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Dec 23, 2021: Church Leadership: Ed Stetzer: The Church and Donald Trump: We Need Christ at the Center of Our Services, Not Democrats, Republicans or Any Other Politician
The current pastor, Robert Jeffress, regularly leans into political partisanship. He has frequently appeared on Fox News speaking about politics and evangelicals, in recent years spending his time and energy to defend Donald Trump during his campaign and presidency. This week, Jeffress welcomed the former president to address the congregation after his sermon and give a brief Christmas message. Aug 8, 2021: WRBL: Facebook rolls out prayer request feature but not everyone trusts it The Rev. Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Church in Dallas, a Southern Baptist megachurch, was among the pastors enthusiastically welcoming of the prayer feature. Sept 17, 2021: Dallas Morning News: First Baptist’s Robert Jeffress: ‘There is no credible religious argument against the vaccines’
“There is no credible religious argument against the vaccines,” the downtown megachurch’s senior pastor told The Associated Press in an email. “Christians who are troubled by the use of a fetal cell line for the testing of the vaccines would also have to abstain from the use of Tylenol, Pepto Bismol, Ibuprofen, and other products that used the same cell line if they are sincere in their objection.” Nov 11, 2020: Dallas Morning News: Dallas’ Robert Jeffress, leading pro-Trump evangelical conservative, calls Biden ‘president-elect’ but says it’s not yet official
One of President Donald Trump’s top evangelical Christian allies, Dallas pastor Robert Jeffress, called Democrat Joe Biden’s victory a “bitter pill to swallow” for conservatives and said that while the result isn’t official, “it appears that he won.” “The Democrats have been very honest about what they are going to do if they gain control of the Oval Office again. You’ve heard it from the Democrat debate stage: They want to take away our right to religious liberty. They want to take away the right to bear arms. They want to take away the right to the most basic right of all, the right to life, by continuing this barbaric practice of abortion. That’s why all of us who are Christians certainly see this is not a political skirmish. This is a battle between good and evil.” Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas
Nov 24, 2016: Christian Post: Robert Jeffress Praises Trump's Decision to 'Forgive' Hillary Clinton Pastor Robert Jeffress is praising President-elect Donald Trump for his decision not to prosecute defeated Democratic rival Hillary Clinton for keeping classified national security information on her unsecured home server, while at the same time advising Trump supporters not to gloat over the Thanksgiving table. Feb 25, 2015: NRB: America on Verge of Collapse, Says Robert Jeffress at NRB15 America will soon collapse from “explosive” decisions made over the last 50 years that have undermined the nation, Dallas pastor Robert Jeffress told Christian media and ministry professionals at the National Religious Broadcasters' International Christian Media Convention. Jan 5, 2015: NewsHounds: Bigoted Pastor Robert Jeffress Attacks Duke U. Over Muslim Call To Prayer Fox guest Robert Jeffress, on today's Fox & Friends, mounted a full-scaled Islamophobic attack on Duke University for the "travesty" of initiating a once-a-week Muslim call to prayer. |
November 29, 1955: Robert James Jeffress Jr. was born.
August 12, 2007: Jeffress was elected pastor of First Baptist Dallas
October 7, 2011: Jeffress provoked a national controversy when he introduced Rick Perry at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, DC, by suggesting that one of Perry's rivals, Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, is "opposed to Christianity." According to Jeffress, Romney's Mormonism contradicts the teachings of Jesus Christ
November 4, 2012: The Sunday before the 2012 election, Jeffress said that Barack Obama was "paving the way for the future reign of the Antichrist."
June 21, 2016: then-candidate Donald Trump named Jeffress as a member of Trump's Evangelical Advisory Board and White House Faith Initiative.
January 20, 2017: Jeffress preached the sermon at a private service at St. John's Episcopal Church, attended by President-elect Donald Trump the day before his inauguration
March 31, 2013: First Baptist Church's 3,000-seat pavilion, $130 million church campus officially opened for Easter Sunday worship.
Nov 7, 2020: Fox News posted an op-ed by Jeffress that said: "The Apostle Paul told us: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Romans 13:1).
Paul also told us to pray “for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Now, it’s always easier to submit and to pray for someone when he was our preferred candidate. But the rubber really meets the road when the person who takes office is not the one we supported. Paul didn’t give us any wiggle room — his command applies all the same, whether the emperor was the faith-friendly Constantine or the evil emperor Nero. Here is our chance to show that Christians are not hypocrites. We serve a God who remains on His throne, sovereignly reigning over every square inch of this vast universe. We serve a God who loves us and will never leave or forsake us. And now we have the chance to show the consistency and constancy/ of our Christian witness to this world. When Joe Biden becomes president, we should commend him for the things he does right. We should condemn the things he does wrong. And above all, we must pray fervently for our president.If President Biden succeeds, we all succeed. May God bless Joe Biden, and may God bless the United States of America." Sept 17, 2021: The Associated Press reported that Jeffress told them via email that “There is no credible religious argument against the vaccines. Christians who are troubled by the use of a fetal cell line for the testing of the vaccines would also have to abstain from the use of Tylenol, Pepto Bismol, Ibuprofen, and other products that used the same cell line if they are sincere in their objection.” |