Come Out With Your Hands Up!

"OUR VISION IS SIXTEEN CAMPUSES AROUND SAN DIEGO – LITERALLY, SURROUND THE CITY AND THEN WE CAN SAY, ‘COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP, WE HAVE YOU SURROUNDED!’" — Awaken Founder Jurgen Matthesius

May 10, 2023

The Coronado Strategy

Awaken “Church” has been pushing hard to establish a permanent presence in Coronado. Sources indicate Awaken already has tried to buy or lease a local bank building, a grocery store, space at the Hotel del Coronado and the Coronado Island Marriott. As detailed in my last blog, Awaken even sought to take over our iconic Village Theatre.

We should have no doubt about their motives. Awaken founder and lead pastor Jurgen Matthesius openly brags about “taking territory.”

Awaken social media is awash with images of assault weapons, military tactics, violence and holy war.

The edgy soundtrack of an Awaken men’s camp promo blares, “It’s wartime… You all know dat we here for war…” as Jurgen Matthesius screams from the stage to a rabid crowd, “I believe that God will soon crush Satan under your feet!”

Satan, by the way, is anyone Matthesius doesn’t like.

In his sermons, Matthesius claims God speaks directly to him. On his social media, he consistently condemns others as demonic, vile and satanic.

When people are dehumanized, history teaches us, it can lead to violence.

Images from Matthesius’ GETTR feed, including his profile picture, the GETTR logo, and a graphic about “voting” with a sniper rifle.

Here’s My Take

It’s hard, if not impossible, to see how any of this aligns with Christian principles, including this from the Bible, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Matthew 5:44

Jesus also taught his followers to “beware false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” (Matthew 7:15).

Awaken comes at Coronado clothed like a church, but inwardly is more like a ravenous cult.

The future of the community we love hangs in the balance.

Here’s a few of the latest comments about Awaken from the hundreds of concerned residents who have signed our No Cult in Coronado Petition.