The Landover Baptist Church is a fictional[1] Baptist church based in the fictional town of Freehold, Iowa. The Landover Baptist web site and its associated Landoverbaptist.net Forum are a parody of fundamentalist Christianity and the Religious Right in the United States.
The site was created by Chris Harper,[2] who obtained his Master's Degree in English Literature from George Mason University in 1993 after being expelled from Liberty University in 1989 for producing a satirical radio show which Liberty's administration found offensive.[3] The site is owned by a company called Americhrist, Ltd.
The fictional Landover Baptist Church is a parody of Bible-literalist fundamentalist, Independent Baptist churches. The church is supposedly located on a 35-acre (140,000 m2) campus in Freehold. The church claims to have 28 paid pastors, 131 paid deacons, 412 full time staff members, LCA (Landover Christian Academy), LCU (Landover Christian University), 11 fully-equipped chapels, four 2,000-seat sanctuaries, three 5,000-seat main sanctuaries, the world's largest Christian mall, a Christian amusement park (Landover Bible Theme Park and Red Sea World), a PGA 18-hole golf course, 3 fitness centers, 4 Olympic-sized swimming pools, Landover Village, Landover Towers, Landover Retirement Community, Center For 2 Churches On Every City Block Foundation, Leviticus Landing (An Exclusive Gated Executive Christian Community for Platinum Tithers™), Exodus Acres (Gold Tithers' Gated Community), 27 Developments, Landover All Purpose Multi-Temple, Spa and Resort Center, Fire Department, 100,000 seat amphitheater, 12 television studios, 2 radio stations, a Christian Circus Camp, Retreat Center for Republican Candidates, 3 Corporate Christian Office Parks, hot springs, 8 cemeteries, and 243 fully certified Christian police officers.
The fictitious church grants all authority to its Pastor Deacon Fred Smith, in accordance with its interpretation of Romans 13.