Georgia-based pastor and a member of President Trump’s religious council, Jentezen Franklin, has openly opposed the President’s derogatory comments about Haiti, El Salvador and African nations. Jenetzen reminded his church that Jesus loves every person equally and that heaven will be full of people from every tribe and tongue.
The President denies he used the term “sh**hole countries” when talking “tough” on immigration into the US from third world nations.
The language used by me at the DACA meeting was tough, but this was not the language used. What was really tough was the outlandish proposal made – a big setback for DACA!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018
The President further backed up his denial with another tweet about his love for Haiti and its people.
Never said anything derogatory about Haitians other than Haiti is, obviously, a very poor and troubled country. Never said “take them out.” Made up by Dems. I have a wonderful relationship with Haitians. Probably should record future meetings – unfortunately, no trust!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018
Making his comments during the conclusion of Sunday service at Free Chapel Worship Center, pastor Franklin declared:
“I don’t agree with what the president said this week. It was wrong what he said. I say that respectfully. There are no nations that are trash. There are no people in those nations that are worthless and trash.”
Pastor Franklin went on to preach that people of every nation will be gathered together in heaven for eternity.
“Of every kindred and of every tongue and every nation, we’re going to gather in heaven,” he said.
Then, he went for it. “He loves those people in those poor nations. He’s not an American Jesus, He’s not a European Jesus, He’s not an African Jesus.”
“He is Jesus and He died for the whole world!” Franklin shouted.
Watch the incredible moment at 38:37 below:
“Great grace, it’s not limited to a demographic, it’s not limited to a skin color, it’s not limited to how much money you’re worth. It’s great grace, and it’s upon us all, and it’s free! Take it – it will transform your mistakes into miracles,” the well-known pastor bellowed.
“So many things can hit, and people just make stupid, stupid mistakes,” the pastor noted. “But our message is a message of reconciliation.”
Many other pastors across the nation took the pulpit at the weekend to publicly denounce President Trump’s comments.
“There were some controversial words spoken this week about the value of people. Talk of others who are not deserving. Let me be clear: These words are not of Christ,” the Rev. Chris Danielson told St. Andrew United Methodist on Sunday in W. Lafayette, Ind, as reported by The Washington Post.
Grace Chapel associate pastor Steve Allen also had some harsh words for the President, as recalled by Max Perry Mueller, a University of Nebraska professor who attends.
“There are so many competing voices for our attention today, and one voice is particularly loud and drawing our attention, a voice that is disparaging to underdeveloped countries, calling parts of the world ‘sewage’ — that is not okay,” Allen reportedly said during his sermon.
Jesus “hung with the lowest of the low, the social and economic outcast — the ‘sewage.’ He said we are all sewage and Jesus never turned his back on us, and we shouldn’t turn our backs,” Mueller recalled.
Very proud of our pastor this morning: “There were some controversial words spoken this week about the value of people. Talk of others who are not deserving. Let me be clear: these words are not of Christ.”
— Steve Tally (@SteveTally) January 14, 2018
Rev. Vic Gordon of City Life Church in Wichita was bewildered by President’s remarks, and could not even imagine what he would say to many of his Haitian friends after such an insult. Above it all, however, he believes Christians must continue to show the love of Christ to all people and must persevere in good works.
“The kingdom of God is a vision from Jesus of all nations,” Gordon said, as reported by The Wichita Eagle. “We want to love Trump. We want to love Haitians. We want to love Norwegians.”
Gordon had a striking message for other evangelicals – look closely at what the President is alleged to have said, and ask yourselves whether you want to be associated with his style of evangelicalism.
“I would hope that those who call themselves evangelical would take a look at what Scripture says … and ask themselves if this is the kind of approach we want to identify evangelicalism with,” the pastor said.
The Rev. Jeff Isaacs, lead pastor at Riverlawn Christian Church in Wichita, agreed with this sentiment. He believes that if the reports are true about President Trump’s remarks, it will be a large “black eye” on Trump’s relationships with evangelical Christians who work to bring God’s kingdom across the globe.
“If he said that, it was a very ungodly thing to say about those people that were created in God’s image and the place they live,” said Isaacs, whose church engages mission work both in Africa and Haiti. “There’s no asterisk beside that Great Commission by Jesus. We are to go to all nations.”