A religious row has erupted among conservative Christians over President Donald Trump’s decision to re-appoint Paula White-Cain to run the White House Faith Office, with theological fissures erupting within Trump’s Christian coalition as leaders stake out different positions on the Florida pastor.
The debate escalated last Tuesday, when Doug Wilson, an influential Reformed pastor who has emerged as an oft-cited religious thinker in conservative circles, derided White-Cain, a Pentecostal pastor, on his podcast. While responding to others on his show who were critiquing White-Cain, the Idaho pastor referred to her appointment as “a bad pick for all kinds of reasons.”
In a separate interview with media on Thursday, Wilson said he hails from a “conservative Christian quadrant that objects to women preachers in the first place,” and described White-Cain as an “erratic woman preacher who has been all over the map.”
He went on to describe White-Cain, long regarded as Trump’s closest religious adviser, as “the kind of person that embarrassing video footage can be rolled out almost at will.
“It’s not the greatest pick in the world,” he added.
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The remarks are the latest in a back-and-forth that began shortly after Trump announced earlier this month that White-Cain would once again be heading his Faith Office, a reveal that concluded a week of faith-themed appearances featuring the president and the vice president. While White-Cain’s appointment was widely expected — she served in the same position near the tail-end of Trump’s first term — news of her return to the White House sparked blowback in some conservative Christian online spaces.
Unlike critiques from Trump and White-Cain’s numerous liberal detractors, the latest round of criticism has pitted prominent Pentecostal and charismatic Christians such as White-Cain, who have made up an important part of Trump’s evangelical Christian base, against a cadre of conservative Calvinists — including a subset influential among some of Trump’s advisers and cabinet members.
Matthew Taylor, a scholar at the Institute for Islamic, Christian and Jewish Studies who has studied the influence of charismatic Christianity on Trump, said the broader evangelical discomfort with Pentecostalism — traditions that engage in practices such as prophecies, faith healing and speaking in tongues — has been around for some time.
During Trump’s first campaign and term in office, Taylor said, it was moderate evangelicals such as Russell Moore, then a Southern Baptist, who voiced their disapproval of White-Cain as well as Trump himself.
But this time the fight is more of a “sibling rivalry” between different factions of the “Christian far-right,” Taylor said, with Calvinists such as Wilson becoming power players over the past four years, alongside stridently conservative forms of Catholicism that have garnered favor with Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert.
“Paula White and her circle truly dominate the Trump advisory circles, the evangelical advisory circles,” he said. “Now you have these kind of natalist, radical traditionalist Catholics that see an avenue to power through JD Vance, and you see these kind of Reconstructionist Calvinist-types who see an avenue through Pete Hegseth and maybe Russ Vought. So now there’s real power and policy in play.”
Efforts to reach White-Cain for comment were unsuccessful, but the criticism quickly spurred her supporters — particularly people who, like White-Cain, operate in Pentecostal and Charismatic traditions, as well as preach a prosperity gospel, or wealth-focused, theology — to publish video testimonials in her defense.
“What was the date that it became okay, in the body of Christ, all of a sudden, to trash people by name that you’ve never met?” said Jonathan Shuttlesworth, a Pentecostal pastor of Revival Today Church, who was among the first to rush to her defense, in a video posted to X. The pastor, whose church meets in both Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and in Texas, is seen as ascendant among Trump’s religious advisers, posting on Friday that he was traveling to the White House to “discuss and write national policy for religious freedom.”
My thoughts on Paula White being appointed by President Trump to the first ever White House Faith Office. pic.twitter.com/1o3GhHu5Pn
— Jonathan Shuttlesworth (@JDShuttlesworth) February 9, 2025
In his video about White-Cain, Shuttlesworth said many of her critics were “Calvinists who believe in God’s sovereignty.”
“So God made a mistake this time? I thought God knows what he’s doing and God has everything planned and we just accept what he planned. Don’t you teach that?”
