WitchFest in Juneau: The Church’s Call in an Age of Open Paganism
How Did We Get Here?
This September, Juneau will host something that would have shocked earlier generations: a festival openly celebrating witchcraft. The posters advertise tarot readings, astrology, and a gathering of “witchy brethren.” What was once hidden in the dark is now promoted as a weekend attraction.
The question is not why unbelievers do this. The question is why it feels so ordinary. How did a city once touched by the witness of Christ grow comfortable with the public exaltation of sorcery?
God’s Word on Sorcery
The Bible is plain. “You shall not allow a sorceress to live” (Exodus 22:18). “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer… For whoever does these things is an abomination to Yahweh” (Deuteronomy 18:10–12).
When the gospel reached Ephesus, those who had practiced magic brought their books and burned them before all (Acts 19:19). Paul calls sorcery a work of the flesh that leads to death (Galatians 5:20). Revelation warns that sorcerers are among those cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8).
None of this is entertainment. None of it is harmless. It is demonic rebellion against the living God. Yet Christ has already disarmed every power. “Having disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him” (Colossians 2:15).
The Real Problem
Unbelievers acting like unbelievers should not surprise us. Witchcraft belongs to a world at war with God. The greater scandal is the silence of the church.
In Juneau, paganism finds a home not because Satan has grown stronger but because Christ’s people have grown quieter. Men have abdicated headship in the home. Congregations divide instead of standing shoulder to shoulder. Pulpits too often preach distraction rather than the unflinching gospel of Christ against the idols of the age. Darkness advances because the light is hidden.
Why Christians Must Engage
Paul commands, “Do not participate in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead even expose them” (Ephesians 5:11). To ignore WitchFest is not faithfulness. It is cowardice.
The gospel confronts public rebellion. “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now commanding men that everyone everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He determined” (Acts 17:30–31).
When the church retreats, paganism steps into the empty square.
What Engagement Could Look Like
Faithful engagement does not mean ranting on street corners or lashing out in anger. It means clarity, courage, and love.
Preaching: Pastors must speak plainly against the occult from the pulpit.
Public witness: Christians can gather to pray and bear gospel witness during such events, not as hecklers but as heralds.
Pastoral care: Shepherds must warn their people about the “lighter” forms of witchcraft marketed as harmless, from horoscopes to crystals.
Leadership: Men must lead in holiness within their homes and churches, refusing compromise.
Engagement is not about silencing unbelievers. It is about shining the light of Christ until the shadows scatter.
Encouragement for the Faithful
Do not forget: Christ has already triumphed. Pagan rituals may gather a crowd, but their power is empty. Even a small and faithful witness has weight. Division can be healed when churches repent and reform. And God has said He looks to the one who trembles at His Word (Isaiah 66:2).
Calvin once wrote that the human mind is “a perpetual forge of idols.” The forge burns hot in Juneau today, but Christ has already quenched its fire.
A Closing Exhortation
Darkness feels safe here because the church has been sleeping. WitchFest is not the true problem. It is a symptom. The real issue is whether Christ’s people will rise in holiness, unity, and courage.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it” (John 1:5).
Let the church wake. Let Juneau see a people who tremble at God’s Word and stand without fear before the powers of this age. Christ is Lord here, too.