Rise Of The Statesman - with Josh McPherson

A lot of men feel it but can’t quite name it: the country is shifting fast, leadership feels thin, and doing nothing is starting to look like a decision. We sit down with Pastor Josh McPherson from Washington State to talk about FreedomCon 2026 and why he calls it “Rise Of The Statesman” a rallying point for Christian men who want to lead with strength, clarity, and responsibility.

We get into the surprising momentum he’s seeing, the problem of isolation, and why brotherhood matters when the culture gets loud. Josh also shares the wild story behind the location: the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington, lined up with Father’s Day weekend and a nod to George Washington’s commission to lead the Continental Army. It’s a conversation about faith and culture that doesn’t stay abstract. We talk biblical worldview, American history, and constitutional principles, plus what “statesmanship” looks like when you bring it down to everyday life as a husband, father, church member, and citizen.

Most importantly, we keep coming back to the difference between getting inspired and getting equipped. Josh lays out why “hope isn’t a plan” and how men can leave with practical action steps for family discipleship, church engagement, and civic involvement even in deep blue states. If you’ve been looking for a Christian men’s conference with real strategy, or you’re hungry for “meat” instead of soft talk, this one will light a fire.

Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of faith and culture, share this with a friend who’s ready to step up, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s one action you want to take in your community this month?

Transcript

Rick Green [00:00:07] Welcome to the intersection of faith and culture. It's the WallBuilders Show taking on the hot topics of the day from a biblical, historical, and constitutional perspective. Looking forward to a great week. Hope you enjoy this Monday program. Josh McPherson will be joining us a little later. Fantastic pastor out in the state of Washington. Also doing some great things in DC, working with the Faith Office and just getting a lot of pastors engaged, but also getting men engaged. We're going to be talking about a cool Father's Day event coming up in the state of Washington. Rick Green here with David Barton and Tim Barton, our websites, wallbuilders.com and wallbuilders.show, don't forget wallbuilders.show. Catch up on any of the previous programs or be the first to access the new program each day right there at wallbuilders.show. David and Tim looking forward to this great event and I love seeing men come together in big numbers. You know, harkens back to the old Promise Keeper days. I think there's a whole new movement coming for men saying, you know what, I want to be a godly man and call out my friends to do the same. 

Tim Barton [00:01:03] Yeah, I think somewhere between the Great Awakening and the Sons of Liberty, and the Committees of Correspondence, right? Like, there's a lot of stuff happening right now, guys. It's so exciting. And, you know, we have talked about it a lot internally. We've talked about some on our radio show and podcast. Is... God is doing some really cool things right now. God is opening a lot doors that all of us have been able to do things at the White House. In fact, often we're getting texts and phone calls from people in the Administration. Hey, who are the people who have stories we should tell, who are the people we should highlight, et cetera? Hey, what is some good wording on this? And even, even some things coming up very soon, which we will wait until after it happens to tell more about it just so we don't reveal anything before we should, but God is, God is doing some really cool things and the fact that we can be part of any of it is super exciting. But then it really does seem like God is bringing a coalition together of some like-minded people that really, we love God. We love our nation. We care about our families. And God has allowed us to kind of coalesce for something quite significant. And so when I jokingly said some combination of the First Great Awakening and the Sons of Liberty, really it's kind of how it feels on some level and recognizing that God is on the move. It's just so fun that we get to play a part in it. 

Rick Green [00:02:29] Yeah, I think David just think Promise Keepers with tricorn hats. That's what we have going on here. And maybe muskets, I don't know, but it's like a muscular Christianity coming back in a purposeful, like patriotic way, which of course scares the leftists to death. Oh, they'll probably come up with some new name. What would you say? Christian patriotic nationalists. I don't know. They'll come up some horrible name for us. But it's exciting to see and we need it. This is what it takes for an awakening in the country. 

