This morning, a group of 28 local faith leaders and other community members sent Mayor Nadine Woodward a letter asking her to formally assert support for the separation of church and state.

“We ask that you make very clear that you renounce Christian nationalism and white supremacy,” the letter reads, in part, "We ask you to show with your words and actions that you fully embrace Spokane’s newly adopted slogan, ‘In Spokane, We All Belong.’ "

The letter is in response to Woodward’s appearance at Sunday night’s Let Us Worship rally, where she was introduced by Matt Shea, former Spokane Valley state representative and prayed over by Shea and Christian nationalist praise leader Sean Feucht.

“Every problem we face in this country whether it’s a bonfire, homosexual marriage, transgender issues, whether we’re talking the economy. Every single problem in this country has one answer and his name is Jesus Christ,” Shea said, shortly before welcoming the mayor and other political leaders to the stage.

Feucht, Shea and Collier have spent years leading various movements that call for Christians to assume governmental power and remake society based on their interpretation of scripture. A quote from Feucht at an event earlier this year offers a succinct summary: “We want God to be in control of everything. We want believers to be the ones writing the laws.”