BELLEVUE, WA — March 2025
In the heart of one of America’s most progressive regions, the thriving tech metropolis of Seattle, a quiet yet fervent spiritual movement is slowly taking place. Every Thursday night at 7:30 p.m., in the small village of Issaquah, people from all walks of life, cultures, and religions are gathering; some in person, many more online—to listen to a preacher from the wilderness of Alaska preach the Gospel.
A black sheep of sorts, and a reluctant pastor of Issaquah based church “Jesus Lives,” Phil Fischer has touched thousands of lives both in Seattle and around the world, offering hope, encouragement, and faith to an ever-growing community. But behind the scenes, his journey preaching the gospel on what Christians call “the front lines” has been one marked by intense trials and persecution, as well as challenges that would have disheartened most others.
From Alaska’s Icy Wilderness to the Heart of Washington
Fischer’s story starts far from Seattle’s skyscrapers and bustling tech industry. Raised in the wilderness of the Arctic Circle by a band of 70’s hippies who believed in a lifestyle of living off of the land, Phil is no stranger to hardship and life in the extreme north taught him resilience, grit, and a sense of purpose; values that would guide him through an incredible journey south to Seattle, where his life took a radical turn from high school dropout to Tech CEO.
Leaving behind the icy terrains of Alaska, Phil settled in Bellevue, a suburb on the edge of Seattle, and started a tech company out of his roommate’s garage. Meeting his wife, who led him to Christ, Phil sensed a deeper need for a spiritual message that could reach across cultural and ideological divides, even piercing other religions and cultures.
Where faith is often seen as archaic in a city known for its progressive views and secular leanings, in the spring of 2018 Fischer founded “Jesus Lives” to answer that call.
A Ministry Without Compensation
In an era where megachurches flourish on lavish donations, private jets and expensive suits, Phil and the leadership team at Jesus Lives stand apart from what Fischer calls the modern mega church: so Fischer and his team preached without pay. This unique approach isn’t born of mere humility, but a conviction that spreading the Word of God is his duty and not a job. Like Paul of the New Testament, Fischer wants to boast that he spreads the word for free because according to Fischer “People are turned off by the modern day mega Church because it’s a business. Can you imagine how many poor people in tent city we can feed with the money they generate? I am not being critical, just honest”.
As a result, Phil earns his living as the CEO of a tech company, with a small software subsidiary in Portland, Oregon. Working 12 to 14 hour days during the week most if not all of Fischer’s earnings as well as the resources of his business go toward sustaining Jesus Lives ministry and the people that are served by the ministry.
Julian Valentine, the Deacon of Jesus Lives said, “We don’t go after other Christians, we are reaching out to new believers that don’t know Jesus and in this region it’s not easy. Most of them live in homeless communities and need help. If we get $25.00 in donations in one service, that’s a good day, we’re not kidding. We are just lucky to have to work to fund the ministry, otherwise it would not survive”.
Preaching in a Liberal Stronghold
The Pacific Northwest has long been known as a bastion of liberal ideology. With some of the lowest rates of religious affiliation in the United States, the Seattle area is often perceived as unfriendly to traditional Christian beliefs. Phil understood the challenges of his mission when he began preaching in this environment, but he remained undeterred.
Fischer baptises two Colombians, three Venezuelans, and a new Syrian member of Jesus lives.
Fischer travels often to the middle east taking Jesus Lives on the road to preach to cities in the middle east that God has given him messages for. According to Fischer he gets downloads of sermons specifically for each city like the one preached on mount Nebu about the five fold giftings. But reaching out to Muslims, Hindus, and new immigrants has a price and from the start. Jesus Lives has been met with resistance—not from congregants, but from local authorities, governments, and Federal institutions. Phil’s services locally have grown quickly, reaching thousands online and this popularity didn’t go unnoticed. Local Seattle officials began scrutinizing his ministry, questioning his outreach activities, denying park permits, and scrutinizing his compliance with various ordinances.
Police have been called on Fischer for baptizing people in a popular summer playground known as Lake Washington. While Jesus Lives always complied, the ministry remained a point of contention.
Twelve year Battle with the IRS
From 2004 to 2009, and particularly during the Obama administration, allegations surfaced suggesting that federal agencies, including the FBI and IRS, were targeting conservative groups. Reports at the time, and later confirmed by multiple investigations, claimed these groups faced obstacles such as delayed or denied 501(c) tax-exempt classifications and increased audits of businesses owned by conservatives.
Amid this climate of scrutiny and concern Fischer began using his digital know-how to boost conservative groups online. Worried about potential backlash from the IRS, Fischer privately and discreetly began to optimize and promote conservative organizations on platforms like Facebook and other social media outlets.
One prominent group supported by Fischer’s efforts were the Tea Party Patriots, a grassroots organization that became a significant voice in the conservative movement during that era.
Fischer, along with hundreds of conservatives were immediately audited.
In 2017, according to the New York Times and the AP, the Department of Justice settled with over 400 conservative organizations and individuals for an undisclosed amount rumored to be around $65 million and change. Fischer did not take part in the class action lawsuit with other members, and ever since has faced an uphill battle with the IRS.
According to Julian Valentine, Jesus Lives Deacon the IRS began targeting Fischer and the church, opening up multiple audits into several years dating back to 2011.
