A Job Description for Donald Trump’s Evangelical Advisory Board

Reminiscent of the 1980 remarks of Ronald Reagan to a group of evangelical pastors and leaders gathered at Reunion Arena in Dallas, Donald Trump has formed an evangelical “advisory board” which, according to his website, “represents Donald J. Trump’s endorsement of those diverse issues important to Evangelicals and other Christians, and his desire to have access to the wise counsel of such leaders as needed.” None of these leaders were required to endorse his candidacy although several of them unmistakably have already done that. The list of these leaders is as follows:

Michele Bachmann – Former Congresswoman
A.R. Bernard – Senior Pastor and CEO, Christian Cultural Center
Mark Burns – Pastor, Harvest Praise and Worship Center
Tim Clinton – President, American Association of Christian Counselors
Kenneth and Gloria Copeland – Founders, Kenneth Copeland Ministries
James Dobson – Author, Psychologist and Host, My Family Talk
Jerry Falwell, Jr. – President, Liberty University
Ronnie Floyd – Senior Pastor, Cross Church
Jentezen Franklin – Senior Pastor, Free Chapel
Jack Graham – Senior Pastor, Prestonwood Baptist Church
Harry Jackson – Senior Pastor, Hope Christian Church
Robert Jeffress – Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church of Dallas
David Jeremiah – Senior Pastor, Shadow Mountain Community Church
Richard Land – President, Southern Evangelical Seminary
James MacDonald – Founder and Senior Pastor, Harvest Bible Chapel
Johnnie Moore – Author, President of The KAIROS Company
Robert Morris – Senior Pastor, Gateway Church
Tom Mullins – Senior Pastor, Christ Fellowship­
Ralph Reed – Founder, Faith and Freedom Coalition
James Robison – Founder, Life OUTREACH International
Tony Suarez – Executive Vice President, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference
Jay Strack – President, Student Leadership University
Paula White – Senior Pastor, New Destiny Christian Center
Tom Winters – Attorney, Winters and King, Inc.
Sealy Yates – Attorney, Yates and Yates

I have advocated in numerous forums of the need for pastoral connection to our governing leaders. In theory, I have absolutely no problem with this direction of Mr. Trump. In fact, as critical as my analysis has at times been, this is actually a moment I can give some affirmation. It is a good “first step”. However, this is also a crossroads for these appointed leaders that needs to be handled with care and integrity because the larger Church is watching and counting on them to perform their biblically assigned task. Donald Trump may have appointed them for his purposes, but ultimately God has appointed them for His purposes. That reality makes this advisory board a weightier matter.

Please don’t be put off by any cynicism at this point. Politics by its very nature breeds cynicism and when accompanied by religious advisory boards it easily heightens the feelings. I sincerely want this advisory board to have some real teeth in their assignment. I want to remind them that they cannot be “window dressing” for a campaign but rather real “watchmen” for a nation. It was Charles Colson, advisor to President Nixon, who remarked in his biography how the White House was the greatest “home field advantage” for a politician and by simply inviting people into the Oval Office you could watch adversaries melt and opponents capitulate. That is my concern with boards such as this one. Will these leaders have the temerity to really “speak the truth in love” or will the trappings of power cause them to melt? Now is the moment for each of these leaders to renew their resolve before God to perform their calling from God and their responsibility to this nation.

I want to suggest FOUR (4) major responsibilities this board has unto the Lord beyond what Mr. Trump may seek from it.

1. A point of personal accountability.

The Scripture declares that when the righteous rule the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule the people groan (Proverbs 29:2). It will be their responsibility to provide accountability to Donald Trump to that end. We have been told by both Mr. Trump and numerous ministers that are closely related to him that he is a “believer”. Most everyone agrees that he is probably nascent in that commitment but it would require a structure of accountability that could help the nominee be successful in the eyes of God. I would suggest 4 subcommittees to provide appropriate accountability and help.

