They said it themselves.
Watch the full video.
The screenshots show exactly where it came from: Henry Kaestner shared it on LinkedIn. Kaestner is the co-founder of Faith Driven Entrepreneur and Faith Driven Investor, a co-founder and partner at Sovereign’s Capital, and the former CEO/chairman of Bandwidth.
With him are Tim Stoller, a founding board member of LifeWise Academy and chairman of the LifeWise Foundation, and Jesse Vohwinkel, LifeWise’s VP of Growth.
This is not random. This is a well-connected faith-driven platform hosting LifeWise leadership and openly talking about public schools as an opportunity.
In the full video, public schools are framed as a way to bring students to “know the God of the universe,” and LifeWise representatives openly discuss changing state laws from “may” to “shall” so school districts lose the ability to say no.
SEA has been documenting this strategy for years. In the full video, they openly point to 7–8 states where that shift has already happened.
SEA has separately documented LifeWise-linked advocacy and/or presence in at least six of those states.
Legislative tracker:
https://seculareducationassociation.org/legislation-tracking/
RTRI state law / “may to shall” map:
https://seculareducationassociation.org/rtri-state-laws/
Our long-form YouTube breakdown:
https://youtu.be/h735V1WxuSE?si=jdV8rNCwjk_LNKPa
👉Public schools are not a mission field, a market opportunity, or a delivery system for school-day evangelism.
(screenshots/source images in comments)
What people are saying:
- Secular Education Association: Transcript for accessibility:
- Secular Education Association:
- Facebook User: Just another step towards this
- Facebook User: May we share this post?
- Secular Education Association: Facebook User absolutely please do! Anything from our public page is shareable.
- Facebook User: 😡
- Facebook User: Mission field… 🤬
- Secular Education Association: Facebook User our feelings exactly. 😡😡😡
- Facebook User: So now my child will be forced to believe that he was born a sinner?
- Secular Education Association: Facebook User Not by law — but that’s exactly the concern. Public schools should not be put in the position of facilitating religious instruction that teaches children sectarian beliefs like sin, salvation, or who God is. Those are matters for families and faith communities, not the public school day.
- Facebook User: Secular Education Association keep up the good work.
- Facebook User: Doofus one two and three.
- Facebook User: Facebook User #2 Tim Stoller was also on the board of “Cross Over the Hill” in Van Wert, Ohio — the early released-time program that helped give rise to LifeWise. 👀
Worth noting: Van Wert County’s church–state problems long predate the LifeWise brand, going back at least to the late 1990s.
- Facebook User: Facebook User #2 Tim Stoller was also on the board of “Cross Over the Hill” in Van Wert, Ohio — the early released-time program that helped give rise to LifeWise. 👀
- Facebook User: Where is this interview taking place? CPAC?
- Facebook User: LifeWise is a voluntary activity that parents can allow their children to attend. What is the harm of giving parents choices. If you don’t want your child to be involved, that’s fine. No problem.
- Facebook User: I feel like I just watched an infomercial for miracle swamp algae
- Facebook User: It’s about making money, not helping students
- Secular Education Association:
- Facebook User: How about keeping your faith out of public schools! Quite simple..want a religious education, put your children in parochial school. Amd know that we know the true, very non Christian purpose of lifewise, turning point, heritage foundation…aside from making you all richer while you try to create future right winged supporters of christian nationalism.
- Facebook User: You should not be allowed to indoctrinate children at school into your cult. Period. I think these mega churchs should pay taxes on the millions they receive. I believe in the separation of church and state. I also don’t think kids should be enticed with candy and toys to participate in this indoctrination
- Facebook User: My choice would be that I don’t want your nonsense anywhere near my children or the school you might be in. Or does that choice not register with you morons?
- Facebook User: Hello p3dos
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