The Unfiltered Truth: 5 Major Controversies Surrounding Fort Worth Pastor Landon Schott And Mercy Culture

Landon Schott, the dynamic and often controversial Senior Pastor of Mercy Culture Church in Fort Worth, Texas, remains a central figure in local and national religious discourse. As of late 2025, his ministry continues to expand, but not without significant public disputes and political statements that have kept him in the headlines. This article provides a comprehensive, up-to-date look at the man, his ministry, and the major flashpoints that define his leadership in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, offering a fresh perspective on the ongoing narrative. The focus on his Fort Worth-based ministry, Mercy Culture, highlights a powerful and rapidly growing religious institution known for its passionate worship, aggressive community outreach, and uncompromising conservative stance on social and political issues. The church's influence extends far beyond the pulpit, touching local politics, education, and social services, making Schott a powerful, yet polarizing, figure.

Landon Schott: Biography and Ministry Profile

Landon Schott is a well-known author, advocate, and dynamic communicator who co-leads the nationally influential Mercy Culture Church alongside his wife, Heather Schott.

• Full Name: Landon Schott
• Primary Role: Senior Lead Pastor, Mercy Culture Church
• Location: Fort Worth, Texas (Mercy Culture's main campus is located at 1701 Oakhurst Scenic Dr, Fort Worth, TX 76111)
• Wife: Heather Schott (Co-Lead Pastor, Author of *Unscarred*, Founder of Vertical Life)
• Children: Three children
• Early Life: Grew up in Seattle in a Christian household with four siblings; his father was in ministry for 30 years and mentored him
• Ministry Start: Co-founded The Rev Ministries, a media ministry, with Heather in 2008
• Mercy Culture Founding: Began in 2017 after Schott walked the streets of downtown Fort Worth, seeking to be a "spiritual father" to the city
• Current Reach: Leads a ministry with nine campuses across Texas and twelve Housed Vision non-profits, focusing on community mobilization and confronting injustice
• Author: Has authored works, including *Gay Awareness: Discovering the Heart of the Father and the Mind of the Son*, which addresses sexual confusion

The Oakhurst Neighborhood Battle: Spiritual Warfare vs. Zoning Laws

One of the most persistent and defining sagas surrounding Landon Schott and Mercy Culture Church involves their contentious relationship with the historic Oakhurst neighborhood in Fort Worth. This long-running dispute centers on the church's ambitious expansion plans and the resulting legal battles over zoning and land use. The controversy has been ongoing for over two years, with the church and its lead pastors, Landon and Heather Schott, facing continuous pushback from local residents. The heart of the conflict lies in the proposed expansion, which neighbors argue disrupts the character and tranquility of the residential Oakhurst community. The dispute escalated dramatically when Landon Schott publicly addressed the opposition. In a podcast and from the pulpit, he claimed to be engaged in "spiritual warfare" with the Oakhurst residents. He further decried the opposition, publicly calling the neighbors "evil" and "demonic" for their resistance to the church's plans. This rhetoric drew significant criticism and fueled the local media firestorm, turning a zoning issue into a major public relations and theological controversy. Despite the clashes, the church has moved forward with parts of its expansion, including the approval of a significant community project.

The 100-Bed Human Trafficking Shelter: A Complex Victory

Amidst the neighborhood friction, Mercy Culture Church has also championed a highly publicized and significant project: a proposed 100-bed shelter for human trafficking victims. This initiative, part of the church’s broader Housed Vision non-profit work, aims to provide critical services and safe housing for survivors. The plan for the shelter was met with criticism from some quarters, not over the mission itself, but due to the ongoing zoning and land-use disputes with the Oakhurst neighborhood. Critics questioned the church’s handling of the neighborhood opposition while simultaneously advocating for a humanitarian cause. Landon Schott publicly defended the project, taking to social media to "clap back at critics," decrying what he termed as hypocrisy in the criticism of the church's efforts to combat human trafficking. Ultimately, the Fort Worth City Council approved the Mercy Culture's plan for the human trafficking victim shelter, marking a major success for the ministry's social advocacy arm despite the surrounding controversies. This outcome underscores the dual nature of Mercy Culture’s presence in Fort Worth: a force for large-scale social good, often operating in the middle of intense public debate.

Political and Public Health Stances That Spark Debate

Beyond local zoning battles, Landon Schott has generated national attention for his strong, often uncompromising, stances on political and public health issues, positioning Mercy Culture Church as a prominent voice in the culture wars.

The "No Christian Democrat" Claim

Schott ignited a major controversy by asserting that Americans who vote for Democrats are not, in fact, Christians. This statement, shared on social media, drew immediate and widespread backlash, with critics arguing he was politicizing faith and excluding a large segment of the Christian population. Schott defended his position, stating that he was repeatedly asked about the issue and felt compelled to provide clarity on the matter. His political engagement also includes local endorsements, such as publicly backing a candidate for the Fort Worth City Council, further solidifying the church's role in local governance and political discourse.

Celebrating Low Vaccination Rates

In a move that drew sharp criticism from public health advocates, Landon Schott posted a video celebrating the low vaccination rates at Mercy Culture Preparatory (MCP), the church's private school. In the video, Schott proudly announced that MC Prep had the lowest measles vaccination rate of any school in Texas. This public celebration of low vaccination compliance, particularly during ongoing public health concerns, positioned the church and its school squarely in the anti-vaccination camp, drawing criticism for potentially endangering public health and further fueling the ongoing debate over vaccine mandates and religious freedom. Landon Schott's ministry in Fort Worth is characterized by powerful growth, ambitious community projects, and a willingness to engage in high-stakes public controversies. His leadership of Mercy Culture Church and its various non-profits continues to make him a significant, and often divisive, figure in the religious and political landscape of North Texas.