President Donald Trump has nominated former congressional leader and pastor Mark Walker as the new U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom.
Announcing the appointment on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump stated that Walker, a former representative from North Carolina, will oversee the State Department's Office of International Religious Freedom.
“A former pastor, Mark was elected unanimously to House Leadership, and did an incredible job as Ranking Member on the House Homeland Security's Counterterrorism and Intelligence Subcommittee,” Trump noted.
He added, “As Chairman of the Republican Study Committee, Mark helped us secure many Victories. In his new role, Mark will work incredibly hard to expose Human Rights Violations, champion Faith, and help us secure Life Saving Results.”
Walker expressed his gratitude for the nomination on his X account, calling Trump “a defender of faith” for his strong statements on religious liberty at the United Nations. “As a former minister, along with serving in Congressional leadership, I'm open-eyed to the bad actors and regions committing these atrocities against people of faith,” Walker tweeted.
He emphasized, “Religious expression is the foundation of human rights and, whether it's a college campus in New York or Sub-Saharan Africa, I'll be relentless in fighting for those targeted who dare to live out their faith.”
A native of Houston County, Alabama, Walker served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2015 to 2021 and ran an unsuccessful campaign for the U.S. Senate in 2022.
As an ordained Southern Baptist minister, he has held pastoral positions at various churches in North Carolina and Florida, including serving as pastor of arts and worship at Lawndale Baptist Church in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 2008. During the 2024 election cycle, Walker served as director of outreach for faith and minority communities for the Trump campaign.
The ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom position was established by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. Trump previously sought to elevate the profile of this position during his first term from 2017 to 2021 by appointing then-Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, who also served as a U.S. senator.
Under Brownback's leadership and that of then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the Trump State Department organized ministerial events featuring thousands of religious freedom advocates and persecuted individuals from around the world.