It was during one of these audits that IRS officials in Seattle denied Fischer over $501,954.00 dollars worth of legitimate 501C offerings to the poor in Seattle, mostly at tent city communities. “This was money that was given over several years to the poor in tent communities for food, water, and other needs”. According to Valentine members of Jesus Lives just serve the poor and don’t want any trouble with the IRS.
Valentine said “Oftentimes the City of Seattle would not deliver water and or much needed supplies to a particular tent city community, or there would be a single mom with kids that needed emergency help with food. These are members of Jesus Lives, so of course they call us and we cut checks to these people to help them. We don’t have large offerings and our members are the poorest of the poor with most of them made up of immigrants and the homeless, so we were cutting checks out of the business account.”
Terry, a member of Jesus Lives that did not want to give her last name added “Yes we gave several communities from 2013 through 2018 a lot of money, but we didn’t know we needed to go through a church or another 501C to be tax deductible. We didn’t even have a 501C church at that time, we just openly gave. We just assumed you could write off money given to the poor,boy were we wrong and now they are letting us have it”
According to Valentine, “So we have mega churches getting away with huge salaries, lavish lifestyles, and private jets and Kamala Harris donating $500,000 to Reverend Al Sharpton and that’s perfectly legal, but here comes a Pastor who has never taken a dime of the churches money gets audited for ten years and they remove over a half million dollars worth of contributions his company gave to tent city communities, homeless families, and the poor during 2014-2018. They know the money went to the poor, but they don’t care. They then hit us with fines and penalties adding hundreds of thousands in fines and interest”.
To make matters worse, the IRS didn’t stop there. They opened up two new years going back to 2011 and 2012. At the time, Phil left all of his bank statements and books in the care of an attorney/tax accountant in Bellevue who to the horror of the pastor and his wife was disbarred by the state of Washington. Phil told the IRS that his bookkeeper had all of his books during a meeting, so they immediately audited him for those years knowing he could not defend himself. While he has managed to find over 1.5 million in write offs for the two years, they have refused the writeoffs completely and have tacked on fines and penalties on top of that bringing the total to over 2M. Now the debt is almost two million, impossible to climb out.
Phil’s experience reflects a pattern of selective scrutiny in Seattle where the IRS has no oversight.
Duk Ngo, a member of Jesus Lives that has been attending Jesus lives since it was a bible study in Fischer’s home chimed in to say “Our church is under constant attack here in Seattle, because this is the front lines. They put liens on our pastors home and send threatening letters. No one could pay off the size of this debt. The city of Seattle hates him for baptizing and converting immigrants, and the IRS hates him preaching and giving all of his money to the poor. At first they thought it must be a criminal enterprise but when they discovered that he really does give his money to the poor, it’s like they become more upset. I have never seen anything like this before. It makes them mad that he gives to the poor”
While the battle has strained his resources, Fischer has refused to let this deter his ministry. The financial strain of repeated audits, combined with legal fees and the operational costs of maintaining the ministry, have presented challenges that would have shut down most ministries. But Phil is not one to quit and that’s why many are flocking to his Thursday night ministry in Issaquah, Washington.
The Edge of Grace: Phil’s Preaching Style
Phil’s sermons don’t cater to the comfortable; he preaches on what Fischer calls the “anointing” for a particular group of people he calls “The Good Soil”. His topics range from addressing the temptations of modern society to delivering messages on the core Christian tenets of grace, repentance, and forgiveness. He is known for his direct, unsparing approach, which resonates with those seeking answers in a world often indifferent to faith.
Phil doesn’t only preach abstract ideals; he grounds his teachings in scripture, making his sermons accessible and relatable. Bullet points, clear references, and easy-to-follow messages are all part of his strategy to reach a diverse audience, from seasoned Christians to new seekers. It’s a blend of traditional and modern approaches that works well for Jesus Lives.
As Phil explains, “People don’t need another fluffy message. They need truth, they need Jesus. My role is to give them that truth, unfiltered and real. That’s why we will never be a mega church, I just can’t preach that kind of word”
A Movement that Cannot Be Silenced
Despite the struggles with city officials, the IRS, and cultural pressures, Phil’s ministry shows no signs of slowing down. Jesus Lives continues to grow, expanding its online presence and welcoming more congregants each week. Phil’s determination is rooted not in any desire for fame or fortune, but in a relentless commitment to sharing the Gospel.
In an era where mega churches are purchasing private jets and remote mansions, Fischer has emerged in Seattle as a rare voice of courage, faith, and resilience in a region not known for its religious fervor. His story is a testament to what it means to live out one’s beliefs without compromise. Every Thursday at 7:30 p.m., the lights come on at Jesus Lives, the worship music begins, and people gather with a sense of expectation, knowing that they will leave changed.
Phil’s journey is not just about the message he shares; it’s about the faith he embodies. A preacher from the Arctic Circle, a man who sacrificed comfort and success, Phil Fischer stands as a symbol of what is possible when conviction outweighs adversity, and faith prevails against every form of resistance.
For now, Phil will continue to preach, continuing the fight against forces that have tried to silence his voice. Jesus Lives is more than a ministry—it’s a beacon of hope in a place that has long resisted it. And as long as there are those willing to listen, Phil will be there, ready to preach his message of hope, grace, and resilience in the face of adversity.
Jesus Lives
Issaquah, Washington
www.jesuslives.com
