It seeks to bring the United States under Dominionist rule, effectively dismantling the constitutional separation of church and state. At the core of its ideology is the Seven Mountains Mandate—a doctrine claiming that Christians are divinely obligated to seize control of seven key spheres of cultural influence: government, education, media, religion, family, business, and the arts.
The term New Apostolic Reformation was coined in the late 1990s by U.S. church growth strategist CHarles Peter Wagner, who described it as “the most radical change in the way of doing church since the Protestant Reformation.” Prominent leaders in the movement include Lance Wallnau, who cast Donald Trump as a modern-day Cyrus chosen by God; Paula White, Trump’s spiritual advisor; and Dutch Sheets, architect of the Watchman Decree—a pseudo-liturgical Christian nationalist oath recited at political rallies and prayer gatherings.
While the NAR lacks formal hierarchy or denominational structure, it operates as a decentralized global network of self-appointed apostles who claim the same spiritual authority as the first-century disciples of Christ. Unlike broader Charismatic Christianity, which is highly decentralized, NAR leaders ground their authority in prophetic revelation—a supposed direct line to God that grants them immense control over followers and allows them to mobilize congregations toward explicitly political ends.
The movement’s worldview is steeped in the language of spiritual warfare, portraying secular institutions as either divinely aligned or demonically corrupted. This stark, binary cosmology reinforces authoritarian thinking and fuels militant activism. Though once a fringe current within Pentecostalism, the NAR has evolved into a central pillar of the Republican coalition, particularly during Donald Trump’s presidencies. Its networks and narratives were instrumental in mobilizing support for Trump and framing his administration in biblical terms.
Political figures influenced by or closely aligned with NAR theology include Mike Johnson, the current Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; Marjorie Taylor Greene, a U.S. Congresswoman and the first member of Congress to openly promote QAnon conspiracy theories; and Doug Mastriano, a Pennsylvania state senator and 2022 gubernatorial candidate who actively sought to overturn the 2020 presidential election and was present at the January 6 Capitol insurrection.
