Shane Winnings, chairman and CEO of the conservative religious organization Promise Keepers, visited Colorado State University Nov. 5 to present a lecture titled America Needs Godly Men. Winnings, a self-proclaimed Christian Nationalist, denounced the rise of what he called “cultural Marxism” and encouraged a return to social and political values rooted in Christian scripture.

Winnings is a former United States Army lieutenant and police officer. He now works as a traveling evangelist and said he regards his status as a husband and father of two children as integral to his mission. Promise Keepers is an organization that hosts gatherings to “challenge and equip men to step into their God-given purpose,” according to its website. 

The event was organized by the CSU chapter of Turning Point USA, a conservative nonprofit organization. Chapter President Jules Devigne spoke about how Winnings’ message aligns with that of TPUSA and said the chapter’s mission to educate students coincides with Winnings’ Christian contentions.

“There’s a lot of problems that we have in America, and a lot of it is men being the issue, I would say,” Devigne said. “So having a message of, ‘We need better men in America,’ and by better, he means Godly, which I agree with. It’s a big thing that we do need in America.”

Winnings, who said he chose to speak at CSU without pay, has previously worked with TPUSA and spoken at AmericaFest 2025, an annual event hosted by the organization. 

The event began with a speech by Winnings on modern-day Christianity and various political topics and ended with an open Q&A with the audience.

CSU’s TPUSA chapter provided security for Winnings, including armed CSU Police Department officers and metal detectors stationed outside the LSC ballrooms. Winnings spoke of protesters outside, though none of them came into the room during his talk and had left by the end of the event. The event drew approximately 50 students, community members and CSU alumni.

Throughout Winnings’ talk, he spoke on prioritizing the preservation of American Christianity and vehemently denounced “cultural Marxism,” a right-wing term typically used to define progressive politics as a resurgence of Bolshevik ideology. He criticized “cultural Marxism” as a “demonic ideology” that destabilizes a nation through sexual perversion, hyper-feminism, “degenerate” art and music, support for mass immigration and the abandonment of nationalism. Winnings said the issue is tied to mental illness and drug epidemics, among other things.

“I’m not going to talk about Democrats or Republicans,” Winnings said. “It doesn’t matter what the name is. We’re not at war with a group; we’re not at war with people; we’re not at war with a country. We’re at war with ideologies.”

Winnings claimed cultural Marxism is already prominent in the country and said it is the personal responsibility of all Americans to combat the ideology and prevent it from coming into the home. He specifically called upon young men to reassess virtues and faith in order to become protectors, providers and leaders of their family units.

“We need strong men who will lead their families in the ways of God on purpose,” Winnings said. “And before you can lead, you’ve got to be a follower.”

Winnings included Bible quotes throughout his speech, encouraging audience members to draw strength and guidance from scripture. He also provided advice for young men and women regarding how he believes they can grow in their faith, find their purpose and find their “Godly partner.”

Winnings also spoke on other political topics, including gay marriage, abortion and immigration. Winnings said he believes gay marriage and abortion should be outlawed, and that immigration should be put on hold until the country is “re-assimilated” with a common goal to support America as a nation.

“The stakes are higher than ever,” Winnings said. “The heat has been turned up, so it’s time to put your faith into action. It’s time for you to care about nationalism.”

Winnings argued throughout his address that he puts American citizens first, including those he disagrees with. However, he claimed it to be impossible to divorce faith from politics and pushed for the crowd to “live boldly” as Christians. The end of his talk was met with a standing ovation.

The following Q&A comprised an assortment of questions from audience members on topics like the pornography industry, advice for young women looking for a husband, career advice, social media use, President Donald Trump’s administration, voting for change in Colorado, the current state of Israel, the LGBTQIA+ community and leading bible studies. Others simply provided commentary and their thoughts on what had been spoken about throughout the night.

CSU sophomore Elizabeth Silverstein, who said she heard about the event through an email and had previously attended other TPUSA events, said she decided to attend the talk because she wanted to hear Winnings’ thoughts on men of God.

“I really appreciated his perspective on some of it and how he used biblical references to make a case for his position,” Silverstein said. 

Devigne described the event as a success for TPUSA CSU and said he and Winnings were happy with the turnout.

“Right now, our Turning Point chapter (is) just focusing on the good type of growth,” Devigne said. “We’re focusing on growing but in the best way possible and making sure everyone on campus knows our name.” 

Reach Annamarie Burford at news@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.