David Barton [00:02:59] Yeah and you know it's really kind of interesting we've talked before over recent months about how that even in church right now the attendance of young men at church is much higher than the attendance is young women. And that's an interesting phenomenon when you start having men show leadership in different ways in different areas. And so the fact that Josh has focused on this and the fact there are so many men that want to gather and want to gather in this kind of a patriotic, Pro-America, God-protecting way. I think that's a really good sign in a lot of ways and again I'm you know it's not that we don't want ladies involved too, we do. But it's always been easier to get ladies involved than it was to get men involved and that this is something different this time. And I think it's a whole lot healthier for leadership and the nation for these guys to be willing to stand up and come together in such a way. So, I'm really looking forward to the event. I'm glad he's doing it and he's doing it in part of the country where we're not used to seeing these kind of events. I mean it might be one thing to have something in Tennessee or in Texas or in Oklahoma, but to have some in Washington State where you have so many men gathering at one time for such a good purpose. That's also kind of unusual. So I think there's a lot of good things going with this

Rick Green [00:04:17] It’s gonna be very, very cool. We'll get some details from Josh when we come back. Stay with us. Quick break. You're listening to The WallBuilders Show. 

Rick Green [00:05:28] Welcome back to the WallBuilders Show. Thanks for staying with us. My friend, Josh McPherson, pastor out in Washington State with me. I am so pumped about your conference. You've already got a lot going on, but this conference and just how fast it's all come together. Love what you're doing with Stronger Man Nation. Obviously, Grace City Church, just being a beacon in the Northwest. And I'm with, I'm, with you and Adam, man. We're not giving up on Washington State. We're going to take Washington State back and. This Rise of the Statesman is going to be more than just Washington State; it's going to be for the whole country. So, brother, thanks for spending some time with me today to talk about it. 

Pastor Josh McPherson [00:05:59] Dude, my honor to be here. Thanks for having me, bro.

Rick Green [00:06:01] Well, Rise of the Statesman. I wanted so bad to be there. Can I just tell you what happened? The reason I'm not gonna be there? So, Nick Freitas 

Pastor Josh McPherson [00:06:11] Well, I'll start by saying it's not your fault cause this thing has come together like in the last like six weeks. So it's not like we gave guys lot of lead time on this, so. 

Rick Green [00:06:19] Well, here's the truth of the matter. Nick Freitas, John Lovell, and Chad Robichaux got together and they said, you know, physically we're going to suffer by comparison if Rick Green is there. It's just not going to be good for us. It will not look as manly. And then, and then David and Tim Barton got together and said, intellectually, we're gonna suffer. And so, these guys conspired to make sure that I was booked in Ohio and Dallas that weekend. So, it's their fault. So just blame all of them. 

Pastor Josh McPherson [00:06:49] We're gonna do it again. Won't be your last shot. 

Rick Green [00:06:52] Hey, seriously, look at all these guys. I'm looking at the picture and I'm going, Oh my gosh, this is the best man conference I've ever seen in my life. You got, you got Nate Schatzline. You got a, you've got David and Tim Barton, Eric Metaxas. He's the other one that intellectually would suffer if I was there. Cause I say everything that Eric says with less syllables. It's it's, it's much easier in country boy language. I mean, seriously you've got a, an incredible lineup. It's going to be amazing. We get the location, tell us about that. That's going be incredible. 

Pastor Josh McPherson [00:07:20] Well, it's insane. The venue is incredible. The story behind the venue is kind of fun. I've been, I've been sharing it with guys. We realized 251 years ago on June 19th, George Washington signed the commission papers to make him the general of the Continental Army, which is significant in our story of the nation. Yeah. And we realized as we were planning this, we were like, guys, guys, look what date our conference starts. It starts on June, 19th the Father's Day weekend. 251 years to the day that General Washington signed the commission papers to lead the Continental Army to win our freedom. And we were all excited. And then one of my guys was like, dude, what town is the Gorge Amphitheater built in again? And we looked it up, that they built the Gorg Amphitheater in a little town called George, Washington. So, like, it's destiny, man. It's destiny. It's this incredible outdoor venue, the Gorge Amphitheater, it seats like 20,000 guys. We're not sure how many guys are gonna come. I mean, we want a lot of guys to come, but it's this massive outdoor theater. It looks out over the Columbia River, beautiful venue, 8,000 campsites. It's an adventure. And so, some guys were like, I don't know how I'm gonna find it. I'm like, hey, if like beta male, drunk, high, dudes can find Burning Man. You can find the Gorge Amphitheater, you know what I mean? If they can figure out where to go to Coachella, you can get there. So picture like an adventure, bring your dads, your sons, your brothers, your buddies and camp out, grab a hotel. It's gonna be two days of just barbecue trucks, flags of America and freedom, baby. 