A. A Discipleship Committee

Where will he be attending church? Is he developing a prayer life and devotional time? What structure during his day has he implemented to keep his spirit right before God? Is he learning basic Christian principles? Are those principles being worked out in everyday life? What have been his successes and failures? Has he asked for forgiveness if he has wronged God or men? Is he exercising appropriate self-control with regards to his life? Is he seeking to commit any Scripture to memory?

B. A Biblical Worldview Committee

Christian people have a well defined worldview. Has Mr. Trump been trained and made aware of how the Bible relates and addresses numerous areas of civic concern? Are there worldview fallacies in his own life that need to be addressed and changed? Does he understand the general worldview of the founders of this nation and how the founding documents were greatly influenced by the Scripture and the prevailing Judeo-Christian ethos?

C. A Personal Character/Integrity Committee

It is no secret as to the character issues Donald Trump has left in his wake. Yes, everyone gets a second chance (some even use up 3rd, 4th, and 5th…), but lawlessness is not a character trait of the believer. A person’s faith determines their lifestyle and business choices. Is he willing to be a Zacchaeus and make any appropriate restitution or appropriate acknowledgement of failure? Will someone be available to disciple him in appropriate language usage and gender interaction?

D. A Marriage/Family Committee

Is Donald Trump loving his wife and protecting that relationship from fracture and division? Are his eyes where they need to be and is he cultivating a godly relationship? What is he currently doing different today that is in direct contrast to what he was doing when his other relationships crashed? These and other appropriate Christian concerns which every man needs to answer and be accountable should be applied to a potential president.

2. A prophetic voice to the nominee.

Donald Trump needs to hear the voice of God. God certainly speaks in numerous ways to His people, but a civic official needs to hear the voice of God through the watchmen on the wall. This board cannot be Ahab’s 400 prophets who simply tell the king what he wants to hear. This board needs to be the voice of the plum-line and the standard of which the Lord commands. This board is not the political calculation room for the Christian interest group. Again, if we truly believe in the sovereignty of God then each board member was placed in this position for God’s interests not just the candidate’s.

3. Encourage the candidate in his obedience and successes.

No one likes to hear the constant stream of criticism. We all know that is especially true of Donald Trump (lest you find yourself on his Twitter account). There is an appropriate place to speak loudly as board members to the nation and in particular the Christian community when the candidate successfully obeys and pleases the Lord. We need to know when he is doing things right. We need to hear the exact story and not a “Christian spin”. If Donald Trump ultimately becomes God’s pick for this nation, then affirming any and all righteous moves is a legitimate task for this board.

4. Sounding the alarm if the candidate goes wayward.

This is the part the advisory board may not like. Some may not have even considered it. Greater access and visibility to a president demands greater responsibility to the Lord and His Church. Most Christians understand that Donald Trump, at best, is a work in progress. If his confession of faith is legitimate then it would be generally understood that there will be various sins and mistakes which the man will make. These, of course, cannot nor should be broadcast. The Bible is clear that “love covers a multitude of sins” (I Peter 4:8). However, this board’s discernment will be needed to know when to legitimately “cover” a man and when that gets twisted to become a “cover-up”. Egregious sin lurks in the darkness of men’s lives. This is where evil grows and consumes a nation. It will be their job to bring accountability to those potential moments by “sounding the alarm” in order that prayer and activation of the Church can take place. If not, they will compromise their own credibility to the call the Lord has placed upon them.

As I reflect on the list of participants on this advisory board there is a glimmer of hope that perhaps something spiritually substantive can ultimately take place IF these leaders seize the moment God has ordained them to. For me, this advisory board does not deter my commitment to another direction in my vote because I simply believe a more biblical direction is needed. That being said, it is a good first step at providing a possible template for all political candidates to implement to provide true credibility with the evangelical community. Donald Trump may have gathered this board as a political calculation, but the Lord may have gathered it for Donald Trump’s consecration. Let’s hope that these leaders can accomplish that needed work.