By supporting Donald Trump, evangelical leaders are failing us and failing the Gospel. Christian women must step up where our church leaders won’t.
By Jerushah Duford
As a proud granddaughter of the man largely credited for beginning the evangelical movement, the late Billy Graham, the past few years have led me to reflect on how much has changed within that movement in America.
I have spent my entire life in the church, with every big decision guided by my faith. But now I feel homeless. Like so many others, I feel disoriented as I watch the church I have always served turn its eyes away from everything it teaches. I hear from Christian women on a daily basis who all describe the same thing: a tug at their spirit.
Most of these women walked into a voting booth in 2016 believing they were choosing between two difficult options. They held their breath, closed their eyes and cast a vote for Donald Trump, whom many of us then believed to be “the lesser of two evils,” all the while feeling that tug.
I feel it every time our president talks about government housing having no place in America’s suburbs. Jesus said repeatedly to defend the poor and show kindness and compassion to those in need. Our president continues to perpetuate an us-versus-them narrative, yet almost all of our church leaders say nothing.
I feel this tug every time our president or his followers speak about the wall, designed to keep out the very people Scripture tells us to welcome. In Trump’s America, refugees are not treated as “native born,” as Scripture encourages. Instead, families are separated, held in inconceivable conditions and cast aside as less than.
The church honors Trump before God
Trump has gone so far as to brag about his plans, accomplishments and unholy actions toward the marginalized communities I saw my grandfather love and serve. I now see, through the silence of church leaders, that these communities are no longer valued by individuals claiming to uphold the values my grandfather taught.
A false gospel:Trump and the ‘prosperity gospel’ sell false promises to credulous evangelical Christians
The gentle tug became an aggressive yank, for me, earlier this year, when our country experienced division in the form of riots, incited in great part by this president’s divisive rhetoric. I watched our president walk through Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C., after the tear gassing of peaceful protesters for a photo op.
He held a Bible, something so sacred to all of us, yet he treated that Bible with a callousness that would offend anyone intimately familiar with the words inside it. He believed that action would honor him and only him. However, the church, designed to honor God, said nothing.
It seems that the only evangelical leaders to speak up praised the president, with no mention of his behavior that is antithetical to the Jesus we serve. The entire world has watched the term “evangelical” become synonymous with hypocrisy and disingenuousness.
My faith and my church have become a laughing stock, and any attempt by its members to defend the actions of Trump at this time sound hollow and insincere.
One of my grandfather’s favorite verses was Micah 6:8, in which we are told that the Lord requires of his people to do justly, to love kindness and mercy, and to walk humbly. These are the attributes of our faith we should present to the world. We can no longer allow our church leaders to represent our faith so erroneously.
Women of faith know better
I have given myself permission to lean into that tug at my spirit and speak out. I may be against the tide, but I am firm in my faith that this step is most consistent with my church and its teachings.
At a recent large family event, I was pulled aside by many female family members thanking me for speaking out against an administration with which they, too, had been uncomfortable. With tears in their eyes, they used a hushed tone, out of fear that they were alone or at risk of undeserved retribution.
How did we get here? How did we, as God-fearing women, find ourselves ignoring the disrespect and misogyny being shown from our president? Why do we feel we must express our discomfort in hushed whispers in quiet corners? Are we not allowed to stand up when it feels everyone else around us is sitting down?
The God we serve empowers us as women to represent Him before our churches. We represent God before we represented any political party or leader. When we fail to remember this, we are minimizing the role He created for us to fill. Jesus loved women; He served women; He valued women. We need to give ourselves permission to stand up to do the same.
Think of the vulnerable:Kellyanne Conway can quit because she has resources to care for her family. Many of us don’t.
If a plane gets even slightly off course, it will never reach its destination without a course correction. Perhaps this journey for us women looks similar. Perhaps you cringe at the president suggesting that America’s “suburban housewife” cares more about her status than those in need, but try to dismiss comments on women’s appearance as fake news.
When we look at our daughters, our nieces, our female students, and even ourselves, we feel the need to lean into that tug on our spirit. You might not have felt it four years ago; we do the best with what we know at the time. However, if we continue to ignore the tug we now feel, how will we ever be able to identify what is truly important to us?
