Religious right eyes Biden warily after Trump's good favor
As his administration draws to a close, some of those backers are approaching President-elect Joe Biden with skepticism, but not antagonism. During the Obama administration, Graham attended a conversation Biden convened among faith-based advocates about gun legislation. However, some groups such as Perkins' may find occasional opportunities to work with the Biden administration even while remaining critical of it in their messaging to members and fundraising, according to evangelical writer and analyst Napp Nazworth. Meanwhile, evangelicals outside those most closely associated with Trump already are identifying commonalities where they could partner with Biden. The Trump administration had slashed the refugee target to historic lows.
Thousands march in Washington to pray and show Trump support
Followers of Franklin Graham march from the Lincoln Memorial to Capitol Hill, during the Prayer March at the National Mall, in Washington, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)WASHINGTON โ Thousands of people packed the National Mall in downtown Washington on Saturday to pray and show their support for President Donald Trump. The march, which stretched from the Lincoln Memorial to the U.S. Capitol, was held just hours before Trump was set to announce he was nominating a conservative judge for the Supreme Court. Some sported red caps with the words โLetโs Make America Godly Again,โ a play on Trumpโs signature MAGA caps. Vice President Mike Pence, speaking from the steps of the memorial, said he came to extend Trumpโs โgreetings and gratitudeโ and asked them to pray for the new Supreme Court nominee.
WHAT TO WATCH: Trump's moment, Ivanka and Rudy Giuliani
What to watch on the fourth and final night of the Republican National Convention:TRUMPTrump is scheduled to accept his partys renomination in an address from the White House South Lawn. IVANKAThe president will be introduced by his daughter Ivanka Trump, the fourth of his five children to speak during the convention. RUDYDonald Trumps personal attorney Rudy Giuliani is scheduled to help close out the convention. BIDENThe Democrat has laid low this week but he's scheduled to appear at a virtual fundraiser Thursday. ET (a half-hour earlier than the Democratic convention last week) and runs through 11 p.m.
Virus loans helped entities tied to Trump evangelical allies
Vice President Mike Pence, left, greets Senior Pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress, right, after Pence spoke at the Southern Baptist megachurch First Baptist Dallas during a Celebrate Freedom Rally in Dallas, Sunday, June 28, 2020. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Virus loans helped entities tied to Trump evangelical allies
(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)NEW YORK โ Churches connected to President Donald Trump and other organizations linked to current or former Trump evangelical advisers received at least $17.3 million in loans from a federal rescue package designed to aid small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. Graham, whose megachurch claims more than 42,000 members, is not related to Trump evangelical adviser Franklin Graham, son of the late Rev. Other program beneficiaries connected to veteran evangelical Trump allies include The Faith & Freedom Coalition, founded by conservative strategist Ralph Reed, which got a loan of between $150,000 and $350,000. King Jesus International Ministry, the Miami megachurch where Trump launched his evangelical outreach push ahead of Novemberโs election, received a loan of between $2 million and $5 million according to the data. That church's pastor, Guillermo Maldonado, was also among a group of faith leaders who met and prayed with Trump at the White House last fall.
White House: Trump church visit akin to Churchill WWII role
Like Churchill, we saw him inspecting the bombing damage and it sent a powerful message of leadership to the British people," she said. For this president, it was powerful and important to send a message that the rioters, the looters, the anarchists, they will not prevail, McEnany said. Erik Larson, author of The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz, said he was disgusted by McEnanys comparison. Religious leaders, including Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, have fiercely criticized Trump over the tactics used against demonstrators. And its only the other side that didnt like it.Trump has praised the leadership of Churchill before.
Franklin Graham: No interest in federal money meant for WHO
Franklin Graham, president and CEO of Samaritan's Purse, sits for a portrait at his group's field hospital in New York's Central Park. โBut it would be too much of a controversy if they gave Samaritanโs Purse a penny. The prospect of Samaritan's Purse receiving funding redirected from the U.N. health agency prompted warnings from some Graham critics, including the secular group American Atheists. Samaritanโs Purse is no stranger to controversy during the pandemic. A spokesman for the charity said that the Central Park site had not accepted volunteers, relying solely on employees.
