Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian
Sports and Religion
I Quit My Church Because of Trump

I Quit My Church Because of Trump

Last updated on: February 28, 2025 at 4:04 pm by Jim Meisner Jr.

0 Comments

I Quit My Church Because of Trump 2025-02-28T16:04:24-05:00 Jim Meisner Jr.

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I quit my church because of Donald Trump and stepped down from the pulpit. After four years of being the pastor of a loving and supportive church, I dropped a bombshell. On the last Sunday of 2024, I ended my sermon by saying it was my last, and that I had a replacement lined up for the following week.

I quit my church because of Trump - a picture of my church

I told my congregation that I no longer felt called there. Which is true. What I didn’t share was that in the wake of the presidential election, given the new political climate, I could no longer walk beside them spiritually – we are simply too far apart politically.

I sought advice from many people.

I traveled to Duke Divinity School and met with Bishop Will Wilimon, one of the most prophetic Protestant preachers of the last century.

I spoke with Adam Russell Taylor, president of Sojourners and author of A More Perfect Union: A New Vision for Building the Beloved Community. Adam and I were seminary classmates.

My best friend from seminary felt God put me in that place for a reason. But by the end of our conversation, he agreed it was time for me to leave.

I’m not leaving to pastor another church, I told them, and I’m not moving away for another job (not yet, anyway.)

If I had given the congregation more notice, it would have only drawn out the inevitable – I was leaving. I didn’t want a going away party, and so I quickly ripped off the bandage and departed.

I don’t feel called to be their pastor, and since I don’t desperately need the money, I was able to step down. Many pastors don’t have this luxury – mortgages and car payments trap them in unhealthy situations.

Pastors and congregations suffer when the pastor stays in the building long after the Holy Spirit has left.

I shared these thoughts with them:

Politicians tell us that Spanish speaking people from Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala, or Mexico are streaming into the United States – massive migrations, especially around election time – streaming into the United States, to take our tax dollars and get stuff for free. That’s what the politicians say, that’s what people say online. Donald Trump said that immigrants were eating people’s pets. Immigrants eating people’s cats and dogs. Donald Trump was lying, of course. Immigrants don’t eat people’s dogs and cats. Repeat the lie often enough, and the truth will get drowned out.

Politicians and cable news lie about immigrants, and they want us to believe the lies. Believe the lies, not what we see with our own eyes.

And what do we see with our own eyes? Spanish speaking men climbing all over this roof, working hard and fast and doing a good job, for an employer who trusts them and whom we trust to do the work well and at the quoted price.

What do we see with our own eyes? Spanish speaking neighbors and their kids passing us in the aisle at Walmart – mothers and children. Families. Just like ours.

What do we see with our own eyes? Families sitting quietly, eating at another table across the restaurant. Families, just like ours. Our neighbors.

Politicians and cable news tell us to fear these people, our neighbors. And I just can’t do that, because the Bible says to love them. Jesus says to love them.

In the coming months and throughout 2025, Present Trump intends to spend billions of our tax dollars to arrest and deport our neighbors who don’t have the proper paperwork. Six months from now, the men who installed our new roof could all be deported to other countries, along with their wives and children. Their children, born here in Virginia, in the United States, may be deported to foreign countries they’ve never been to. Never even heard of.

Some of our neighbors are not looking forward to 2025.

I left my church just before Trump took office because I realized that if law enforcement came to arrest our neighbors who replaced our roof, rather than offer sanctuary, my congregation would hold the door open.

Half of the nation’s Christians agree with them.

American Christianity is badly broken and in desperate need of Jesus.

You can support my online ministry by shopping for books at Bookshop.org, where I’ll receive a commission. Thanks for your support.

Faith on the Fringe

For more from Jim, follow these links:

The Clark Doll Study Documenting the Damage of Segregation

Do Christians Need to be Reminded that Racism is Immoral?

Notes from a Sermon: Mark 7: 24-37

Pastor Jim Meisner, Jr. is the author of the novel Faith, Hope, and Baseball,** available on Amazon, or follow this link to order an autographed copy. He created and manages the Facebook page Faith on the Fringe.

General Christian

Politics and Religion

Careers, Workplace and Religion

Previous Post

February 7, 2025

Republicans aren’t Christian: They're Christofascists

Next Post

March 12, 2025 How do Christians respond to Donald Trump?

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"Jim Meisner reveals in this article his support for the likes of the heartless Biden ..."

notpc

Woody Guthrie’s Deportee

"Your reply to my earlier post suggests that you yourself do not know the Bible ..."

notpc

The Christian Response to Trump

"Jim Meisner is clearly blinded by hate that comes from the far Left propaganda lies ..."

notpc

The Christian Response to Trump

"I suggest you ask Jesus (the teacher, Matthew 23:8-10) to give you the understanding of ..."

notpc

The Christian Response to Trump

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Celtic spirituality Christmas Civil Rights culture Easter Faith images in the news Prayer Quote Scripture Uncategorized vocational ministry Writing

Select a Month August 2026 July 2026 May 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 July 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 July 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 October 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who said, "The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand’"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Solomon David Isaiah Moses