He is a former Baptist preacher, a faithful Catholic firebrand, an “America first” Republican, a proud father of seven, a pro-life warrior and the godson of Dr. Alveda King.
There are many ways to describe Yahanseh George (YG) Nyghtstorm, but perhaps the best way to characterize him is “ready” — that is, ready to lead, ready to fight, ready to build.
Yahanseh George (YG) Nyghtstorm
Church Militant is pleased to announce that Nyghtstorm — a political veteran, executive and entrepreneur — has joined the apostolate’s board of directors and is committed to leading the organization in a new direction.
He is ideally suited for this task. Having founded his own security company in 1999, Nyghtstorm has provided extraction services for single mothers and children targeted by gangs and freed children from sex trafficking. He has launched multiple initiatives to help veterans, the homeless and at-risk youth. He serves as a mentor to young fathers in prison, helping prepare them to be better dads after incarceration. Perhaps most importantly, as a post-abortive father, he is a relentless advocate for the unborn. His work, as well as his devotion to serving and protecting the disadvantaged, have earned him the moniker “the bodyguard of Georgia.”
‘Make a Difference’
Nyghtstorm’s story is one of transformation. His youth was marked by tragedy. From an early age, his home life was beset by poverty and disorder, as his father abandoned the household. At age 11, he was sexually abused by a high-ranking Catholic leader in his community. Afterward, the predator warned Nyghtstorm that God would kill him and his mother if he ever reported the assault. The trauma left him shattered and resentful of God.
By 18, he was homeless. Living hand-to-mouth on the streets, he endured hunger and suffered various physical assaults. It was not long before he found himself bereft of hope and wanting to die. But instead of embracing despair, Nyghtstorm one day cried out to God for help, pleading, “Father, if my life is worth something, I need something to change.”
Minutes later, to his surprise, a Rolls-Royce pulled up alongside him. An elderly white man emerged from the car and approached him.
“You all right?” the man asked.
Bewildered, Nyghtstorm answered simply, “No.”
Studying him, the man continued, “You know, we have a lot in common.”
Incredulous, Nyghtstorm asked what traits the two of them — a young, homeless black man and an aged, wealthy white man — possibly shared.
“Suffering doesn’t have a skin color,” the man replied.
He went on to share that decades earlier, he had also been homeless, living on the streets of Chicago. One day, when he was at the end of his rope, a Studebaker pulled up next to him, and a black man stepped out. That man, he recounted, counseled him, prayed over him and then told him to get up and go make a difference. And that encounter made the difference in his life.
Noticing that Nyghtstorm was barefoot, the man took off his own socks and placed them on Nyghtstorm’s feet. He then began praying over Nyghtstorm and said, “As sure as these socks cover your feet, God is going to cover your life. Now, go forth and make a difference.”
The incident proved to be a turning point for him. “It reignited my faith,” Nyghtstorm told Church Militant. “It also showed me what this country is all about. It’s not about this skin color thing… it’s about people actually connecting with each other and, through faith, actually being able to bring each other out of the abyss.”
Finding the Fullness of the Faith
As Nyghtstorm went on to rebuild his life, his trust in God grew, and he began sharing his Baptist faith with others. Despite his deepening devotion, however, he often felt that something was lacking.
“On the Protestant side, I was doing all this preaching around the country, but there was always something missing,” he told Church Militant. “I always had questions of ‘why?'”
His answer came in late 2013, some two decades after his experience with the man in the Rolls-Royce, when another unusual encounter sparked a turn toward Rome.
One day, while driving through a well-to-do neighborhood, he saw a lemonade stand alongside the road ahead of him. To his surprise, one of the young girls overseeing the stand stepped out into the street and stopped his car.
“Young lady, what are you doing?” he asked her.
“I’m selling lemonade,” she replied. “It’s the best lemonade you’re ever going to drink. All you need to do is give me a quarter.”
“Will you get out of the street if I give you a quarter?” he asked, amused.
She agreed, and Nyghtstorm furnished a quarter. She, in turn, handed him the best cup of lemonade he’d ever tasted.
At that moment, the girl’s father appeared and struck up a conversation. Within minutes, he invited Nyghtstorm into his house, where the discussion turned to issues of faith, family and culture. As their talk progressed, the man informed Nyghtstorm that he was a Catholic.
Though hesitant at first, Nyghtstorm felt that God wanted him to listen to what the man had to say. From that point onward, a friendship formed, and over time, he was introduced to other faithful Catholic men. Owing to their influence, while still a Baptist, Nyghtstorm started attending Mass. One night, not long after, he felt God impress upon him, “I want you to join My Church.” Though he was still uncertain, he obeyed.
“Once I did it,” he told Church Militant, “once I experienced the Eucharist for myself, I cried that day.”
Catholicism completed Nyghtstorm’s Christianity. He noted that as he dove deeper into the Faith, “All the holes that I saw on the Protestant side [were] actually filled on the universal side because it is the origin … this is where it began.”
“From the beginning,” he continued, “when the Church was being built, when the pillars were being built, when the foundation of our Faith was being built … there was the Church.”
“Christ built His Church” on “that rock of Peter,” Nyghtstorm added. “Everything we need to know is within the Catholic Church … all you have to do is look within those Scriptures and look at the history of the Church. Everything that the Protestants talk about — it comes from here.”
For a Time Such as This
Nyghtstorm stresses that America’s withering moral climate requires faithful Catholics to stand up and lead, no matter the cost.
“When you’re speaking truth about faith and about this country, you’re not going to be liked, because this is the Devil’s playground,” he told Church Militant. “And if the Devil hated Christ and he hated the Apostles, and they killed Christ, and they killed the Apostles, what do you think they’re going to do with you? They’re not going to like you.”
He continued,
But I say this: If you are in the company of people looking at you in a hateful, spiteful way, saying you’re divisive because Jesus was divisive; you’re divisive because Paul was divisive; you’re divisive because Peter was divisive, I say, “Good! Good!” Absolutely, because those are the types of men and leaders that we need in this time.
Nyghtstorm teaching Morgan Stanley interns
“We’re living in a very, very special time — a glorious time,” he added. “We are actually living in the days of what Christ and the prophets have been talking about for thousands of years. God has already said this is going to happen, and we have been built for this moment.”
“If you are the tip of the spear for your family, the tip of the spear for your community, the tip of the spear for your job, for your company, then good!” he said. “Because when it all comes down, just like God said, the people are going to be looking for those strong leaders of faith who never wavered. They are going to flock and run to you because you are providing Christ for them when all hell is breaking loose, so stand firm, no matter what.”
Nyghtstorm believes that America’s increasing saturation by Satan presents an opportunity for faithful Catholics.
“Because he controls the airwaves; and he controls the social media; and he controls the regular media and he controls the curriculum, people are starving for the truth,” he observed. “People need the truth, and they flock to that.”
“Now, is it easy?” He asked. “No. Will you be targeted? Yes. Will your business be targeted? Yes. Will your reputation be targeted? Yes. When you stand on God’s word, expect it.”
“But know the victory is coming,” he said, noting that God “prepared you for this moment.”
“Now it’s time for you to step forth,” he added. “Take back command of your family. Take back command of your company. Take back command of your district and your community.”
“And this,” Nyghtstorm noted, “is how we take back command of our country — by standing on God’s truth. And it shall set us free.”