Rick Green [00:08:52] Wow. Oh, man, it's gonna be incredible. 

Pastor Josh McPherson [00:08:55] And you're not gonna be there. 

Rick Green [00:08:56] I'm just sitting over here just, I'm in pain, bro. I am in pain right now. 

Pastor Josh McPherson [00:09:00] Where else could you possibly be? 

Rick Green [00:09:02] Toledo, Ohio. 

Pastor Josh McPherson [00:09:03] What? Are you kidding? 

Rick Green [00:09:04] I mean, how much worse can he get from me? 

Pastor Josh McPherson [00:09:08] You got the raw end of that deal, bro, you got the raw end of the deal. 

Rick Green [00:09:11] Well, tell me what you hope guys leave with. I mean cause this is gonna, this is going to be inspirational, the guys you've got lined up to speak, the music, I mean you got Crowder, this is going to be incredible, so what? What's kind of your prayer? What's the Lord laid on your heart that you're hoping these guys drive away with? 

Pastor Josh McPherson [00:09:27] Well, there's a lot there. The guys can check out freedomcon26.com. I've written a bunch there, but more than an event, it's a summoning. We're calling men back to the foundations that our Founders laid. And really unpacking this idea of statesmen. It started honestly with something my dad taught me when I was young, leave it better than you found it, whether it was your bedroom, a car you borrowed or whatever. It's just been bothering me, bro. And I know this is part of your heart. It's been bothering for a few years now. That like history could tell the story of our nation getting exponentially objectively worse. And then if they asked the question, okay, who was alive during that time? Was that when Josh was alive? 

Rick Green [00:10:07] Oof. 

Pastor Josh McPherson [00:10:07] Was that Josh was a pastor? And I was like, gosh, it just unsettled me that I would be alive during the day when we lost our nation's values. We lost our nations foundation. We lost the, our sons. And so, it's just, I wanted everything in my power, bro, just like you're doing. To use whatever influence and energy and time God's given me to move the heart of men, to stand up, to show up to stand, up to speak up, to preserve the vision of our nation as an experiment of freedom, the greatest experiment of the freedom in the nation, I believe, which at least all sorts of conversations like, well, are you arguing for a theocracy? And this is probably not for this time, but bro, I think we got to do better thinking in relationship to what our nation was actually intended to be. I believe our nation was the Founders attempt at a theocratic expression from Old Testament roots in a New Testament context, a New Covenant era, because every nation, brother, at some point has theocratic roots. You're the laws you make and the morals that you promote and the ideologies that you endeavor to uphold or live by have their root in some form of worldview that has a God. 

Rick Green [00:11:16] Yeah, somebody's morals are going to drive the whole thing. You, you, nobody makes these decisions in a vacuum. Nobody legislates or governs. I don't care if they're a king or president or legislator or whatever in a vacuum, there's some, some moral system that that's influencing that. You just described too, I think the whole Parable of the Talents, I don't want to be told I was a wicked and slothful servant when I had it within my influence or power or freedom or tools or whatever, to, to have some impact on, on the, the course and culture of the nation. I want to hear, well done, thou good and faithful servant. Look at how the country changed because you guys got together at the Gorge and motivated and inspired 10,000 guys to go back home and start brush fires of liberty in their community. That's what I see happening as a result of this. 

Pastor Josh McPherson [00:12:00] Absolutely, and one of the plays of the enemy is isolation. We're not able to find each other. We think we're alone. We think the only ones that hold these values. And so, there's one part inspiration to the weekend. There's another part instruction, and then there's another call to action. This is not an event to attend. This is a summons to answer. This is this is a call to respond to. And I've never read a book or gone to a conference that's unpacked the idea of statesmanship. And for me, you know, the Christian Nationalists, blah, blah, the scare tactics they use. What if we reframe the conversation away from Christian nationalism, which by the way, I've got no problem with. I'm a Christian, I love my nation, so sorry. 

Rick Green [00:12:33] Right, right. 