I chose to listen to my spirit to speak out. Not because doing so feels comfortable, but because it feels like the right way to leverage the voice God has empowered me with. Now I am asking all of you who feel as I do, to embrace your inner tug, and allow it to lead you to use the power of your God-given voice and not allow Trump to lead this country for another four years.
10 comments. Leave new
Praise God that God is working through you.
If I could share what I have learned since age 3 about persons who were very close in Spirit with God. Such as my own Dad, who was a Pentecostal Preacher of a Pentecostal Church he created and a more Spirit filled version of Pentecostal Church that was called The Holy Rollers of God in Albuquerque New Mexico. I would love to have someone of faith such as you to discuss some things I have been allowed to learn by means that enabled me to survive horrible multiple deaths by being rescued from the grasp of death after dying 28 times and brought back by a less than 1 inch tall Jesus Christ each time my spirit left my body and while traveling by spirit multiple times faster than the speed of light, I have seen and have discovered many things, that I feel confirms beyond any doubt my knowing that God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit is the Holy Trinity and have always existed as such, past, present, and for all Eternity. Like a circle or a globe, their is no beginning nor and end to Eternity. No one will ever become God other than them. The New Jerusalem Streets of Gold and Mansions of many varius sizes I have seen with the most beautiful precious metals and stones of jewels, diamonds, and things I have never imagined to ever exist. I was traveling home and was longing to land on my feet onto a street of Gold that I was drawn to as my spirit was drawn like I knew where I was going, like coming home after a long trip and looking forward to meeting the immortal persons strolling upon these streets walking arm in arm, male and female dressed in the finest materials of very nice looking attire. The Men were dressed in clothing fitting for Men and the Women in dresses of full length fitting for Women. In the distance I could see and hear children playing various games upon the most luscious and beautiful grass I have ever seen. The air and smell of everything, the trees, the flowers, and the grace of Peace was Joyous to my Soul and I felt tears of Joy coming down my face and I knew I was home and did not miss the World that I had just left at all but longed deeply that I would be allowed to stay, knowing I would see God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit at any moment. Then suddenly a woman on the Earth Billions of miles away I assumed, Screamed and I was instantly back into my body and knew I was because of the broken Jaw that I had on my right side broken in three locations had pain that brought me back to the reality I was back in my body on Earth again in Dallesport, WA across from The Dalles OR. I have investigated many Churches and religions searching for those who preach the Word of God, as the Bible does without charging Money which Christ taught us to never do and told the Apostles to never carry purse or script. In a way I helped fulfill another scripture and that is “A man shall walk to and fro throughout the whole world seeking to find the Word of God, and shall not find it.” and I live by the command to “never put your Trust in the arms of no flesh” I would love to tell you many things that Christ has shown to me and how i once had to fight Satan myself along with another Christian Friend I had and how we had to fight demons with Satan for three days and a couple of nights, before Christ sent three personages in white robes whose faces we were not worthy to look up to but they held their arms out extended towards the devil and demons and they started screaming with extreme pain so intense that we both realized that spiritual pain inflicted by Holy ones of God can be more painful on spirit than is possible to be placed upon the flesh or body of man since the flesh is not as strong as our spirits are. The Devil and Demons fled in agony and screams that only these spirits of evil could possibly make. they were as real as the ones who were righteous and servants of God who was sent to save us from Satan wanting to destroy us. Satan was very dark and densely black, blacker than anything I had ever seen, and id you looked for just a second at him, his spirit which smelled like death and burning hair, I assume like Hell, would like a strong magnet try to pull your soul towards him and fear was terrifying by sensing his evil soul. It was absolutely Frightening to see and feel the evil power of Satan having somewhat of a power to instil the smell of death and hell around you, almost as a warning to never do anything evil or you will end up being with him. I have never seen him again nor do I wish to. Many very good things about this World and what will transpire with the power of God, I have seen the begining of the endtime prophecies of the old and new testament Bible are starting to be fulfilled. The lost books of Moses, Enoch and Abraham, and the Gospel of Christ written by the Mother of Christ, Mary, whom King James 1611 refused that and 8 other books of the original tongues of latin, greek and hebrew, that talked about incest, fornication and adultery with polygamy as well, all 8 stated