Shuttlesworth later added, “maybe you’re just a jerk.”
Shuttlesworth was echoed by Lance Wallnau, a fellow charismatic Christian who prophesied Trump’s 2016 victory and hosted a campaign event featuring then-vice presidential candidate JD Vance during the 2024 campaign.
“I can’t believe all the people, mean-spirited people, upset with Trump for working with Paula White. What is up with these wackos?” Wallnau said in a Facebook Live video. “You know what it is? I think a lot of guys don’t like women preachers.”
In his interview with media, Wilson did not deny his opposition to women’s ordination but noted White-Cain’s appointment could be an example of Trump being “transactional.” The president, he argued, may have appointed White-Cain solely as an expression of gratitude for her long-running support, leaving her in charge of an office “he’s going to pay no attention to.”
However, Wilson said he would have preferred Trump appoint someone such as the Rev. Franklin Graham to the office, saying the president “could have done a lot better and shored up support among the more responsible, dissident-right types, as opposed to Jesus-wears-a-MAGA-hat kind of thing.”
Wilson, a self-described Christian nationalist whose profile grew during Trump’s time away from power, carries weight within Trump’s new administration. He co-founded a denomination that officially opposes women in combat and includes a church attended by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who has praised Wilson’s writings. Wilson, who appeared on programs last year hosted by Trump allies Tucker Carlson and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, has also spoken at events on Capitol Hill alongside Russell Vought, whom Trump appointed to run the Office of Management and Budget.
Vought was referenced on Wilson’s podcast this week by author Joe Rigney, an associate pastor at Christ Church, Wilson’s congregation. Rigney called the choice of White-Cain a “whiff” by the Trump administration but celebrated the selection of Vought, who is widely credited as the architect of Project 2025, a sweeping conservative plan for changing the federal government that has largely overlapped with Trump’s actions during his first month in office.
“Would I rather have someone with Paula White’s theology in Russ Vought’s job or would I rather have him” in the OMB, Rigney said. “And it’s like, ‘Him, because he’s actually going to do the things I want.’”
Rigney’s comments come after a week of defending Vought from criticism from alumni of Wheaton College, an evangelical school and Vought’s alma mater. When the school retracted a statement celebrating Vought’s confirmation as OMB secretary after alumni published a public letter voicing outrage, Rigney called the move “a case study in how supposedly conservative Christian organizations are hijacked and steered by the Left,” and has since championed a separate letter by conservative Wheaton alumni criticizing the school.
Asked whether he considers Vought a theological ally, Wilson said he doesn’t know enough about his personal beliefs “to pronounce on it,” but said “I would guess that we’d be on a similar page.”
Wilson insists he is “not in the mix” when it comes to power players in Washington. Although he told media in an email shortly after Hegseth was confirmed that he was “very grateful” the former Fox News host was now tasked with running the U.S. military, Wilson explained on Thursday his only direct connection to the secretary of Defense is that he “knows people who know him.”
He also was willing to criticize Trump associates other than White-Cain. While he celebrated Elon Musk’s efforts to rapidly and dramatically reduce the size of the federal government, for instance, he said he hoped someone would “explain the gospel to him,” lamenting that Musk has had a number of children with women out of wedlock, which Wilson described as a “serial harem of concubines.”
Even so, the debate over White-Cain appears to have done little to dent support for Trump overall among Wilson and his supporters. Asked how he felt about the first month of Trump’s second term, Wilson was jubilant.
“It’s been Christmas every morning,” he said.
Jack Jenkins is an award-winning journalist and national reporter for the Religion News Service.
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55 Responses
….could we just back up and talk about the fact that there even is a “White House Faith Office” and how problematic that is? Or is that just so obvious to anyone else not in the MAGA cult that it doesn’t bear mentioning?
