeped in Christian nationalism."
For years, Riggs has sounded the alarm about the rise of Christian nationalism, especially in the Franklin and Williamson County area.
What does that mean?
"A candidate like Hanson would see that God has specifically called her to lead the city of Franklin to be a Christian city, to only have Christian laws, and to overtake the political arena and to give the political arena in the city back to Christ," Riggs said.
In fact, Hanson has cast herself as a prophetic figure.
At a recent meeting of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, her colleagues rebuked her for dividing the city, but Hanson insisted she was the one standing on moral high ground.
"Those things are called spiritual repercussions, and they do come back to you," she warned. "And it's easy to shift all the blame. I just happened to arrive at a time when everything was starting to crumble."
A Facebook photo shows Hanson was back at the revival the next night, driving a stake into the ground, supposedly to cast out the demons from the place where the Pride Festival occurred.
"What people don't realize, at least for me," Riggs said, "is the way I protect my religious freedom is by protecting other people's religious freedom. So Pride has the right to be in that park. This revival has the right to be in that park as well.
"You can't discriminate between the two because you won't have a democracy anymore."
But during the revival, the evangelist tells Hanson, "There is a heavy demonic presence coming against you from the school systems."
The Franklin alderman agrees.
Taylor continues, "Because they know that something is going to have to leave the school system."
"That's right," Hanson said.
NewsChannel 5 Investigates showed the video to school board member Eric Welch.
We noted: "She says there's a demonic presence in the school system."
Welch rolled his eyes.
"It's preposterous, and it's offensive."
Preposterous and offensive, Welch explained, to Christians like himself, especially coming from someone who's never been a part of the Williamson County school system.
"Clearly, Ms. Hanson is playing politics here, again. She is trying to use religion as a cudgel, trying to bash the school district."
During the revival, Hanson gives the demonic presence a name.
Taylor says, "That's what I'm hearing is that is the strongest force against you right now,"
"Yes, it is," Hanson says, "because my competition's campaign manager is the wife of the Pfizer lobbyist that sits on the school board and that's who's attacking me."
Josh Brown is a fourth-generation Williamson County resident, who just happens to work for the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.
"It's very dangerous because where does it go from there," Eric Welch said.
The school board member said Williamson County's own battles over those who want to ban certain books — so no child can read them — has revealed a growing trend in local politics.
Describing the attitude, Welch said, "'I'm going to self-appoint myself as the public relations guy for the Lord, and I'm going to tell you that your point of view is wrong so that you don't agree with me, you're evil.'"
He called it "offensive on so many levels. I mean, for one, we're not a theocracy here."
Riggs agreed.
"The whole idea of our school system being under some kind of demonic control is, well, that is an extreme view," the Franklin pastor said. "My wife works in the school system. I know the school superintendents. I know what their faith is."
But, during the revival, the evangelist declares, "So this giant in the school system, it has to bow right now in Jesus' name."
"Yes, yes," Hanson agreed.
It turns out, Hanson and her critics may share one tiny sliver of common ground.
"This is the battle for our heart, our soul, our culture, your children, and your grandchildren's future," Hanson said in a recent podcast interview.
Riggs' reaction?
"Well, there may be some agreement in that. This is a pivotal moment."
He continued, "I think around the country these groups, these conservative groups, this Christian nationalism, they are watching what takes place here because, if they can do it here, now there's a road map for their own communities and to do the same thing."
Pastor Riggs said he believes Franklin has become the flash point for this battle because so many conservative and Christian influencers have moved here from other parts of the country in recent years - and they see a chance to remake this community into a community that reflects their own values.
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