Pastor Josh McPherson [00:12:34] But move the conversation towards, no, no, God's called all men to be statesmen. Either to be statesmen right now or to be in preparation for statesmen so they're reading widely, they're working hard, they're gaining life experience so that when they get to that season of life, they can fulfill the command of God to love God and their neighbor by doing it at the level of statesmen so they can love as many neighbors as possible. So we're gonna, like I say, you've already noted the speaker lineup. I'm asking all these men. From Eric Metaxas to Dave Barton and Tim Barton and Mark Driscoll and Nate Schatzline and Russell Johnson and Graham Allen and Nick Freitas and Josh Howerton. And on down the line, Ryan Visconti, all these guys, I'm asking them to take a different slice of statesmen. So Eric is gonna take the historical perspective, then we're gonna do the biblical and the theological perspective, and then the personal perspective, the cultural perspective, the ecclesiastical perspective, the pastoral perspective on statesmanship, and I think it's gonna be a definitive, I'm praying that it's a definitive moment in our nation, in this moment of destiny in our 250th  anniversary where, and we're praying it's the largest gathering of Christian men in the country, on this year, on this special year. Yeah, who knows, right? We just, it just popped the surface five weeks ago. I had the idea six weeks ago, so bro, this is an 18-month run. 

Rick Green [00:13:53] This is like hours. This is an 

Pastor Josh McPherson [00:13:55] Yeah, yeah. This is totally insane, it shouldn't work at all. And we just popped registration last week, a thousand guys already signed up, it's growing and building. And so, we think it's gonna be an incredible time where men are called up into the noble role of statesmanship while we're celebrating our nation's freedom. Bro, we're working with, this may not happen, I shouldn't even say this, we're trying to get like a Navy jet flyover to kick this thing off. I mean, bro, it's just gonna be full Americana. If you're looking for a way to celebrate this year, Bro, this is the place. Make it be the most memorable Father's Day weekend of your son's life, of your life. Get to the Gorge, we're gonna party. 

Rick Green [00:14:34] Bro, I'll tell you what, it almost sounds like even like a weekend bootcamp. Like you're gonna leave there so equipped to go do something, not just get, like you said, it's not just inspiration. We need that, you're going to get that, but it's going to be just a rally. That happens way too often in our movement. Everybody gets excited, has a rally, feels good, goes home, does nothing. That's not what you're talking about here. 

Pastor Josh McPherson [00:14:57] No, we have, so we're in a very deep blue state. We're inviting every guy we can from Washington and around in other blue states because we're working on building out, you've been a part of talk with Pastor Adam, I know, we're workin' on a plan to flip these states. You've done work with Liberty and Justice I know. We're gonna be rollin' that out as well. We're going to give men a plan because most guys think, like, hope isn't a plan, but hope comes from having a plan. And so, we're gonna give guys a plan. For guys come from a red state, come to the future and hear stories of where your state could go if you don't step in the role of statesman, stand, defend, and preserve what you have. And for guys in blue states, if you're discouraged, if you are frustrated with the demonic legislation that's just choking the life out of families and small businesses and your communities, come and get a plan. Because I believe what God's given us is a divine strategy. I've been in D.C. quite a bit this year, talking to pastors, walked them through this plan and what I'm seeing is pastors waking up to the reality of the responsibility they have to activate the church to be engaged as salt and light at every sphere of society, including the political realm. And bro, I just think from the main stage of the breakout sessions, from boys to young men to youth to college students to adults to dads to businessmen, there's gonna be something for everyone. And my deepest desire is guys come away with a plan. Because if you just have hope and inspiration with no plan, that won't last very long. But if guys have an action plan, both personally with their family, with their church, and with their community, bro, we could unleash something significant. So, I'm praying, I've been saying this, and I hope this isn't hyperbole and I don't mean to overstate my case, but I'm praying that if we have a nation in 100 years, and that's not a given, and you know that more than most because you're such a student of history. If we have nation in a 100 years, I'm praying they won't be able to tell the story of that Christian nation without telling the story of FreedomCon 2026. So that's what we're shooting for, buddy. 

