After their recent trip to Washington, D.C., Evangelical pastors openly discussed their experience visiting the White House and their perceptions of how God is working in and through the Trump administration.
During a May 9 episode of the “Resurge Season 1” podcast hosted by Pastor Josh Howerton of Lakepointe Church in Rockwall, TX, Pastors Josh McPherson (Grace City Church in Wenatchee, WA), Ryan Visconti (Generation Church in Mesa, AZ), and Landon Schott (Mercy Culture Church in Fort Worth, TX) appeared.
Four megachurch pastors spoke about the impact of Evangelical Christians during President Donald Trump’s second term, responded to criticisms of their participation, and provided advice for pastors on how to engage with politics.
They also discussed their April 26 visit to the White House, which included a four-hour briefing with important staff members, and which they say demonstrated a significant Christian presence surrounding President Trump.
The pastors recount an encounter with a White House aide who showed them the waiting area outside the Situation Room in the West Wing, where she explained, “This is where every world dignitary who goes into the Oval Office sits and waits to meet with the president. I want you to look at the picture he had commissioned on this wall that they have to stare at before they go in.”
The group saw a large picture of President Trump sitting at the Resolute Desk with about 30 pastors and Paula White with their hands on him, praying over him as he established the Faith Office in 2017 during his first term.
The aide explained, “He asked for that picture to be put there because he wanted every world leader to know and see and feel that when he walks in that room, he’s not just dealing with a man.”
“That’s a statement that says we are a Christian nation, and we want to align ourselves with the principles of God. We’re going to seek the help of God, the power of God, the leading of God in all that we do. When you go in the Oval Office, the most powerful man in there is not the president; it’s God Himself.” Pastor McPherson reflected.
The pastors recognize that some within their circles opposed aligning with Paula White, a charismatic televangelist and close spiritual advisor to Trump, as well as a senior advisor to the White House Faith Office, due to theological disagreements. However, McPherson commended her for her bravery and faith.
He shared that “I left about a four-hour interaction with her (Paula White) having more respect for her than most of the Reformed pastors I’ve grown up around,” noting that her long-term, unpaid service to Trump appeared divinely appointed.
“She told the story [of how] she met President Trump 26 years ago,” McPherson explained, and added, “It’s a little hard for me not to see the sovereignty of God in positioning that person in somebody’s life 20-some odd years before he would ever ascend to the position of the most influence in the entire known world.”
Howerton also shared a story about an encounter with a Lebanese Christian counterterrorism official who told a story about targeting a persecutor of Christians, highlighting the administration's decisive action.
Howerton said, “‘Day one, he took that file to President Trump and said, ‘Here’s this man who’s persecuting Christians abroad. ... What would you like us to do?’”’ and Howerton added, “And Donald Trump gave our U.S. military the green light and ... 24 hours later that man was dead.”
McPherson noted that the official emphasized the Gospel’s role over military action, saying, “We cannot kill our way out of the hole we are in. We need the Gospel of Jesus Christ to spread,” highlighting the importance of spiritual solutions.
