WASHINGTON, D.C. – When President Trump launched the White House Faith Office, he fulfilled a promise on the campaign trail. Some see the move as the president seeking to make America prayerful again. In choosing its leaders, he called on two people, Paula White-Cain and Jenny Korn, whom he has known for many years.
When the president offered the opportunity, they both saw it as an offer they could not refuse. White-Cain, who serves as the senior adviser, explained it is an honor and a rare opportunity.
“I’ve been blessed 40 years in the ministry, and I said I would be wrong and maybe even a sin for me to miss the mark, if I didn’t fulfill this – I would try to make our nation what God established it to be and give the future an opportunity. Because without God and without faith, we are a lost people,” she said.
Korn, who serves as the faith director, says the White House Faith Office will help defend the freedom of religion in the United States. “People may say in America, you still have all your religious liberties, but I can tell you thousands of stories of where people of faith have been discriminated against and where religion has been diminished by the government. So when we have the opportunity to come to the White House, for America to be able to take on that mantle for other people of faith, to make sure that religious liberty and religious freedom are alive and well in America, there’s no way you can turn that down.”
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resident Trump clarified during his Inaugural Address that America needs religion and faith in God. He followed that with an executive order establishing the White House Faith Office. Its purpose is to assist faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship in their efforts to strengthen American families, promote work and self-sufficiency, and protect religious liberty.
Furthermore, it includes a task force to address anti-Christian bias and acts of discrimination, such as the growth of antisemitism displayed on college campuses. Attorney General Pam Bondi leads this task force and works with the Faith Office on this issue.
“You know, it will not be tolerated to spew hate and hurt to people,” she said. “And our office enforces that very strongly…to ensure there will be no bias, no discrimination, nothing hateful or hurtful against people.”
In recent weeks, the Trump administration took action against pro-Hamas and pro-Palestinian protesters who threatened Jewish students on the campus of Columbia University and Barnard College. The president also held Columbia leadership responsible, blocking $400 million in federal grants until they took action against the protests.
Korn said, “Those college presidents allowed Jewish students to feel afraid, to be tormented, to be discriminated against, to be spat at, to have vile violence against them.” She adds that the president made the difference. “President Trump comes in and says that’s not going to happen anymore.”
Beyond America, the White House Faith Office will seek to fight persecution of Christians throughout numerous countries. “We’re all trying to follow these, that 1-in-7 Christians around the world are persecuted. And so we know, we know the hot spots. We know the places. And we’re very much on this and working diligently to ensure that our government works with other governments and does what is necessary.”
The Faith Office has invited numerous faith leaders to the White House to meet and discuss issues and policies affecting faith communities nationwide. Some leaders have also met and prayed with the president in the Oval Office.
White-Cain says Trump takes time to pray with them often. “Absolutely often, or even without a briefing or meeting for me personally, a 24-year relationship. I feel led to pray, and I’ll say I can. I pray for you, sir. And he’s now grown accustomed to laying hands on him, praying over him, and praying the Word.”
White and Korn say the president has put faith offices throughout the departments of his entire administration. The main office operates in the West Wing of the White House. They say his goal is to see all Americans get beyond their differences and find common ground through the power of faith.
“He’s bringing everyone to the table. And that’s the same thing with people of faith. It doesn’t matter. We don’t ask, ‘Are you a Republican? Are you a Democrat?’ when we have meetings here at the White House, right. We want you to come in and have a voice. And the people who are rational thinking and want to get something done,” said Korn.
White-Cain and Korn say beyond their role as leaders of the White House Faith Office, they share a hope for America, that America was founded on godly principles. They say the nation should never shy away from that. They add the government cannot dictate religion, but it’s important to place value in the message that is inscribed on our money, which states: “In God we trust.”