Rick Green [00:16:52] I love it. Freedomcon26.com, freedomcon26.com. Now I know this is going to be tough for people. This is going be a really tough decision. You have to decide between me in Toledo, Ohio, or Josh McPherson, Eric Metaxas, John Lovell, Russell Johnson, Josh Howerton, Graham Allen, Chad Robichaux, Nate Schatzline, Mark Driscoll, Tim Barton, David Barton. Adam James. I mean, the list goes... Crowder. The list goes on and on and on. So that's your choice. I know what I'm going to do. I'm gonna absolutely bail on my events that I'm committed to and contracted to for that weekend.

Pastor Josh McPherson [00:17:26] Dude, just bring them all with ya, man. Just bring em all with you. 

Rick Green [00:17:30] Hey, Josh, you're doing an amazing job, brother. We love you. We're excited about this event. We'll be talking it up everywhere, encouraging all our Constitution Coaches. All the guys, like you said, what a Father's Day weekend. What a bonding experience with your sons and with these other men from around the country, freedomcon26.com. Appreciate you, man. Keep up the great work. 

Pastor Josh McPherson [00:17:48] Dude, honor to be here. Thanks for everything you do. You've been deeply encouraging our church that they got a constitutional group going on Monday night. So you're discipling lots of folks in my church and I'm very grateful, sir, for your work. 

Rick Green [00:17:59] Well right back at you. Stay with us folks we'll be right back with David and Tim Barton. 

Rick Green [00:19:10] Welcome back to the WallBuilders Show. Thanks for staying with us. What a great event going on in the state of Washington. And I didn't realize back with David Tim, by the way, I didn't realize guys, there was such an emphasis on the, on the statesmanship part of it. I mean, he's calling it that, but the civics aspect of it is, is super exciting. I mean that obviously fits right in our wheelhouse and I'll be stuck in Toledo of all places, Toledo, Ohio while you guys are having the time of your life, but you better send me some cool pictures. 

David Barton [00:19:34] Now wait, I'm not sure the guys that live in Toledo think you're stuck there. They might. 

Rick Green [00:19:38] You're right. I know I'm afraid some of the people that are hosting this event are listening and I feel bad about that. No, I don't. No, don't.  We should cancel and we should all go to Washington. No, it's actually gonna be a 250th event. So we're gonna have a great time there. Obviously, we need to be spreading out all over the country. So that's good. But man, I'm so jealous because so many of our friends are gonna be, I think Tim's probably gonna set up a cage. He's probably going to have an octagon and be doing some jujitsu with Chad and Nick and John and all the guys I was picking on earlier. That's gonna be fun. 

Tim Barton [00:20:05] Yeah. Well, if I could watch from the side, I will set up the cage to watch them fight. I'm not sure I want any part of those guys in real life, but you know, Rick, I also appreciate your generosity, acknowledging that if you were there, we would just be dwarfed by your intellect and your masculinity, your muscle, but, but honestly,. 

Rick Green [00:20:24] I had so much fun saying that. 

Tim Barton [00:20:26] I was, I was chuckling thinking, you know what? Like, I don't know of many events that I, I could go to where at the end of the like a Christian event like this where at the end of event, I feel like if I tested my testosterone before and after, like my testosterone has risen in this event because of the people we're around. Uh, something really special. 

Rick Green [00:20:47] I wasn't entirely honest Tim. I was actually thinking about how Chad greeted you at the last event we all did together, you know, with essentially a take down and you guys wrestling on the ground and then John Lovell and Nick made these Hilarious videos about my historian can beat up your historian. And that so I was I couldn't be honest with Josh. I couldn't tell him I'm not there because I'm afraid I'm gonna get tackled by one of these guys and I don't even know enough to put up a defense. So, I had to I had to be you know put up some man card stuff there 

