“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” Ephesians 5:11, KJV
This is a Christian Worldview blog. Thus, political posts upon it are rare given that ours is a heavenly kingdom. However, a political blog of local interest to my home county in Georgia is today necessitated. On July 26th, a runoff election will be held between Brandon Bryson and Bobby Wilson for the office Magistrate Judge in Bartow County. In investigated the background of the two candidates, it has come to my attention candidate Wilson is a Mason. His campaign website reports:
Wilson was raised as a Master Mason in 1980 in Emerson Masonic Lodge #738 and served as Master of the lodge in 1995. He is also a 32nd degree Master Mason. Bobby also served as Past Worthy Patron of Emerson Chapter #538 Order of the Eastern Star
Wilson
Wilson’s website also reports that he is “the head usher of Morning View Baptist Church is Acworth, Georgia” From a Christian worldview standpoint, this is a serious problem for Morning View Baptist Church and Christian values voters of Bartow County. Freemasonry stands opposed to a Christian worldview.
The Watchman Fellowship is “an independent Christian research and apologetics ministry focusing on new religious movements, cults, the occult and the New Age.” It publishes a profile notebook which includes 4-page briefings of these occultic religious movements; this profile notebook includes a briefing on Freemasonry written by biblical scholar Ron Rhodes. In this briefing, the secretive occultic aspects of Freemasonry are exposed. According to Rhodes’ briefing on Freemasonry,
“God condemns all forms of occultism (Ex. 22:18; Lev. 19:26,31; 20:27; Deut. 18:9-12; 1 Sam. 28:3). Many aspects of Freemasonry are thus off-limits to the Christian.”
The Watchman Fellowship is not an obscure fly-by-night organization but rather a nationally respected evangelical Christian ministry. Its Profile Notebook is required reading for the Cult Theology course at the New Orleans (Southern) Baptist Theological Seminary. Association with Freemasonry, with its secretive ceremonies, occultic elements, “many paths to God philosophy”, downplay of the divinity of Jesus Christ, and assertion that the true name of God is “Jabulon” is not appropriate for any Christian, especially not one serving in an official capacity at a local church. Christianity is an inclusive, open-to-the-light-of-day, and biblical religion dedicated to the clear proclamation that Jesus Christ is Lord, God incarnate. Bobby Wilson is not novice Mason. Given that he has been a “Master Mason” for nearly four decades, he is arguably not ignorant of many of the occultic rites of Freemasonary.
One of the major initiatives of the Bartow Baptist Association and other local Christian organizations has been Pray Bartow. Many residents of Bartow County have surely seen the praybartow.com signs prominently displayed in yards across the community. If Bartow County’s Christian citizens are truly committed to and serious about calling upon God to move in their community, should they elect a professed Freemason, who proudly advertises his masonic lodge affiliation on his campaign website along with this association with Christ’s church (Morning View Baptist)?
Spiritual darkness does not exist only outside the walls of the church building. There is no shortage, in Bartow County and beyond, of Freemasons on deacon committees, in the pews, or even in the pulpit! If Christians truly want unity among God’s people, then unbilbical, secretive, and occult practices need to be repented of and put out of our churches. Nominal Christianity should not be looked upon favorably, especially during the election cycle.
That a local church has produced a free mason as a candidate for local office should be unacceptable in the eyes of Christians. Vote wisely Bartow County. Are you truly serious about honoring God in all you do? Politics aside, I encourage all Bartow County Christians, especially pastors, to exercise church discipline upon the Freemasons in the midst of their local bodies. Christians should bravely stand for God and oppose all spiritual darkness. The masonic associations in our midst, as Christians, are bigger than politics because God’s church transcends worldy affairs. Act like it does. Don’t stand for masonic affiliations in the body of Christ.
After initially publishing this blog, I found this video from Christian apologist John Ankerberg and have posted it here for reference:
Disclosures and Information
- The Magistrate court hears civil claims up to $15,000, landlord/tenant issues (evictions), preliminary criminal hearings, sets criminal bonds, issues arrest warrants and search warrants and hears county ordinance violations.
- In the first election for Magistrate Judge, I voted for Brandon Bryson. I have served with him on the Homeowner’s Association Board of my neighborhood. Brandon did not ask me to write this blog and did not know of it’s publication beforehand.
