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Matthew Dyer: An Introduction
Matthew Dyer: An Introduction
Hello, Fellow Freethinker.
I’m Matthew Dyer and I’m the current Chair of our Central Ohio Freedom From Religion Foundation (COFFRF) Planning Committee. I figured the start of a new calendar year is as good a time as any to introduce myself, and so I will. Pleased to meet you. 🤝
A little about me: I’ve lived in Ohio my whole life - Cincinnati to start and then here in Columbus since graduating high school almost 30 years ago (!). My husband and I live in Westgate and are about to celebrate our 10th year of marriage. He’s semi-retired and an unofficial master gardener (I keep telling him to get certified but he refuses).
My professional background is in Human Resources and Learning and Professional Development. I have a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science, but I don’t work in a library. In fact, I just celebrated my 20th year of state employment. I love music (I sang in high school and then with the Columbus Gay Men’s Chorus for several years), and I like to learn, write, and audioread.
I’m late-diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and I’ve appreciated learning more about how and why I think and act the way I do. I’ve been practicing sobriety for (*checks calendar*) 1 year, 3 months, and 27 days. I found a SMART Recovery group with whom I’ve grown very close. (SMART Recovery, if you aren’t familiar, is a secular, science-based alternative to 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous. Learn more: smartrecovery.org)
I’ve been a card-carrying member of FFRF for a couple of years. A household membership is $50 a year, so my husband is also a member. I consider myself a survivor of religious trauma, which is why organizations like FFRF are important to me. So when I think about our country’s current climate, and all the work FFRF does to combat the erosion of church/state separation, $50 a year becomes a no-brainer.
Well, that’s enough about me. Thanks for reading. I hope your 2026 brings to you whatever it is that you need. I look forward to getting to know you better as COFFRF continues to grow. Take care.
-Matthew Dyer, MLIS
COFFRF Planning Committee Chair
P.S. Would you like to contribute an article to our monthly newsletter? Do you have an idea about something you’d like to see COFFRF do this year? Drop me a line: matthew@coffrf.org.
Substack profile photo of Andra Watkins
Expert Perspective: Andra Watkins Reviews Project 2025's First Year
Expert Perspective: Andra Watkins Reviews Project 2025's First Year
If you're trying to make sense of what's happening in Washington right now, you need to know about Andra Watkins (andrawatkins.com/about). She's a survivor of Christian Nationalism who grew up in a Moral Majority church in South Carolina in the 1970s and 80s. That background makes her uniquely qualified to decode the language Christian Nationalists use in policy documents like Project 2025 - language most journalists miss entirely. Her newsletter is “For Such a Time as This" (formerly "How Project 2025 Will Ruin YOUR Life"), which you can find here: https://substack.com/@andrawatkins.
Watkins just published a year-end review recounting how Project 2025's objectives were implemented throughout 2025, despite corporate media dismissing the document's influence. Here are some key developments she identified:
Pentagon Prayer Services: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth instituted monthly Christian worship services inside the Pentagon. Project 2025 called for "restoring faith to the force" on page 103 - and they meant it literally.
White House Faith Office: The administration established a White House Faith office headed by Paula White-Cain, a Dominionist Christian Nationalist. Almost immediately, Christian religious meetings began occurring at the White House, including viral videos of workers speaking in tongues on the White House lawn. (Donald Trump's Spiritual Advisor Faces Christian Backlash (25 March 2025) (newsweek.com))
Federal Transgender Bans: The administration declared there are only two biological sexes and began implementing Project 2025's call to boot transgender soldiers from the military (page 104). Decorated soldiers have lost service access, healthcare, and pensions. The House also passed a bill criminalizing gender-affirming care for minors nationwide. (2025 Anti-Trans Bills Tracker (translegislation.com))
Weaponizing Federal Aid: USAID is being transformed into what Watkins calls "taxpayer-funded Christian Nationalist missionary work." Project 2025 explicitly called for training USAID staff on "the connection between religious freedom and development" (page 253).