Right Nathan. This is a very slippery slope. Many people misquote the 1st amendment from which we derive Separation of Church and State. The government hasn’t necessarily established a religion with this office, but this is a step in that direction. Also the video of the fellow name calling was a bit disturbing for me. Isn’t he doing the same thing as those he criticizes? The Bible has a lot to say about sowing discord and I believe a lot of “believers” will answer for that one day. There’s a way to point out sin without calling names.
We MUST remember that when Ahasuerus placed Vashti his queen aside for not participating in crude vulgar “body ascension” performance in front of the public and chose a virgin Esther to be his queen after spending a night with her and a night with each of many young women, that YHWH is fighting for His Land, His People, and His Covenant of His shed blood on Calvary’s Tree – King Ahasuerus was not a minister of the Full Gospel of Yahshua haMashiach, nor is President Trump – but the Government rests upon His, Yahshua’s, Shoulder! Isaiah chapter 9. For Him only, we have Hope that He will continue His work: To have a people for Him Self. And then He will take His Eternal Rest in HIs Land, Beulah, with His Bride: Hephzibah! His delight is in her, us. May we be found Faithful when He returns, soon.
We MUST remember that God, at times, seems silent, but HE IS ALWAYS AT WORK.
We MUST remember that the same evil people, who seem to have power, might end up on the very gallows they built to harm others.
God is not “fighting for His Land, His People, and His Covenant of His shed blood on Calvary’s Tree.” God can change circumstances by merely giving someone insomnia, we cannot. What are we fighting for is the revelation, the question, the test.
Yes!, brother and sister, may we be found faithful. May we also be found NOT muddling scripture with misinterpretations, insinuations, words and names.
Just like Esther risked her life to speak up against evil, may we have the same discernment, courage and conviction – come what may.
There are so many instances of Doug Wilson saying and publishing embarrassing things that it’s laughable that Wilson would say that about anyone else. He must have very different ideas about what is and isn’t embarrassing.
What “pick” did they really expect from a showman who would be at home in a playboy mansion? 🤔
That’s showbiz fellas.
Well, as far as Doug Wilson goes I guess a broken clock is right twice a day. I cringe that he is included in reformed theology and conservative circles. His brand gave rise to a feminist blowback that has haunted Christianity to this day.
Also in the news today regarding Paula White-Cain: “I’m challenging you to sow $133 for Proverbs 1:33. ‘But whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease without fear of harm.’ If you absolutely cannot join in sowing $133 for Proverbs 1:33, because I believe it’s so important to stand on God’s word, then sow your very best. As you sow a favor seed today of $52 or more, standing on Esther 5:2 ‘For she obtained favor in the king’s sight.’ This is an act of faith just like Queen Esther did in reaching out to touch the top of the king’s scepter in faith in Esther Chapter 5:2. It’s the chief place. It’s the same thing as touching Jesus. Touch the top and maybe you can stand with me and give a sacrificial offering to stand with Paula White Ministry. I need you right now and that sacrificial offering of $414 for Esther 4:14. ‘For if you remain silent at the time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?’ God can open it up just like that! He can give you more than what you’ve asked for. Whatever you can give, do so.” ~ Paula White-Cain
See link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VejzsRNaeI
Paula White is obviously not on her game. She should have picked Psalm 119:176 and got the price of sowing a seed up to $119,176.
Paula White, ye of little faith. Why did you not claim Psalm 119:176, so your followers could sow a gift of $119,176? You are like the servant who hid their talent in the ground, afraid of the master’s stern ways.
Exactly—Prosperity Heresy, as I call it, at its “finest.” Thank you so much, David Craft, for so clearly exposing her heresy, and for the link.
SO disappointed she was appointed to this.
I believe you’ve gotten to the crux of the matter. A money changer is in the temple.
Is she the one that went on and on and on about angels leaving Africa to save the 2020 election?
My Protestant friends: What would you have said if Trump had chosen an Eastern Orthodox Christian (such as I) for that job? We don’t believe in total depravity or speaking incomprehensible, unknown languages during our services. We also teach the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of our Lord. Would such a nominee have brought you together?
