Who is Doug Wilson and what did he say? Pastor sparks outrage with viral remarks on patriarchy during CNN interview

Douglas Wilson, pastor at the Christ Church and a self-described Christian nationalist, has sparked an outrage over his recent alleged misogynistic comments. During his interview with CNN’s Pamela Brown on Friday, August 8, 2025, Wilson discussed his beliefs and goals with the host.

In the interview, Wilson described women as "the kind of people that people come out of." When Brown questioned if he thought women were "just meant to have babies" or, more specifically, they were just "vessels," he replied:

"No, it isn't. It doesn't take any talent to simply reproduce biologically. The wife and mother who is the chief executive of the home, is entrusted with three or four or five eternal souls."

Brown went on to explain that Douglas Wilson believed in a patriarchal society where women were expected to submit to their husbands.

 

 

 

 

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As clips from the interview went viral, internet users were quick to slam the pastor. Many noted that this was not reflective of Christianity.

Others suggested that his remarks sounded like he was running a cult. Some even called for a thorough background check of the pastor.

Doug Wilson's goal is to make America a Christian theocratic society

Doug Wilson recently opened the Christ Church in Washington, D.C., an extension of his Evangelical church in Moscow, Idaho, according to CNN.

It currently features a network of 150 churches, schools, and even a publishing company. One of his prominent parishioners includes Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and his family.

In his interview, Wilson revealed his mission was to make America a Christian theocratic society. Reasoning that every society is "theocratic," he explained:

"The only question is who’s ‘Theo’? In Saudi Arabia, Theo is Allah. In a secular democracy, it would be Demos, the people. In a Christian republic, it’d be Christ."

He went on to add that it would take 250 years to turn America into a Christian nation.

Elsewhere in the interview, Wilson revealed women were banned from holding leadership positions in his church. He even asserted repealing the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. He also wanted to outlaw same s*x marriages and abortion.

According to CNN, despite facing criticism, since Trump took office (both 2016 and 2024), Wilson and his movement have found a steady Republican following. Notably, during the COVID-19 pandemic, his church defied lockdown rules to hold an outdoor protest in Moscow. It ended in many getting arrested. At the time, Trump showed support for the Church.

At one point, Wilson noted that he has come to terms with being called a "Christian nationalist" because it was better than other names he had been called. He explained:

"I’m not a White nationalist. I’m not a fascist. I’m not a racist. I’m not a misogynist, and those are the names that usually get thrown at me," adding, "And then when someone says, well, that’s Christian nationalism, I can — well, I can work with that."

Jared Longshore, another pastor at Christ Church in Moscow, explained that Doug Wilson believed in a society where every household was a "unit" and thus had a single vote.

Notably, as per him, the head of the household, the men, would vote. However, widows or single women would still get a vote.

Wilson's interview with CNN is available to stream on YouTube.