that persons such as that did those thing should be put to death simply because they would die in their sins if thet did not repent. So instead of repenting the Church of England and the kings decided to throw those books into the fire and burn them rather than to admit and repent of the fact that 1/3 of England was incestualized and about one third had more than one wife or would behead a wife to be able to marry another woman because it was against the laws of England for a man to marry another wife while his first wife was still alive even if they were divorced he could not, not even the King could marry again while a wife was still alive so the Kings did what the catholics would do, Behead the wife who he devorced so he can marry another. You probably know that the Catholics used to behead persons who they would ask if they believed in God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit and the Roman Catholic Church? and for hundreds of years about from 1300 to 1560 The Catholics would behead on the spot anyone who said no. Then After the Catholics stopped doing that The Church of England after the reformation happened or up until then, The Church of England would behead persons who would not accept the Church of England and would behead them thinking they must be Catholic. This is some of the reasons that make it absolutely neccesary for there to be separation of Church and State and Trump with Republicans have destroyed that Constitutional mandate that no one has ever attempted to destroy as much as Trump has. The Supreme Court should uphold Our Constitution which ensures that the separation of King Trump and the Right wing Christians must be separate and not allowed to kill Democrats in the name of Mormonism or Catholics or any others like Evangelists or the whole Country will be dictated to by Trump until Russia puts the West out of the misery Trump has prepared for all of America and the west. Please talk to me if you can 916-230-0011 Randy G Wilson
In my opinion Dónal Trump is representing Christian values as best as he can. He is a flawed human being but is a good if not great President. As the President he is standing up for many values in public life that Christians and people of all faiths can support. When did America have such a that actively promotes family values, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, etc etc..
Jerushah, you have spoken up and that is exactly the right thing to do. You are in a very difficult situation because of who you are, but that also means, 100%, that you have a tremendous obligation to speak out. All sincere Christians should be speaking out. What is going on in the evangelical world is beyond my understanding. What has happened and what Bible are they reading? You and Frank both have a platform, and I compliment you both. What is going on is not Christianity and it is not following Jesus. I am old enough to remember very well your grandfather in his prime and I went to one of Francis Schaeffer’s seminars and have all his books. Your grandfather and Frank’s dad were each very sincere and dedicated true Christians and what is now going on, often in their names, is atrocious. The name of our Lord Jesus is being soiled by wolves in sheep’s clothing and your speaking up will help to let others know that not all of the evangelical community agrees with what is happening.
💯 % accurate, these sentiments expressed by Jerushah. There’s so much hypocrisy now amongst the evangelicals that Rev. Billy Graham must be troubled in his grave. Franklin’s thirst and greed for power has led him to abandon spiritual wealth for earthly arrogance.
I enjoy listening to You . Yay mske allot of sense to me and hit on the raw truth about these modern day
Evangelical leaders. I always remember them as phony Christian prophets from Going back to Jim and Tammy Baker. Falwell Sr. Copeland. I’m not an evangelical
Never was I’m barely a Roman Catholic. Keep up spreading your words Mr Schaffer.
Jerushah, thank you for this! We are the remnant, the ones who have not bowed the knee to Baal. And we can help others, by our example, to abandon Baal and return to what Jesus said was all the law and the prophets — to love God with everything we are, and our neighbor as ourselves.
Thank you for speaking to this unbelievable loyalty to Trumps immorality. I am Christian but not an Evangelical. I have been only able to understand this loyalty to Trump by thinking that these Christians want him for one reason. He is against abortion. How do they listen to his lies ? How do they pray for him to protect their children and ignore the 2000 + CHILDREN he pulled from their MOTHERS and locked them in cages???
I am so glad you spoke truth today
Your Grandfather is proud of you !
We can be Christian women and still work for women’s and men’s and ALL Children’s rights.
Those so-called “Christians” who have donated to the legal fund for 17 yr old Kyle Rittenhouse, after he carried an assault weapon across state lines then murdered two men an shot one more with it, should be expelled from their churches as they are ignoring God’s Commandment “Thou shalt not Kill” and condoning Rittenhouse’s actions!! These are MOT Christ’s teachings!!
this is one of the reasons i,ve quit going to church or even watched it on television and even stopped supporting christianity because i even was kicked out of the pentecostal way even the baptist movement kicked me out