| Josiah Magnuson, his beautiful wife LeeAnn, and their baby girl JoLee Jael live on Hwy. 11 near Fingerville, SC. Josiah was born in Greenville as the son of a Baptist pastor. He was shaped by his early years as God opened ministry opportunities and the family followed the Lord on a pilgrimage, moving to multiple states. Homeschooled through his sophomore year, Josiah graduated from Kingsway Christian School in Orrville, Ohio in 2010. But he couldn't stay away from the South. Josiah settled back in the Upcountry following his high school graduation, studying for two years with Oak Brook College of Law.
As the Lord's providence directed, Josiah received an opportunity to train in electric work with Griffin Electric in Greer and Clark Electric in Spartanburg. He then worked as an installer and project manager with Detail Solar in Taylors for four years before moving to the sales side with Firefly Solar in Greenville.
Josiah currently works in sales and marketing as a business consultant with Palmetto Fortis Education Group in Greenville, providing schools across the country and around the world with the tools they need to train children in the Biblical worldview. In 2021, the company was recognized as one of the 25 fastest-growing companies in South Carolina.
Though he's not an attorney and doesn't consider himself a politician, Josiah has long been active in the political process. As a teen, he was motivated by the writings of Thomas Jefferson and other American Founders. Josiah became an avid researcher of history and often tuned in to conservative talk radio. In 2004, the Greenville News published his first letter to the editor, on the danger posed by illegal immigration and the need to secure our border.
In the spring of 2007, Josiah along with family members and a small group of committed patriots successfully worked to pass the bill banning South Carolina from implementing the unconstitutional freedom-invading Federal REAL-ID Act. Josiah had the privilege of standing with Governor Mark Sanford as the bill was signed into law. This God-given victory provided an inspiration for him to continue taking action at the legislature on a variety of issues, including sound money, rejection of Obamacare, personhood for unborn children, traditional marriage, and more.
Also in 2007, Josiah founded Soldiers of Biblical Reformation (SBR), a nondenominational Christian club to bring families together to uphold God's design in all of life, including the realm of civil government. Josiah believes that our faith should be bigger than Sunday mornings. Through mentorships, evangelism training, Bible studies, service projects, and outreach, Soldiers of Biblical Reformation continues to equip many young people to be a light in the community and the culture.
Josiah has additionally taught a variety of educational classes, including 5th grade-level science, high-school American History, and the U.S. Constitution for all ages.
From 2012 to 2017, Josiah served as director of Americans for Constitutional Government (ACG). Founded in 1962, ACG is the longest-running conservative action group in the Upcountry. In this capacity Josiah facilitated a meeting each month with educational speakers, two annual banquets, and a variety of action projects. He also organized multiple bus trips to Columbia to assist citizens in meeting and influencing their representatives.
In 2015, Josiah founded The Virtue Solution Project, an effort to combat apathy to restore the fabric of America from the ground up. Josiah believes the future of liberty rests on the moral courage to do right, community self-sufficiency, and love for our neighbors. When we depend on God and each other we don't have to depend on big government. These themes figured prominently in President Trump's State of the Union address in 2018. One example of this "real America" as President Trump explained is the "Cajun Navy" in Louisiana and Texas that volunteered to rescue victims of Hurricane Harvey. The Virtue Solution Project aims to replicate this volunteer spirit across America, putting into practice the values the Founders told us would preserve liberty. The movement has been largely successful, sparking conferences on "localism" and personal responsibility and inspiring many patriots across the country to run for state and local office.
Josiah sees the vision of America's Founders as the right course for our country. This vision requires limits on government. As your state representative, Josiah aims to utilize the Tenth Amendment to limit rising Federal overreach of its rightful constitutional powers.
Since 2018, Josiah has been an active member of Mountain View Baptist Church, north of Cowpens, SC. He also served from 2019 to 2023 as an executive board member of Hope Remains Ranch in Wellford, SC, a Christian ministry providing therapy and healing to young people and families in the area. He recently completed a new twelve-week Bible study course on God and government, Biblical Civics. |