When U.S. President Donald Trump called Christianity Today a “left-wing rag” in December 2019, he was responding to an editorial by Mark Galli titled “Trump Should Be Removed from Office.” Trump fired back, claiming, “I have done more for the evangelical community than any other president.”
While he never said the satirical line from The Babylon Bee — “Trump: ‘I Have Done More for Christianity than Jesus’” — some supporters took his rhetoric to heart. For them, Trump was a divine appointee, akin to John the Baptist, “a man sent from God.”
Vonnie James
One such supporter, Dave Schreiber, tweeted in 2018: “There’s so much to be thankful for regarding our POTUS Trump! I truly believe this man was heaven sent to save and protect the most gracious, benevolent, and in turn, prosperous country ever. God bless him and his family.” Trump retweeted it, fueling the narrative.
This raises a critical question for the global church: Have evangelicals — in the United States, the Caribbean and beyond — shifted from valuing biblical leadership rooted in character to embracing a results-driven model more akin to corporate success than Christ’s kingdom?
As a Grenadian pastor with the Grenada Baptist Association, I see this trend as a mix of religious nationalism and poor theology. The church increasingly says, “We don’t care who you are, as long as you get the job done.”
“The church increasingly says, ‘We don’t care who you are, as long as you get the job done.’”
Let’s be clear: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and grace is real. Yet Scripture holds leaders to a higher bar.
James 3:1 cautions, “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” In Grenada and the Caribbean, becoming a marriage officer or ordained minister demands character scrutiny. Many denominations, including Baptists, deny ordination over divorce or past sexual misconduct, citing 1 Timothy 3:2-7, which requires overseers to be “above reproach.”
The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith echoes this, insisting church officers be “of good report” and “blameless.” As a pastor, I was vetted for deacon ministry, pastoral ministry, seminary, ordination, marriage officer license, justice of the peace and confidential work on boards and committees. I could not get away with any of Donald Trump’s behaviors — nor should I. Each step demanded integrity, accountability and a life aligned with biblical standards.
Yet, evangelical practice often diverges. In the U.S., Trump’s policies — like appointing conservative Supreme Court justices or signing the “Executive Order on Advancing International Religious Freedom” — earned him 76% support from white evangelicals, despite personal failings. Galli argued this support ignored Trump’s divisiveness and dishonesty.
In Grenada, I’ve heard similar sentiments: “Boy, this pastor’s not easy, you know… but he gets things done.” It’s a pragmatic shift from shepherd to CEO.
This isn’t just a Western or Caribbean issue — it’s global. In Nigeria, prosperity gospel preachers promise results while dodging accountability, as Chika Okwu notes in Prosperity Gospel in Nigeria: Faith or Fraud?
In Brazil back then, evangelicals backed Jair Bolsonaro for political wins, often overlooking moral lapses, per Leonardo Alves in “Evangelicals and Bolsonaro: A Brazilian Case Study.”
“The church risks losing its prophetic edge when it prioritizes outcomes over sanctification.”
The church risks losing its prophetic edge when it prioritizes outcomes over sanctification.
Take Trump’s “heaven-sent” claim some years ago. Supporters cite his religious liberty stance, but Scripture tests leaders by fruit, not fanfare: “By their fruit you will recognize them.” John the Baptist pointed to Christ, not himself, unlike Trump’s self-focused narrative. In the Caribbean, pastors who “get things done” — building churches, securing funds — often escape scrutiny if results shine. But our Baptist roots demand more. The 1689 Confession calls for integrity. Why excuse breaches when outcomes align with our goals?
The church must reclaim biblical leadership. This isn’t about perfection — none qualify — but consistency. If we vet pastors and marriage officers for character, as I was vetted, we must do the same for political and spiritual leaders, regardless of deliverables. Grenada’s churches, like those in Nigeria, Brazil or the U.S. face a choice: mirror the world’s results obsession or reflect Christ’s holiness.
Trump’s rhetoric, and evangelical reactions to it, are a wake-up call. Beyond the noise lies a challenge: How soon will we hold leaders accountable? The answer isn’t in political loyalty or pragmatic gains, but in Scripture.
Paul told Timothy, “Keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” That’s the leadership we need — yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Vonnie Elisha James is a public theologian and faith-based consultant in Grenada, Caribbean. He mixes faith with intellect and theology with journalism to address social, political and theological issues.
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