‘Preaching as resistance’: Dem minister behind Satanist wedding now linked to anti-Trump sermon guide
Minister and Congressional Candidate Connected to Anti-Trump Sermon Compilation
A Faith Leader's Political Voice Emerges
Preaching as resistance - Sarah Trone Garriott, a Democratic hopeful seeking one of the nation's most contested congressional positions, has been identified as a contributor to a publication promoting what it calls "resistance preaching." This guide urged religious leaders to challenge President Donald Trump and his base of supporters from their church pulpits. The Iowa state representative, who also serves as an ordained minister, wrote a section for a 2018 anthology titled "Preaching as Resistance: Voices of Hope, Justice, and Solidarity." This collection emerged following Trump's 2016 electoral triumph, which the volume characterized as moving the United States "so closely to fascism."
Phil Snider, who identifies himself as a "White male cishet pastor," penned the introduction to this work. In his opening remarks, Snider noted that numerous clergy members felt compelled to engage in forms of resistance against the Trump administration. He contended that these "pastors of the resistance" were actively opposing a coalition led by Trump that he believed was founded upon "White supremacy," "exploitation," "greed," and "heteropatriarchy."
Trone Garriott's Religious and Political Journey
Having received ordination through the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America in 2008, Trone Garriott joined this group of faith leaders as an author. Her piece, titled "The Gospel of Resistance," represented the inaugural sermon she delivered following the 2016 election results. This particular contribution had not been widely publicized until now. Her participation in this collection arrives amid growing Republican scrutiny regarding her past statements on religious and cultural matters.
The Republican Party considers the Iowa House district currently held by Republican Representative Zach Nunn to be essential for maintaining their narrow majority in the chamber. This competitive seat encompasses Des Moines, the state capital. According to the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, this race stands as a "toss-up" contest. While Trump won this swing district by more than four percentage points during the 2024 election cycle, a recent Fox News Poll indicated that his approval ratings have declined below water level within Iowa.
Controversial Religious Positions Draw Attention
Trone Garriott's public profile has included several notable religious positions that have attracted media attention. During a love-themed storytelling gathering in 2023, she openly discussed her role in officiating a wedding for a Satanist couple while serving as a minister-in-training. Additionally, she has publicly supported a prayer ceremony led by Wiccans within the state legislature. In another 2023 sermon, she connected visible expressions of Christianity to incidents of political violence.
During that same address, Trone Garriott offered criticism of private educational institutions and parental rights initiatives in schooling. She simultaneously emphasized her work in identifying prayers within the state legislature that originated outside of what she termed the "White American Christian variety."
Republican Response and Collection Details
The Republican National Committee issued a strong rebuke regarding Trone Garriott's involvement in the "resistance" preaching anthology. RNC spokesperson Zach Kraft characterized her actions in a statement to Fox News Digital, declaring, "The Wicked Witch of Woke strikes again and admits what we all knew. She views the pulpit as a political weapon to advance her radical agenda." He continued, noting that "There isn't a far-left cause Sarah Trone Garriott hasn't claimed to have found in the Bible and attempted to force on Iowans."
When approached for comment regarding her decision to contribute to this collection or her agreement with the book's introduction—which portrayed Trump and his voters as being "rooted in racism"—Trone Garriott provided no response.
The sermon compilation, which its publisher labeled as "provocative," contains thirty distinct sermons bearing titles such as "Transgressing the Gender Binary," "Encountering Pharaoh — and Climate Change," and "Wake Up and Stay Woke!" Beyond addressing Trump, the pastors within this volume also criticized immigration enforcement mechanisms, deportation procedures, transphobia, and what one contributor described as "the worship of military-grade weaponry among the populace."
Several sermons addressed specific policy concerns. In "When to Break the Law," a minister encouraged sanctuary municipalities to resist federal authority and protect undocumented immigrants from deportation. "Take a Knee" featured an author challenging what he called the "militarized border." Meanwhile, "Overcome Evil with Good" linked law enforcement agencies to White supremacy. The collection concluded with Trone Garriott's sermon, which, while somewhat less politically explicit than certain other contributions, was noted as her first post-election address. Within this sermon, she appeared to comfort congregants troubled by recent developments without directly referencing Trump's electoral victory. She explored historical moments when Christians experienced spiritual detachment and turned toward Matthew 24:36–44, a biblical passage concerning Christ's return in which Jesus instructs believers to remain watchful.