President-elect Donald Trump has never visited Africa and is known to have made critical remarks about the continent. But as Christian leaders look to his inauguration this Monday, they see areas of common cause.
Since the November elections, many church leaders have followed Trump’s interactions, public statements and activities. When it comes to defending Christianity, religious freedom and resolving world conflicts, they like what they see.
The Rev. Lambert Mbela, a bishop of the Redeemed Gospel Church, said he plans to watch Trump’s second inauguration and said the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement, expected to begin Sunday with the first hostage exchange, is a good sign.
“I believe this (electoral victory) contributed to the peace deal,” he said. “I think he catalyzed it. My greatest expectation is that he is going to do something … that will change many things around the world.”
Nigerian Baptist pastor the Rev. Joseph John Hayab hopes Trump’s administration will support religious freedom and emphasize family values, as well as provide support for counterterrorism efforts against groups such as northern Nigeria’s Boko Haram and al-Shabaab, the Somalia based al-Qaida affiliate in East Africa.
Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. Give a gift of $50 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you can elect to receive a copy of “Safe Church: How to Guard Against Sexism and Abuse in Christian Communities’ by Dr. Andrew Bauman, click here.

“Many African churches hope that Trump will continue to champion religious freedom and support for Christians, especially in regions where they face persecution … ” said Hayab, a former chairperson of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the northern state of Kaduna.
He said Trump’s advocacy for traditional family values resonates with the view of many conservative communities in Africa.
“There might be hope for continued promotion of these values in U.S. foreign policy,” he said.
Hayab observed that conservative African churches have strong anti-abortion views and may align with Trump’s policies that restrict funding to organizations that provide or promote abortion services.
Backing this view is the Rev. John Gbemboyo Joseph Mbikoyezu, the coordinator of the Sudan Catholic Bishops Conference.
“He frequently spoke about abortion during his campaigns and promised to tackle the rampant killings,” said Mbikoyuzu. “Life is to be preserved and cared for, and these are values we stand for.”
In reality, Trump’s 2024 campaign opposed a federal abortion ban and omitted the explicit basis for a national ban in the Republican Party platform.
Still, how the U.S. addresses the issues of abortion and LGBTQ+ rights is of great concern to African clerics. Many of them reject homosexuality as contrary to Scripture and African cultures.
According to Tumi BB Senokoane, a professor of theological ethics at the University of South Africa, Trump is a conservative Christian; his views are conventional, and he has proven to be consistent as far as religion is concerned.
“His fundamental belief is that God should bless America, and this informs his world view. The blessings are based on American decisions and things such as abortion, homosexuality and domination,” he said.
Constitutions in various African countries ban abortion and homosexuality. In 2024, 30 of the 54 countries in Africa had laws banning homosexuality. Some reports indicate that 20 out of the 54 countries in Africa have recently loosened laws on abortion.
“We hope he will go against it all,” said Mbela, who fears that America has been forcing people to recognize the rights of minority groups, but also advancing “some very ungodly and satanic tendencies.”
Fredrick Nzwili is a journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya, and contributor to Religion News Service.
7 Responses
Hallelujah with Trump seeking Our LORD JESUS through HOLY SPIRIT. We’ll be in The 3rd Heaven. The saying is 7th heaven however Biblically I only know of 3 Heavens.
We here in TexSas cannot wait until POTUSDJT is publicly Recognized as POTUS again.
Long Live President Donald John Trump and FRAMILY
TRUTH TRiUMPhs Everytime
I look forward to my income taxes, grocery bills, and home-insurance rates going down and my household income going up. It will be such a relief when Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg get more of those income-tax breaks Trump gave them in 2017. And our Texas public schools will close down and school districts split up because the Republican-controlled state government doesn’t want to spend its billion-dollar surplus on teacher’ salaries. Praise the Lord and pass the private-Christian-schools expansion act!!
Hoping trump will support family values????
So divorced 3 times and chronic adulter is now ‘family values.’ Seems similar to abortion view with many on the right being ‘family values’ simlly means anti LGBT.
That comment mystified me too. I can’t think of any recent presidents whose lives have been as far from exhibiting “family values” as Trump.
“Hoping trump will support family values????”
Have comfort in the words of Paul, Romans 13 should put your concerns to rest.
I think it’s revealing when ‘professing Christians’ hoping on human leaders for changes they desire…
Jer 17:5..
This is what the LORD says:
“Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind,who makes mere flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD.”