The Wilson Cult in Moscow

Let me come clean on something. One of the recent charges made against us is that we here in Moscow are “cultic,” “a cult,” etc. To this charge we have offered our robust denials; we are Trinitarian Chrisians in the Reformed tradition, and we like the Bible. But in denying that we are “a Wilson cult,” there is a point that has perhaps been overlooked. The fact that we are not a Wilson cult does not mean that there is no Wilson cult here in Moscow. In fact, there is, and like many cults it is small and fractious. There are about twenty people in it (a rough guess), and they spend all their waking hours (and likely more than a few of their sleeping ones) orienting their entire lives around me. A sad way to live, I know. They do not do so as fans exactly, but they do it anyway, and they are enthusiastic to the point of being obsessive. In the meantime, the ordinary parishioners of Christ Church go about their daily business, and they may or may not know about this kerfluffle or that one. They come to church weekly, and hear me preach on Sunday. But members of the Wilson cult get up every morning, rush to dougwilson.wpengine.com to check for the latest, and they feverishly hope that there is a post listed under “Moscow Diversity Cleansing.” These people can quote from old sermons verbatim, they have ransacked back issues of Credenda, and they have memorized every third word that I have spoken (construing the sense accordingly). So okay. There is a Wilson cult here in Moscow. But it would be false to say that I am the leader of this cult. It would be more accurate to say that I am just their daily inspiration.