Support for President Donald Trump has always been strong among evangelicals, with some claiming that he was the best friend Christians have had in the White House.
On the first Sunday since a crowd of his supporters seeking to overthrow President-elect Joe Biden’s election stormed the Capitol and killed five people, including a police officer, messages from the pulpits of Christian leaders who supported Trump were equally as diverse as the opinions of the people of the nation.
They ranged from recitations of debunked conspiracy theories about who was responsible, to calls for healing and following Jesus Christ instead of an individual, to sermons that made no mention of Wednesday’s chaos and what it means for the future.
Here’s a look at what some preached to their flock:
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OWENSBORO, Kentucky
Brian Gibson, pastor and founder of HIS Church, spoke to his Christian congregation and online viewers about his bus tour of the US last month to speak with supporters of President Trump.
“I arise and represent Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and I preach to stand for the First Amendment. I intend to keep this nation a free nation. HIS church, we intend to keep this nation a free nation, ”he said, referring to both the president’s recent ban on social media platforms and the restrictions on church meetings during the pandemic.
Gibson was onstage on Jan. 5 at a “Prayer to Save America” event announced as a combination of worship and rally for Trump the day before Congress would certify election votes. Describing the events of the 6th, Gibson wondered how easily the Capitol was breached, which yielded debunked claims. that antifa supporters were among the violent crowd.
So now I know a few, some bad actors went in and I believe there was possibly antifa there. I think more and more I know there were antifa up there, insiders up there who started that action. And I also know that some Trump supporters followed their lead without a shadow of a doubt, because you don’t get 2 million people together without some radicals in the crowd or some simple people in the crowd that you could lead anywhere, right? ” he asked.
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SACRAMENTO, California
Reverend Samuel Rodriguez, the president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference who offered a prayer at Trump’s inauguration and also advised him, told his congregation on Sunday that America needs to hear a message of repentance.
“We must all repent, even the Church must repent. The American nation will be healed when the American church repents, ”he said to some cheers and applause.
“We must repent because we have made the person occupying the White House more important than the person occupying our hearts. We must repent because we have allowed the donkey and the elephant to share what the Lamb died on the cross for, ”said Rodriguez. “We must repent for voting for those whose policies are contrary to the word of God and the spirit of the living God.”
Rodriguez, New Season’s chief pastor, said he prayed for a season of “instead of” – “Instead of destroying property, building altars. Instead of confrontation, conversations … instead of many in fear. , one nation under God. ”
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SAN ANTONIO
Rev. John Hagee of Cornerstone Church, a staunch supporter of Trump, did not mention the president by name, but criticized the attack on Congress by calling what he called “a rebellious mob.”
The Secret Service was to escort the Vice President of the United States to safety from the Capitol. Gunshots were fired. Tear gas was deployed in the Capitol Rotunda. People have been killed. … This was an assault on the law. Attacking the Capitol was not patriotism, it was anarchy, ”Hagee said.
His words drew lukewarm applause from the crowd at his megachurch, but shortly afterwards they gave Hagee a standing ovation as he rallied support for law enforcement: “This is what happens when you harass the police. This is what happens when you fire the police. ”
“This is what happens when you see a police officer shoot and belittle his offering to the public,” he continued. ‘Wake up, America! America and democracy cannot function without the rule of law. We support the blue. ”
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APOPKA, Florida
Paula White-Cain, a longtime Trump spiritual adviser who served as a faith adviser in his White House, made a subtle allusion to the uprising preceding her Sunday sermon.
White-Cain called the nation “deeply divided,” condemned “lawlessness,” and added that “my hope never rests in anyone, not a man. My hope is in Jesus Christ.”
White, who held a post-election prayer service in which she called on “angelic reinforcement” to help achieve victory, also reaffirmed her commitment to the First Amendment – echoing warnings from some conservatives this week that their freedom of speech was threatened. .
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COEUR, D’ALENE, Idaho
Reverend Tim Remington, The Altar Church’s conservative Christian pastor, avoided specific references to Trump and the attack on the Capitol, but offered numerous politically charged warnings.
“The next two weeks will probably be the most important two weeks in America’s history,” said Remington, who led personal services in the spring in spite of a governor’s order to stay at home. “I pray that the Lord’s army is ready.”
He specifically targeted the media for criticism.
“I rebuke the news in the name of Jesus,” Remington said. “We ask that this false waste end. … It’s the lies, communism, socialism. I don’t know how we put up with it for so long. ”
And without going into details, he said America “is not looking for the truth.”
“For them to suppress another’s opinion – it’s wrong, it’s unconstitutional,” he said. “God have pity.”
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CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio
Reverend Darrell Scott, the black senior pastor of the New Spirit Revival Center, did not mention the events in Washington.
Scott, an early supporter of Trump’s 2016 campaign who worked with the administration on urban and prison issues, once hailed the administration as “probably the most proactive government regarding urban America and the faith-based community in my life.”
But there was no mention of the president on Sunday in a live stream service entitled “What God Has for Me,” in which Scott focused on encouraging church members to acknowledge God’s commitment to their lives.
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Associated Press reporters Sally Stapleton, Luis Andres Henao and Gary Fields contributed to this report.
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