Tim Barton [00:21:16] Well, yes, I, you know, we don't want them to cauliflower our ears too bad. But you know again, with all this being said, what's, what awesome about this, we kind of joked a little beforehand about it being something like a Promise Keepers, which, and this is in no way disparaging to promise keeper's what they were, what they've done, what they're trying to even do now. But the fact that Josh, as he said, very strategically, this is not just an inspirational or educational thing. That we need some significant action steps and not just in a spiritual sense, but practically we should be engaging in this culture. And so the fact that you're going to be with some brilliant thinkers, but also some legitimate tacticians, some military spec op guys who are like, Hey, let's think through this battle plan. Let's have a strategy. How do we enact what we're doing? And this is something that, you know, we're so excited to be a part of. But also so excited that there's going to be some, some real takeaway things, engagement, action steps. And, you know, some of it will be like he kind of mentioned their church is doing. There's simple things like it's not hard to start a class and do a Biblical Citizenship class or Constitution Alive or some of those things, even what Nate Schatzline has done with For Liberty and Justice and have a church start one of those chapters, there's a lot of steps that even though will require some activity, aren't that hard. But then one of the things that we know, there there's a guy from their church who is running for state rep because they realized we don't have a good state rep and we don't have a good candidate. What do we do? Let's find somebody from our church and let's have that guy run. There's a of things that I think are going to come from this that will be beneficial. And so I would encourage, man, if anybody can come and be there. You're not going to find a much better group of guys anywhere, although, Rick, as you said, there's a lot of events happening. And one of the really great and challenging things at the same time of this year is how many good things are going on. It's great, but then it's challenging because I don't have enough time to do all of them, but this is going to be a really special one for sure. 

David Barton [00:23:17] And you know in addition to that I got to say that that part of the state, it's a lot of eye candy there. I mean there at the Gorge, that amphitheater at the Gorge with all the folks there you get all the benefits of, this is not necessarily that and I know a lot people like the West Coast, I'm not a real fan necessarily of the West coast, of Washington so much. Because I just kind of like sunny days. And I like you know open skies and a lot space, but where this is in Washington, it's gonna be a great place to be as well. It's not only with all the people that are there, and all the brethren that are there, and all the things that are going on that I think will start a lot of ripples in other places. It's gonna be also a great place physically to be and a very refreshing place to be and great time, great place to spend time with others. 

Rick Green [00:24:06] Yeah, there's something about that, that, that fellowship and especially in large numbers. And then especially just a whole bunch of guys, right? You know, I'm sure just, you know, praising the Lord and, and prayer. But then, man, those practical steps you get, what you're going to have is that real iron sharpening where people walk away from there going, hey, what do you know? Especially if they come together, like think about a group of men coming from their community all, all the way across the nation. They're going travel all the way home, making plans, man. Talking about the things they're going to do and the, and the courses they're going to have or the activity they're gonna ignite in their community or in their church. So, it's gonna be an iron sharpening that leads to a real sharpening of men going back home and literally fighting the fight, putting God's Word back into their communities.

Tim Barton [00:24:45] Yeah, one of the things it was interesting this last week, Turning Point Faith was in Dallas and Graham Allen spoke before me and one of the things he said was he was on a college campus recently and a student came up to him and said, Graham, I got saved. I'm fired up and I've gone to some of these local churches and none of these pastors are really giving me any meat. It's just this really soft stuff and I want to grow and I don't feel like they're helping me grow. I'm saying that because if there's anybody out there and you're like, man, how can I really grow? This is one of those events. If you want to be around people that will encourage and challenge you in your faith. In your leadership as a man, as a father, as a husband. These are the guys you want to surround yourself with and be around. Some of the best leading voices that show as a Christian, how do we engage culture? How do we engage government? How did we lead our families? This is a place you will want to be. And guys, how cool too that the town is named George. It's in Washington state, so we're doing an event in George, Washington as we get ready for the 250th anniversary. Super, super fun. 

Rick Green [00:25:53] FreedomCon '26, freedomcon26.com. So, for any of our listeners that might be saying, wait, it's a con job? What's the deal? What am I gonna do? I'm gonna show up and I'm the only one in the Gorge. No, it goes, it is the Comic Con thing from years and years and then they had all these other conferences and then call it, it's conference for short, right? So anyway, it's freedomcon26.com, freedomcon26.com. What a tremendous opportunity. Even going across, actually now that I'm thinking about it going across the country and caravanning and having that drive to pray and prepare for the event and then having that drive back home. Oh, wow, that's the way to do it guys. So if you can schedule it go! Be there! Just don't tackle Tim when you see him cause Chad Robichaux and Nick Freitas and John Lovell are gonna protect him. God bless you everybody. Have a great evening. You've been listening to the WallBuilders Show