--- title: Donald Trump Inauguration: Evangelical Leaders Celebrate description: Exactly 24 hours before Donald Trump takes the oath of office on Friday, dozens of conservative evangelical pastors led a prayer service. canonical: https://time.com/4640436/evangelical-leaders-donald-trump-inauguration/ author: Elizabeth Dias article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-01-20T02:52:16.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:54:43.137Z article:section: Politics og:title: Evangelical Leaders Celebrated the Day Before Inauguration og:description: "This was done by God." og:url: https://time.com/4640436/evangelical-leaders-donald-trump-inauguration/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltaf1cc5671597fd09/6988b64a0b72e315496ec521/gettyimages-632120582.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3500 og:image:height: 1969 og:image:alt: Inauguration Welcome Concert Held At The Lincoln Memorial og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Evangelical Leaders Celebrated the Day Before Inauguration twitter:description: "This was done by God." twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltaf1cc5671597fd09/6988b64a0b72e315496ec521/gettyimages-632120582.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Evangelical Leaders Celebrate the Day Before Donald Trump’s Inauguration > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=3965b207-1963-4ee8-bdef-443a58395a1b&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Trump's Top Pastor [Watch (HLS stream): Trump's Top Pastor](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/A9Hi3DBO.m3u8) (8:46)  _Published 2016-07-18. One of the most visible pastors supporting Donald Trump comes from the most unlikely of places: the small town of Easley, South Carolina. Trump’s candidacy has thrust televangelist Mark Burns into the national political spotlight for the first time._ by [Elizabeth Dias](https://time.com/author/elizabeth-dias/) ## Elizabeth Dias Jan 20, 2017 2:52 AM UTC  Donald Trump and Melania Trump arrive at the "Make America Great Again Welcome Celebration" concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 19, 2017. Donald Trump and Melania Trump arrive at the "Make America Great Again Welcome Celebration" concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 19, 2017. Chris Kleponis—Getty Images by [Elizabeth Dias](https://time.com/author/elizabeth-dias/) ## Elizabeth Dias Jan 20, 2017 2:52 AM UTC Exactly 24 hours before Donald Trump takes the oath of office on Friday, dozens of conservative evangelical pastors led a prayer service—beneath a fresco of a black Jesus and black angels at Washington’s Greater New Hope Baptist Church—to celebrate his election. The event was a who’s who of [Trump’s evangelical supporters and advisors, including most members of Trump’s executive evangelical advisory board](http://time.com/4565010/donald-trump-evangelicals-win/). More than three hundred guests, nearly all white, filled the pews, cheering and praying together for nearly two hours. A separate celebration of the group’s relationship with Israel followed, and two members of Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, joined, Sharren Haskel and Yehuda Glick. Sponsors included Tony Perkins’ Family Research Council and the Jefferson Gathering, a group that leads weekly prayer and church services inside the U.S. Capitol building. So many evangelical leaders spoke it is difficult to list them all. Event organizer Jim Garlow, who leads Skyline Church in San Diego, told the group he hoped Trump’s win might usher in a new Jesus movement unseen since the 1970s. “If anyone would stand up and take credit for what happened, God would have reason to take them out—this was done by God,” he said, adding that evangelicals’ purpose was “to inaugurate Jesus as king.” The event opened with prayers for the 45th president. Televangelist James Robison, who leads Life Outreach International, testified that he has never met a person “who is more attentive, who is more humble, who expresses greater meekness” than Trump—“I am praying that this man will understand what it is to be a father to a fatherless nation,” he said, to a standing ovation. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, prayed for incoming Vice President Mike Pence. “We have been waiting for a moment like this throughout my professional life, and since Roe v. Wade we have lost nearly every battle that has occurred,” he said. “Yet here we are on the precipice of a different day, a new day.” Ralph Reed, who leads the Faith and Freedom Coalition, prayed for the incoming Cabinet members of “the greatest nation that God has ever raised up in the history of the human race.” Based on the Senate confirmation hearings, he said, “The enemy is not thrilled,” referencing Satan, and he prayed that “the slings and arrows” coming their way “would be rendered impotent and bounce off their shield of faith.” For many, it was a moment to celebrate that [Trump has promised to defund Planned Parenthood and appoint Supreme Court nominees who oppose abortion](http://time.com/4626516/planned-parenthood-defund-republicans/). “We pray that these little unborn babies that have waited for so long, that you would give us a new commitment to them, and that we would be reminded that they are the least of your brothers and sisters,” U.S. Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona prayed, tearing up. [Jentezen Franklin](http://time.com/donald-trump-prosperity-preachers), pastor of Free Chapel in Georgia, said, “We pray the wrong people out and the right people in to the Supreme Court.” Catholic priest Frank Pavone, director of Priests for Life, got a standing ovation when he prayed, “We submit the Supreme Court of the United States to the Supreme Court of Jesus Christ.” The group also prayed for the country’s relationship with China and Russia. Charles Huang, who wore a Jewish prayer shawl, prayed in Mandarin and in English. When he blew a shofar to pray for U.S. relations with China and Taiwan, many in the crowd leapt to its feet, cheering, some crying, in support. Joseph Bondarenko, a Ukranian preacher who served time in prison as a Soviet dissident, prayed in Russian, translated into English, for God “to transform the heart of President Putin and his administration” and to “restore the good relationship between our countries.” Prayers often signaled evangelical distrust of the media. Lance Wallnau, a Dallas consultant who has prophesied about Trump, prayed that God would “anoint \[Trump\] to be a wrecking ball … let it wreck media strongholds, let it wreck academic strongholds, let it wreck whatever has been destroyed, the continuity of your purpose for America.” Fox News columnist Todd Starnes got big cheers when he prayed for “revival” in Americas newsrooms, and that reporters would “reject fake news and embrace the good news.” “Lord, we know it is going to be a miracle of biblical proportions, but we pray that you would do something with our media,” Starnes said. _Duck Dynasty_’s Willie Robertson, who endorsed Trump early, also prayed for athletes and entertainers. “For way too long, the evil one has had control of a lot our entertainment,” he said. “Help us change that, help us make better movies, better songs, write things about you.” His brother Alan Robertson added, “Make us great again in the name of Jesus.” Garlow acknowledged to the evangelicals gathered that they were nearly all white, and introduced a time of prayer for racial healing. “It is going to need to be led by far more whites,” he said. “When blacks articulate the issue, they get written off many times as whiny, but they are announcing a deep pain and a wounding that is there, and we as whites must learn how to articulate the steps towards racial healing and racial unity.” Mark Burns, [an African American televangelist and Trump supporter from South Carolina,](http://time.com/trump-pastor) prayed that God would bring the ark of the covenant back to Washington, D.C. Ronnie Floyd, past president of the Southern Baptist Convention, prayed, “May we speak unity and light into the urban areas of this nation, into the courts of this land.” Sam Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, was [one of the only participants who had criticized Trump on the campaign trail](http://time.com/4634445/donald-trump-inauguration-prayer). He prayed to “God of the thirsty, the hungry, and the stranger,” and asked, “Help us understand today that there is no such thing as a white church, there is no such thing as a black church, there is no such thing as a Latino church—there is only one church, the church of Jesus Christ,” he prayed. “A divided church will never heal a broken nation.” The crowd’s response was muted. [Rodriquez will pray at Trump’s swearing in service](http://time.com/4634445/donald-trump-inauguration-prayer), reading aloud Jesus’ words from the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” ## Transcript What's your relationship like with Mr Trump? Faster. [ LAUGH ] Good. Mr Trump said, you know you're speaking at the RNC right? We said, what are you serious? He said I want you to do what you always do. Just do what you do. And so here we go, speaking time, I see. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] Good morning. Good morning, Daniel, how are you? Good morning. [ LAUGH ] Good morning, Miss Maggie. Absolutely, yes, people are shocked That I don't come from this major, major platform of a location of New York City, or California, but a small town right here in Easley, South Carolina. But that's the heartbeat of this country, and for me, it all goes back to Mr Trump. How much time? Two minutes, then we come back for one song. [ MUSIC ] [ APPLAUSE ] [ MUSIC ] So if you need a miracle in your life I want you to write that miracle down on your envelope. We fully believe in writing all over our envelopes. Once you have your offering ready I want you to raise it up as high as you can get it. Let's get on chairs and stuff they want is close to the Lord as possible Possible, and throw it in there. He is a billionaire from New York City, he could have taken anybody under his wing. There is no black person, there is no white person, there is no yellow person, there is no red person, there is only green people. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] Greed is money. It is almost spiritual in a sense, it is bigger than just money right? I meant it is really about Donald Trump has showed over and over and over again how he's willing to give. People, the least likely people in opportunity to prove themselves. For someone like Donald Trump to say hey, your heart is right, your spirit is right. Come follow me. That speaks volumes. When God wants to bless you, he brings a person. He reveals a person. He blesses you with the person in your life. But when he wants to protect you. I teach this all the time, that I don't want a leader who just presents to me their resume because the resume has all your good stuff on there. I want a leader who will lead me who has a record. You know, they have a jail record. They have a record that says I've messed up, I've messed up, I've messed up. But I overcame, overcame, overcame. Is that what Mr. Trump has done? Without question. Without question he exudes the message of grace. That he was once blind, but now he sees. He was once pro- choice but now he is pro- life, after receiving the information. He's been married three times but he's proven to be a powerfully effective father. He's willing to admit his mistakes, but celebrate his children, and when I see him I see the message of grace. I remember when we were in Atlanta and there's a press release there and so many of us black pastors were with him, and I was right beside him. I said lord this may be the very last time I This close to Donald Trump, so whatever financial anointed on his life [ LAUGH ] let him fall upon my life, so I can teach other people. I don't know why me, he chose me. I don't know why out of all of the 50, 60- some odd leaders that were there, why am I the one that was being asked to come on television. Alright, let's go. Let's go. Let's go eat. Here are the keys. Thank you. We go out to eat every Sunday. I'm going to show you who my children are. Well first this is my mother, Joeda. This is my mother. The fabulous woman that burst the fabulous me, and then you have my youngest baby Samara, Samara- Interracial marriage as an interracial family is just so vital. This is my youngest and they are ten. The key to future of our country- Mark is 14. In our family, our children are getting an even greater education On how not to see color. And then where's Diamond? Diamond is next, she's 18. [ LAUGH ] With her fabulous pink hair and fabulous pink lipstick. And then our oldest is Jordan, and she will be 20 in a few days. I know I'm not old enough to have a 20 year old. Funeral but I do. I want to bring you to this stop here and I don't know if they still have the sign up front but we didn't want to really come here because they have the waiting rebel flag but then we saw the Trump sign And so maybe this would be good so we walked in and you can immediately tell that they had their eyes on us, that they were suspicious of us. We were together. And they didn't like that at all. We found something that we wanted and they basically said, that's not for sale. Yeah, that's not for sale When it was clearly for sale. And I didn't tell them I was a [ UNKNOWN ] for Trump, I didn't tell them I traveled on the campaign. I didn't say any of that, I simply said that's the reason right now why so many blacks and whites, cuz there are whites who won't support Mr. Trump because they think he's racist. The majority of the world thinks that the Trump supporter is this, I'm not a champion of Black people. That's why I don't compare myself to Dr. King. He was a champion of the African American communities. It frustrates me basically that the Black community, who, one of the minority groups that suffer the most, are consistently voting For the same people that positioned them to be there. Donald Trump really is the best solution for all minorities that is at the bottom of the tow pole. You know, they're disappointed with the president's comments of, you know, Black Lives Matter and Police Lives Matter. There wouldn't be a hash tag police lives matter if there wasn't a hash tag black lives matter. It seems like black lives only matter when a black life is killed by a white cop. Well, we are Heading to the airport. Heading to catch a flight to New York city. To appear tonight on Megyn Kelly to discuss what's taking place in this country in this place right now. Hopefully we won't be in a combative scenario, but knowing [ LAUGH ] They want to get us to communicate and argue. They want good TV. Go ahead, Pastor Mark Burns, in the back row. Pastor Mark Burns. People want to assassinate an officer. That is why they're out there. [ CROSSTALK ] Down the line, go ahead, Pastor Mark Burns, in the grey sir. Fear factor. It's just that they're scared. They're afraid because in today's society, cops are walking on eggshells because they don't want to show up on the next cell phone video and be automatically condemned before facts are even proven. [ CROSSTALK ] I truly feel appointed for such a time as this. I feel just like Ester did when Mordecai came to her and said you need to have the ear to the king. You have to help protect our people. So, she can position herself to be the voice piece of God, and be the influencing of the king's ear. What kinds of things are you speaking into the king's ear? Just be kind, be loving. [ MUSIC ] And your hope for November? [ LAUGH ] My hope for November, Donald Trump is, we're going to the White House. And I'm going to give the inaugural prayer, that's what I'm gonna do. I'm claiming it all, you know we're going all the way. 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