2023 introduction: The documentation below was originally published as a long Twitter thread, in the aftermath of the neo-Confederate, racist, and militia mobilization in the community of Stone Mountain on August 15, 2020. We are republishing it on our site for two reasons. First, especially with Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter, that site is not suited for anti-racist archives, because information can disappear at any time. Second, Judah Buggay performed with the “Jubilee” family musical act at this year’s Sons of Confederate Veterans “Confederate Memorial Day” rally at Stone Mountain Park. We wish to remind readers of the unambiguous racism of the Sons of Confederate Veterans’ chosen entertainment and that less than three years ago, Judah Buggay was attempting to club anti-racist protesters just outside the Park
Original thread from August 2020:
Okay, let’s talk about the “preacher” group at Stone Mountain, Georgia on August 15th. You may have already guessed that they were racists. As it turns out, they have deep ties to white nationalist versions of Christianity.
The five who showed up are tied to a Facebook & Instagram page called “Free Patriots Forever”. That page shares Conservative and anti-BLM material, but also white power and antisemitic content. For example, FPB promotes the Protocols of the Elders of Zion antisemitic forgery.
On Instagram, Free Patriots Forever posted a picture of an anti-integration protest and asked rhetorically “Were these people wrong? You tell me.” Nobody felt the need to answer. The post got several likes.
LOL at Free Patriots Forever trying to pass off a video of white nationalist leader Mike Peinovich (Mike Enoch) as a “college professor”.
The main person operating the “Free Patriots Forever” pages is Judah Buggay. Judah plays in the gospel/Celtic/bluegrass act “The Band Jubilee” with his mother Candace and twin sisters Johanna and Georgia. The group was previously called “Dixie Jubilee”.
Here’s a still of Judah Buggay swinging his club at Stone Mountain, August 15. (From footage by Ford Fischer/News2Share)
Remember the anti-integration/pro-segregation post on Free Patriots Forever Instagram? Judah’s sisters/bandmates Georgia and Johanna liked that post too. As did his brother Jacob and his girlfriend Anna Kate Szczepanski. Getting a funny feeling about these people…
On Facebook, Judah Buggay likes “Mission to America”. This is a Christian Identity page. Christian Identity is a racist religion preaching that whites are God’s true chosen people.
There’s a divide in Christian Identity between “two-seedliners” who believe that Jewish people are descended from Eve mating with the Serpent in the garden of Eden & one-seedliners who do not accept that but think that God has cursed the Jews. “Mission to America” is one-seedline.
If we look at the Facebook for Judah’s parents, Candace and Kenneth Buggay, we notice that they are connected to Ted R. Weiland, a one-seedline Christian Identity preacher.
They are also connected to the Farnum family of Galena, MO, who have their own family musical act as well as Christian Identity ties:
https://culteducation.com/group/871-christian-identity/3699-reporters-manage-to-get-in-conference-of-christian-identity-but-they-stand-out.html
Another friend is Kirk D. Lyons. Lyons is a lawyer with a long history in the white nationalist movement who has recast himself as a Southern heritage defender in recent decades.
https://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/08/us/member-s-racist-ties-split-confederate-legacy-group.html
Father Kenneth Buggay runs Kenneth Buggay Mechanical, a HVAC company, in Woodstock, GA. Judah at least used to work with his father.
https://www.achrnews.com/articles/120591-contractor-excels-in-the-family-trade
According to Georgia business records, in the early 2000s Kenneth Buggay also operated “Kenneth Buggay Evangelical Ministries, Inc”. Another name on its business filings was “Robert Chandler”. We’ll return to Chandler.
Kenneth Buggay’s second eldest son, Jacob, was also at Stone Mountain on the 15th. Jacob does not have a FB and his Instagram is private, but he likes antisemitic posts on “Free Patriots Forever” as well as the pro-segregation post.
Jacob Buggay is listed on the Sons of Confederate Veterans website as the Adjutant of the Gen. Robert E. Lee camp #2005 of the SCV in Cobb County.
Jacob Buggay was also listed as a camp counselor at this year’s Georgia Confederate Youth Camp.