- At the time of this article was first published, I had not contacted Bobby Wilson or his church about his masonic affiliation. I later spoke with the pastor of Morning View Baptist Church, who expressed no problems with the activities of masons.
- I dated Bobby Wilson’s niece for a few months when I was 18. I’ve met him but don’t remember much about him. I was not a nice guy to the Wilson family when I dated one of their own and was totally in the wrong before God and them for that.
- Brandon Bryson has served on the Board of Directors of the Church at Liberty Square. I offer no commentary on or endorsement of the spiritually or theological soundness of that church body other than to say that I have visited it once for a Sunday service and was made uncomfortable by the speaking in tongues and the slaying of young women”in the Spirit” by the pastor.
*Please note that the preceding is my personal opinion. It is not necessarily the opinion of any entity by which I am employed, any church at which I am a member, any church which I attend, or the educational institution at which I am enrolled. Any copyrighted material displayed or referenced is done under the doctrine of fair use.
Seth Dunn 
Seth, I only have one qualm with your post; if 1980 means almost 4 decades, then I’m old! Besides, 35/6 isn’t ALMOST 40! It’s nowhere near 40! I protest! Now get off my lawn!
Seriously, though, I can only pray that true Christians would see through the facade of Freemasonry! I have a brother in law we are trying to get out of that cult (and I do believe it to be a cult).
It’s been SIXTEEN years and yet although married with children, you still have an agenda against me and my family. To say you were not a nice person to the Wilson family is putting it lightly. Among the MANY heinous things you did to me after our breakup was tell me that when I die you are going to show up to my funeral, tell my family and friends what a disgrace I was to this earth and spit on my coffin and dance on my grave. You almost got that chance when I almost died before my transplant 3 years ago. Should I continue? Because I have a lot more to add. These people you blog to may not know the real you, but I do and I see through the ficade. It’s time to grow up and let go over the brief relationship we had sixteen years ago.
Heather,
I want to assure you that me writing an article about a Mason being a local candidate has nothing to do with me having an agenda against your family (I don’t have one). I would have written this same article about any local mason candidate. It just happened that your uncle is the candidate. I assure you that my motivation for writing about your uncle has nothing to do with you.
I’ve approved your comment (I don’t have to approve comments, I can delete them if I don’t want them shown). I’m not trying to hide anything that I’ve ever done and said. I remember when you got sick and then I remembered having said that; I regretted saying it all the more. It was hateful and sinful and I shouldn’t have said that. I’ve apologized and I will continue to ask you for your forgiveness for that. I spoke words in anger that have a continuing effect on people until this day (not the only time I’ve done it, sadly). God provided me scripture about not saying hateful things and not running my mouth and I did it anyway. I’ll have to answer for that before God one day when I am judged by Him.
Again, I have no agenda against you or your family. I think your comments here are a distraction from an important issue.
Christians should reject Freemasonry in their ranks. This is a matter of local concern this election cycle and I hope people will consider it, despite the fact that it has been brought to their attention by me. I know many people don’t think very well of me and I’ve done certain things over the course of my life (as you document) to warrant that opinion.
I hope people will focus on the reporting of Ron Rhodes and Walter Martin that I have presented here. I hope you will, too.
It’s interesting to me that you are so concerned about one particular run off election, which is why it makes it seem as if you are hung up on the past. Where were your political blogs, opinions, and commentary during the elections in May, when the citizens of Bartow County were electing many other important offices? For you to speculate on my Uncle’s relationship with God because of a video you found from 1980 is absurd and laughable. While you are asking for forgiveness from God for all the ludicrous things you did to me as well as many other people that we both know, please ask him to forgive you for judging other people. Like I said, I see through the facade as do other people that really know you. I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, however.
Well, that’s just not the case. I saw a FB post from Brandon Bryson reminding everyone to vote so I looked at the candidate websites and came across the information. It’s as simple as that.
I hope you and everyone else will investigate this “1980” resource and think about how Freemasonry reflects upon and affects their local church. (I only added the video after the article was published in case someone wanted more in-depth information on the matter).
That’s the real issue here.