The pastor of one of the largest churches affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas did not outright endorse Ken Paxton in Sunday’s service but urged his congregation — with Paxton present — not to vote for the political party “leading our nation on a course and a trajectory of evil.”
Paxton was recognized but did not speak Sunday morning at Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas. He was welcomed by Lead Pastor Michael Gossett, who serves on the BGCT Executive Board and on a special task force about Cooperative Program giving to the BGCT and Southern Baptist Convention.
Green Acres will be the site of next year’s BGCT annual meeting.
Ken Paxton
“We are grateful today we have Ken Paxton worshiping with us this morning,” Gossett told the congregation. “We’re glad that you’re here, brother, to worship with us,” he added to thunderous applause.
Green Acres attracts about 4,500 worshipers on weekends.
The pastor said he had been contacted Friday night to ask if it would be OK for Paxton to attend the Sunday morning service. Tyler is located in East Texas in one of the reddest parts of the state.
With Democrat James Talarico ahead of Paxton in most polls, the Paxton campaign is seeking to turn out the conservative vote in less-urban areas where Republicans are strongest. Smith County is one such reliably Republican area, with about 73% of voters choosing Republican candidates in recent years.
While encouraging his congregation to get out and vote on Tuesday, Gossett extolled them toward “righteousness.”
He quoted Proverbs 14:34 to say, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” Then he added a line from Proverbs 29 to say, “When the righteous flourish, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule people groan.”
Christians should use their vote to “promote righteousness” and “lessen evil,” he said.
Although Paxton has been accused by members of his own party of being the most corrupt politician in Texas, that is not the kind of “evil” the pastor appeared to reference.
“There is one party in particular, they are building a platform based on a trajectory of evil.”
“This is not about a political agenda; this is about a spiritual agenda from God himself,” Gossett said.
Then he explained: “Let me just be clear about this. There is one party in particular, they are building a platform based on a trajectory of evil, and you and I have a responsibility that we are going to do everything that we can everything that we can to lessen evil. Why? Because we want to exalt the name that is above every name, the name by which you and I are saved. It is the King of Kings and it is the Lord of Lords; it is Jesus Christ himself.”
The pastor then called the congregation to prayer, where he said: “Heavenly Father, we ask, Lord, in the name of Jesus, Lord, we are asking, God, that you would help us to live lives of discernment and wisdom, promoting righteousness, God, promoting your law in the land. And, Father, we are asking in the name of Jesus, Lord, that you would revive us again, Father, that there would be revival in our nation, God, that there would be revival in our church.”
He then prayed for members of his congregation “as we make our way to vote that we would vote with you in mind, God, … so we could live out your kingdom values on earth as it is in heaven.”
And then he linked this prayer for righteous voting to congregational giving to the World Mission Offering.
Related:
Talarico appears at Black megachurch in Dallas
Jeffress calls Talarico ‘not a Christian’ and ‘evil’
Talarico pledges support for church-state separation
Paxton’s son-in-law prays for his victory over ‘kingdom of darkness’