Stresses multiply for many US clergy: 'We need help too'
Sometimes, we need help too.โLaurieโs 15,000-member Harvest Christian Fellowship, based in Riverside, California, was jolted in September by the death of Jarrid Wilson, a 30-year-old associate pastor. Wilson and his wife, parents of two sons, had founded an outreach group to help people coping with depression and suicidal thoughts. There is similar introspection among clergy of many faiths across the United States as the age-old challenges of their ministries are deepened by a host of newly evolving stresses. โIโm tired.โ___For Muslim clergy in America, the stresses of being a faith leader are often magnified by awareness that their communities face prejudice and suspicion. โRabbis deal with their own feelings about this -- plus the need for increased security for their congregation.
Evangelist Franklin Graham visits Jacksonville Beach
We live in a very dangerous period of history right now," said Franklin Graham, the son of Billy Graham, one of the most famous voices in modern Christianity. Franklin Graham came to the First Coast with a message of peace and salvation. The late Billy Graham was one of those men for the Christian faith, and his children are continuing with their mission. And that's through faith in Christ," Franklin Graham said. Praying during a time of conflict in the world and domestically, Franklin Graham believes the world needs spiritual healing through faith.
Jacksonville Beach prepares for evangelist Franklin Graham
JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. โ Thousands were expected at the Seawalk Pavillion on Saturday as evangelist Franklin Graham is kicking off a tour of Florida. News4Jax spoke with Graham by phone about what to expect and what his ministry does to address security. As his father Billy Graham did for decades around the world, Franklin Graham said the event offers a simple and clear message of hope. The event began at 4 p.m. on Saturday at Seawalk Pavilion. After Jacksonville Beach, the tour will continue on to another five Florida cities.
Trump portrays himself as defender of faith for evangelicals
The El Rey Jesรบs church kickoff of โEvangelicals for Trumpโ will be followed in the weeks ahead by the launches of โCatholics for Trumpโ and โJewish Voices for Trump." Those abortion limits drew 39% support from white mainline Protestants, 33% support from nonwhite Protestants and 45% support from Catholics, but 67% support from white evangelical Protestants. About 6 in 10 Catholics, white mainline Protestants and nonwhite Protestants supported those protections, compared with about a third of white evangelical Protestants. But Democrats have shown strong interest in connecting with voters of faith, even evangelicals whom Trump is often assumed to have locked down. "Fridayโs rally is Trumpโs desperate response to the realization that he is losing his primary voting bloc โ faith voters.
Poll: White evangelicals distinct on abortion, LGBT policy
White evangelicals were also more likely than members of other faiths to say religion should have at least some influence on policymaking. About 6 in 10 Catholics, white mainline Protestants and nonwhite Protestants supported those protections, compared with about a third of white evangelical Protestants. Indeed, white evangelical Protestantsโ preference for a religious influence on abortion policy surpassed most other issues examined in the poll. About 8 in 10 white evangelicals said religion should have at least some influence on abortion policy. But not every Trump-backed policy found strong support in the poll from white evangelical Protestants.
Trump blasts Christian magazine that called for his removal
Billy Graham, โwould rather have a Radical Left nonbeliever, who wants to take your religion & your guns, than Donald Trump as your President." The magazine โhas been doing poorly and hasnโt been involved with the Billy Graham family for many years,โ Trump wrote. Franklin Graham, who now leads the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and prayed at Trumpโs inauguration, tweeted Friday that his father would be โdisappointedโ in the magazine. He wrote on Facebook: โIs President Trump guilty of sin? โNo President has done more for the Evangelical community, and itโs not even close,โ Trump said in his tweets.