Another member of the “Free Patriots Forever” group at Stone Mountain was Justin Koch, who according to his Facebook is based in Pensacola, Florida. Koch is involved in the bluegrass scene and runs a YouTube music channel.
Justin Koch’s social media presence is relatively tame compared to the others. However, he promoted the “Free Patriots Forever” page and can be found liking FPF’s extreme antisemitic posts.
Kenny Glisch was the preacher in overalls at Stone Mountain. According to Facebook he studies at Georgia Baptist College & Theological Seminary, which is the mission of Peachtree Baptist Church in Senoia, GA.
Glisch likes one Christian Identity page, “A Company of Nations”, on Facebook.
He likes a couple of pages promoting a different white nationalist version of Christianity, Kinism.
Kinism believes that segregation is Biblical.
Kenny Glisch also likes FB pages such as “European Nationalism” and “Alt White” that push white nationalist themes. He also follows a page for “Zionist Occupied Government” – this term is from the white supremacist movement & suggests that a Jewish conspiracy controls the US gov.
…so, there is no doubt Glisch is a white nationalist whatever his precise theological position.
Here’s Kenny Glisch posing with John Weaver. Note the “Dixie Jubilee” shirt. Weaver is a Georgia Baptist preacher who opposes interracial marriage. He used to be the Chaplain for the Sons of Confederate Veterans & was also a member of the racist Council of Conservative Citizens.
Glisch used to accompany the Buggay family’s “Dixie Jubilee” on guitar.
The final member of the “Free Patriots Forever” group at Stone Mountain on the 15th is Robert Edward Chandler, Jr. AKA Ed Chandler. Remember the “Robert Chandler” who was listed on filings for Kenneth Buggay Evangelical Ministries? That’s him.
On August 15, Chandler wore tzitzit or ritual tassels as well as carrying a Christian flag. For this reason, some may have assumed that Chandler was involved in Messianic Judaism.
This is not exactly right. A 2013 post by Chandler stated that he had “associated with a wide variety of denominations” and was involved with Congregation of Yahweh in Calhoun, GA at the time.
The Congregation of Yahweh shares some beliefs with Christian Identity, e.g. prohibiting racial intermarriage and believing that the lost tribes of Israel migrated to Europe (and from there to America etc.) However, it is *not* C.I. It also rejects the Messianic Judaism label.
Ed Chandler himself does have deeper ties to Christian Identity. On Facebook, he “likes” the book God’s Covenant People: Yesterday, Today and Forever by Identity preacher Ted Weiland.
Chandler is also personally connected to a number of Identity promoters on social media. Here’s Chandler on the friends list of a profile operated by Jacob Tyler in Tennessee. Jacob Tyler is the son of white nationalist Rick Tyler & helps admin the “True Israelites” FB group.
On Facebook, Ed Chandler shares Free Patriots Forever content and posts by racist lawyer Kirk Lyons (also a friend of the Buggay family).
Chandler also likes the most viciously antisemitic posts on Free Patriots Forever.
While Ed Chandler appears to move in somewhat wider religious circles, it’s clear that at minimum he is heavily influenced by Christian Identity.
To conclude: the Stone Mountain “preacher” group on August 15 represented Free Patriots Forever, an antisemitic & racist propaganda project. Examining the group members soon leads one to white nationalist forms of Christianity. The Buggay family in Woodstock, GA is at the center.
Should have mentioned this in thread, but Justin Koch was pepper spraying people left and right at Stone Mountain on the 15th. (Still from footage by Ford Fischer/News2Share)
Jacob Buggay (behind Ed Chandler here) also used pepper spray liberally on the 15th. (Still from footage by Ford Fischer/News2Share)
Apparently Judah Buggay and Ed Chandler were among those who tried to disrupt a Black Lives Matter protest in Woodstock, GA this June.
Update [August 28, 2020]: the racist and antisemitic “Free Patriots Forever” pages have now vanished from Facebook and Instagram.
The Facebook page for the Buggay family’s “The Band Jubilee” (formerly Dixie Jubilee) musical act is also gone, as is Judah Buggay’s personal page. [The band page has now been restored.]
If you have further information on individuals or racist groups mentioned here, please get in touch.