The 27 signers
Nate Schatzline
A pastor at the church (exact title not published), Mercy Culture Church · Fort Worth
Listed by the campaign as: Mercy Culture Church, Fort Worth
Church / organization
- Name
- Mercy Culture Church
- Location
- 1701 Oakhurst Scenic Dr., Fort Worth, TX 76111 · Fort Worth · Tarrant County
- Affiliation
- No denomination named; co-founded by Landon and Heather Schott; runs a political nonprofit and candidate-training program
- Tradition
- Not determined
- Founded
- 2019
Sources: mercyculture.com · religionunplugged.com
About the signer
Public and political roles: Republican member of the Texas House, District 93 (2023–July 2026). Resigned in July 2026 when Gov. Greg Abbott appointed him senior adviser on election-integrity policy. Founded For Liberty & Justice, a nonprofit run out of Mercy Culture.
Voted against Paxton’s 2023 impeachment (see Ties).
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · texasmonthly.com · mercyculture.com
Ties to Paxton, his campaigns, or the AG’s office
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Ken Paxton for Senate reported a $250 contribution from Nate Schatzline of Fort Worth, then a state representative (FEC itemized receipts).
fec.gov -
As a state representative, Schatzline voted against the Texas House’s impeachment of Attorney General Paxton.
en.wikipedia.org -
In June 2024 the Texas House Republican Caucus’s executive committee censured Schatzline and three other members for campaigning against GOP incumbents, among them Reps. Stephanie Klick and Lynn Stucky, who had voted to impeach Paxton.
axios.com -
CBS Texas reported that Schatzline agreed with Paxton’s warning against supporting Speaker Dade Phelan for another term.
cbsnews.com -
Schatzline joined Paxton at a Tarrant County GOP rally in Fort Worth during Paxton’s tour urging Republicans to back David Cook for House speaker.
texastribune.org -
At a Paxton Senate campaign rally in Rockwall, Schatzline said: “This is, in fact, a spiritual battle in the state of Texas and really across the country.” Reported by The New York Times (republished copy linked).
dnyuz.com
Checked: OAG releases and news coverage searched by name and church. FEC: Ken Paxton for Senate itemized receipts and disbursements checked by name (Oct. 21, 2026); Texas Ethics Commission records for his state campaigns not yet checked.
Publicly reported controversies
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ProPublica and The Texas Tribune reported that Mercy Culture pastors backed Schatzline’s state House candidacy from the pulpit at a February 2022 service. Tax-law experts they quoted said it violated the Johnson Amendment’s ban on church electioneering.
Response: Schatzline and church elder Steve Penate said they did not believe any laws were broken; Penate said “Mercy Culture has never endorsed anyone.”
salon.com -
Schatzline wrote HB 1266, which would have classed venues hosting drag shows as sexually oriented businesses. A video then circulated of him wearing a dress as a student, and critics called it hypocrisy.
Response: He said it was a teenage class project on a dare and “not a sexually explicit drag show.”
click2houston.com · nbcnews.com · wfaa.com -
The Texas Observer reported that For Liberty & Justice, a 501(c)(3) led by Schatzline, circulated an all-Republican candidate list and a flier for block-walking for Sen. Ted Cruz’s campaign. Experts it quoted said this may violate the group’s tax-exempt status.
Response: He did not respond to the Observer.
texasobserver.org -
The Fort Worth Report, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune reported on “Campaign University,” a training program for Christian candidates that Schatzline co-created and that runs through Mercy Culture’s political nonprofit.
Response: Schatzline twice agreed to an interview but did not follow up to schedule it or return later calls and emails, the Tribune reported.
texastribune.org -
After his appointment as Abbott’s election-integrity adviser, news outlets reported his stated belief that the 2020 election was stolen, which they noted is contrary to the evidence, and quoted him saying “there are powers of darkness that I really believe control the Austin swamp.”
Response: Abbott’s office cited “his proven conservative record fighting for election security.”
ksat.com · texasmonthly.com -
During a zoning dispute with Oakhurst neighbors over the church’s planned shelter for trafficking survivors, co-founder Landon Schott called some opponents “witches” and “warlocks.” The Fort Worth City Council approved the project on Dec. 10, 2024.
Response: Schott later apologized to offended residents but stood by his claims about specific people.
religionunplugged.com -
An independent investigation commissioned by the board of Michael Brown’s Line of Fire ministry found “sexually abusive misconduct” with one woman and an “inappropriate relationship” with a second, both in the early 2000s. A church-convened Elder Accountability Team called it leadership misconduct and recommended his return to ministry, and Mercy Culture — which lists Brown as an “apostolic elder” — publicly backed him. The allegations concern Brown, not any signer.
Response: Brown said his interactions were nonsexual but showed poor judgment; Landon Schott said he refuses to take part in “cancel culture.”
kera.org · religionunplugged.com -
Fort Worth Weekly reported allegations from former members that the church pressed members to volunteer heavily and tithe, steered home purchases to leaders who are real-estate agents (including Heather Schott and elder Steve Penate), and asked trafficking survivors to give testimonies at fundraisers for its planned shelter.
Response: The Schotts did not respond to repeated requests for comment, the paper reported.
fwweekly.com · fwweekly.com
Checked: News coverage and court records searched by name, church and city.
Church staff history: News coverage searched for misconduct by other pastors, youth or children’s ministry staff, elders and the church school; items found are shown above as about the church.