5 Things Christians Should Know about the Faith and Beliefs of Tim Walz

1. Walz Claims to Be a Lutheran

Walz claims Pilgrim Lutheran Church in St. Paul as his home church, according to The Presbyterian Outlook. He refers to the church as a mainline denominational Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The church's lead pastor is Jen Rome, who has been known to encourage the congregation to "free themselves from the 'garbage' of societal norms," according to WND.

"We humans love to make systems of hierarchies, whether that's government, religion, gender, or race. We just live in all that stuff. We breathe it in, and the dynamics just circulate around in ourselves," Rome said.

When the church prays the Lord's Prayer, it does so in an altered version that addresses God as "Our guardian, our mother, our father in heaven, hallowed be thy name..."

Pilgrim Lutheran Church is open to accepting those who identify as LGBT and is supportive of that lifestyle.

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2. Walz is Pro-Abortion

As the Governor of Minnesota, Walz signed a bill into law that not only protects abortion but is also written in such a way that future courts would not be able to override that law. In fact, when Democrats gained control of both houses of the Legislature, they quickly pushed the bill through during their first month of the 2023 legislative session, according to the AP. The bill Walz signed into law supports abortion up to birth, according to WND. If a baby happens to be born alive after an abortion attempt is made, healthcare providers are no longer required to report the live birth, nor are they required to preserve the life of the born-alive baby, according to WND.

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3. Waltz Supports Transgender Surgery on Minors

In May of 2023, Walz issued an executive order for the state of Minnesota that prevented the criminalization of transgender procedures. Then, he signed a bill into law that made Minnesota a "sanctuary state" for children who wanted to undergo transgender surgery and hormone prescriptions. The law also orders Minnesota courts not to pursue prosecution of those who come to Minnesota from others states to receive treatments such as hormone therapy, puberty blockers, or surgery, according to Fox News. Minnesota is surrounded by states that prevent healthcare providers from performing transgender medical procedures on children.

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4. Walz Supports Cultural Competency Training for Teachers

Walz appointed individuals to sit on an education and licensing board to develop new requirements in which teachers must receive cultural competency training in order to have their licenses renewed in Minnesota. The training is designed to help teachers overcome any possible bias, whether conscious or subconscious, in areas involving gender identity, transgender students, sexual orientation, race, disabilities, and religion, according to the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board. The new mandates for Minnesota schools will go into effect in July of 2025, according to The Federalist.

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5. Walz Opened Mall Prior to Churches during COVID-19

Walz issued an executive order in 2020 that permitted retailers to function at 50 percent capacity but only allowed 10 people in church services, according to Becket Law. The order was challenged by leaders of Minnesota Catholic communities and the denominationally conservative Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. They basically told Walz they thought he was being a hypocrite because he reopened Mall of America, and so they were going to gather at church and enjoy their Constitutional, First Amendment right for religious freedom, according to The Presbyterian Outlook. Two days after that, Walz issued a new order saying churches and other religious communities could gather at up to 25 percent capacity if they also practiced social distancing.

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