Attacking Science and Healthcare: HHS decisions are being driven by religious extremists who believe "science is anti-God" and that "illness is the result of sin." This includes destroying NIH and CDC research, changing vaccine access, and attacking SNAP, ACA, and other public assistance programs. (NIH Under Siege (30 April 2025) (science.org))
Department of Education Destruction: The Heritage Foundation released its "Phoenix Declaration for Public Education" in April 2025 - a roadmap to replace the DOE with taxpayer-funded Christian Nationalist religious indoctrination in all public schools. Florida has already enacted it. (Florida Becomes First State to Adopt Heritage Foundation’s Education Priorities (14 November 2025) (Miami New Times))
(Side note from Matthew: I only have three paid Substack subscriptions - Andra’s is one. I’d love to bring her to COFFRF members for a webinar this year. Stay tuned.)
Pentagon Prayer Services
Pentagon Prayer Services
Bob, a new Friend of Central Ohio Freedom From Religion Foundation (or, if you prefer, a new FOCOFFRF) (gesundheit!) shared this USA TODAY article with us. It complements what Andra Watkins confirmed in her recap.
It seems when he’s not busy chatting on Signal or committing (ahem alleged) war crimes, Pete Hegseth is deep in prayer. And now, so is the rest of the Pentagon - whether they like it or not. Hegseth recently introduced monthly Christian worship services, sparking what sound like quite justifiable concerns about religious freedom violations. His aim is to reject “secular humanism” and “new age notions” in the military. I feel safer already, don’t you?
Read the article: Pete Hegseth pushes his Christian faith in Pentagon prayer services (usatoday.com).
Local Spotlight: Columbus Dispatch Investigates Growing Church-State Concerns
Local Spotlight: Columbus Dispatch Investigates Growing Church-State Concerns
Church leaders pray over Attorney General, Dave Yost during prayer service at the Statehouse, Thursday, Aug 14, 2025.Photo: Jessica Phelps/Columbus Dispatch
Thanks to Glenn, another FOCOFFRF, we learned that the Columbus Dispatch made church-state separation its front-page story in mid-December with an in-depth investigation into the Center for Christian Virtue (CCV), Ohio's largest Christian policy group. Turns out what’s happening in Ohio reflects the national trends Andra Watkins tracks in Project 2025.
The investigation raises important questions about the blurring lines between church and state - questions that matter deeply to all of us.
Here's what the Dispatch found:
Rapid Growth and Influence: CCV began as a small anti-pornography group in Cincinnati over 40 years ago. Since 2020, its revenue has quadrupled to more than $4 million annually. The organization now has headquarters directly across from the Ohio Statehouse and has lobbied on more than 300 bills over the past decade.
Prayer at the Statehouse: In August, CCV hosted a Christian worship service inside the Ohio Statehouse where attendees laid hands on Attorney General Dave Yost as he knelt on the floor. Secretary of State Frank LaRose addressed concerns about prayer in the Statehouse by saying, "I think it is altogether appropriate that we raise the mighty name of the Lord here in this house where this work is done."
Grassroots Political Network: CCV has built a network of more than 4,000 "church ambassadors" and offers online training for pastors to help them "speak to difficult cultural and political issues facing their members." They distribute nonpartisan "Buckeye Ballot guides" through churches.
Policy Wins: CCV was instrumental in expanding EdChoice vouchers to allow every private school student to access taxpayer-funded scholarships, banning gender-affirming care for minors, prohibiting transgender girls from participating in women's sports, and securing $20 million in the state budget for a "Responsible Fatherhood Initiative."
Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio (ohiosenate.gov), Ohio's first openly gay lawmaker, offered this assessment: "They seem determined to take away the rights of people, to devalue some people in the state of Ohio, and to be judgmental in their policies. They are a very political, politically charged, one-sided organization for sure."
The article originally appeared in The Columbus Dispatch on December 14, 2025 as front page news.
If you have a library card from the Columbus Metropolitan Library, you can read the article here Divine Legislation.
Or, you can check the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
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Please note: Article opinions and commentary are the author’s and do not necessarily represent FFRF’s or COFFRF's official positions.
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