Pastor wants to 'govern unbelievers' — and his billionaire buddy is buying up a whole town

A CEO whose company has purchased more than 30 properties in a small city in Washington state has drawn scrutiny over his ties to a pastor who has spoken about the importance of "governing unbelievers" and a national Christian nationalist movement.

Camden Spiller, co-owner and CEO of Maddox Industrial Transformer, controls a network of more than a dozen corporations that have bought properties throughout Battle Ground, a community of roughly 23,000 people located 30 miles north of Portland, reported Oregon Public Broadcasting. The acquisitions include a bakery, cigar shop, farmers market and a site under construction that will house a convention center and chapel for First Presbyterian Church.

"Really what is at stake is what defines America, for me,” said University of North Georgia Professor Matthew Boedy, who has written about Christian nationalism and its growing influence in Idaho. “Is it religious liberty? Is it economic liberty? Is it this idea that we could, as a democracy, work out our issues together?”

Spiller says his investments are intended to support local entrepreneurship, create jobs and strengthen the community. "To help make this an even better place to live, work, and raise a family," he wrote in a statement to Oregon Public Broadcasting.

But his real estate activity has raised concerns among some residents and local officials who have noted his connections to C.R. Wiley, the pastor of First Presbyterian Church. In a 2023 conference address, Wiley described his congregation's efforts to develop gathering spaces and influence local politics, saying his church's theological tradition provides "resources to govern unbelievers."

Wiley has ties to Doug Wilson, a self-described Christian nationalist pastor who has snapped up multiple properties in Moscow, Idaho, and has publicly advocated for transforming America into a theocracy. Wilson also has close ties to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Wiley's books are published by Wilson's publishing house, and the two have appeared together on multiple podcasts, while Spiller has spoken at a college co-founded by Wilson.

“They have a school, they have a seminary, they have a college, they have a church," Boedy said. "They don’t own the entire town yet, but they’re a very big presence in Moscow.”

The so-called Moscow model is part of a broader trend to impose Christian culture on individual communities around the country, including towns in Tennessee and Kentucky.

“This idea of Christian localism is another way of saying ‘to Christianize America,’ just not doing it nationally,” Boedy said.

Maddox's footprint in Battle Ground's politics has also grown. The city's current mayor, Eric Overholser, is a Maddox employee, while the deputy mayor is married to a Maddox employee, and another company employee was recently elected to the local school board.

City Councilor Shane Bowman said the company's presence raises legitimate questions. "The challenge will be, as you get bigger and bigger, is there a quid pro quo?" he said. “Is there something like, ‘Hey, we did this for the city, this is what we want.’”

Maddox has grown rapidly, reporting more than 400 percent revenue growth over three years, fueled in part by electricity demand from data centers and the AI industry. Spiller projected the company would reach $1 billion in annual revenue by 2027.

“If you need electricity, you’re kind of our customer,” Spiller said during a 2024 interview on the podcast of New Founding, a Christian investment company.

Spiller declined an interview request and Wiley did not respond to requests for comment from Oregon Public Broadcasting.