I’m not on board so to speak with any of the above voices making pronouncements re Paula one side or the other EXCEPT it’s not unbiblical for a woman to be in ministry. That cane about thru a mistranslation/misinterpretation of Paul’s remarks re suffering a woman. He was talking in context to those who were part of a surrounding pagan culture that some had come out of who worshipped the Queen of Heaven – going by the name Diana in this case but having many other – Inanna, Isis, Asherah, Astarte, Ishtar, Eostre, etc. He was referring to a practice that the priestesses of Diana engaged in. I wouldn’t want Graham in the job either – he caved to the jab and whole covid scamdemic pushed by Ba’al’s government
Are there still people around who oppose the idea of women being able to preach and teach in the Church? “this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel (Peter said); “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy”” Acts 2:16-18
I’m not on either side of the White thing. But as far as the whole women in ministry thing goes it’s due to a misinterpretation of the context Paul was addressing, namely the surrounding culture of Diana worship wherein certain practices of her priestesses were what he had in mind. He laboured in ministry with women. Diana in one of the names of the principality also known as Inanna, Isis, Ishtar, Asherah, Ashtoreh, Astarte, Eostre, Lilith and more. When the RC religion mixed in the Roman paganism, making Mary the Queen of heaven, they were making worshiip of the queen “acceptable” but prophets like Jeremiah and Ezekiel railed against such. Graham is a bad choice for other reasons – he caved in and promoted the Ba’al govt agenda re the covid scamdemic, the jab, etc and thus influenced many to do so. As the present day “church” is Nicolaitan which Yeshua hates, the people fall into the Hebrews 5v12-14 camp
The fact that any Christian backed a man like Trump to begin with, is an indictment itself of the syate of the American church. Perhaps these separate factions should have actually followed Christ to begin with, rather than following Theology, healing & prophecy, or their preferred interpretation of scripture. Then they’d remember those verses where Christ prayed about UNITY in the church, before he sacrificed himself for our sins. Then they wouldn’t be spit of his mouth and laying in bed with a lifelong grifter, felon, lawless and immoral man who has no fear of God and has now referred to himself as our king. Only one King and it sure ain’t Scammer in chief. Maybe the church should return to Christ, the only true king.
During the apprentice years Paula invited Trump to her weekly show on TBN network & he actually accepted. Peoplw were appalled. After the show she actually began decipling him regularly and his family!
Thank God for her evangelistic heart!!
We would certainly rather see somebody besides Paula being this position but as Jesus said in Mark 9:40.. For he who is not against us is on our side.
After having Joe Biden openly worshiping Satan by promoting transgender and supporting transgender men harming women and wanting to kill as many babies as possible, it is extremely refreshing to have a president that even wants to have an offucial.office of Christian faith.
President Trump is growing as a young Christian and I’m confident has no idea that Paula is a pretty messy choice. She is somebody that has made her way to his side and what he sees is a woman who expresses that she loves Jesus, she loves God and wants to support the President
The “White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partners” was established in 2001 by George Bush.
It was supported and expanded by President Obama.
President Trump abandoned it for the first two years of his first term.
President Biden also supported it.
Now, Trump has shut it down, then re-established it as if he created it. He did not.
The one thing that is evident to me is that spiritually blind people (like Trump) need a White-Cain. It’s the universally recognized symbol that they’re blind.
They really do deserve each other, don’t they.
Your assertion is wrong. People surround themselves with, or gravitate to people that are like them. The nonsense we see all over Facebook, and X and even here that Trump is some kind of evil monster like Hitler and he wants to destroy the country is just liberal pearl-clutching turned up to 11. The Left are amoral, petulant children, and they are angry that they didn’t win and that Trump is gounding them and taking their toys away. That infuraites them and they will whine and pout and lash out about it for four years. At the end of those four years the country will still be here, and not much changed from how it is now except that the economy will be probably be more stable and some of the amoral wokeness will be rolled back. But only temporarily, I am sure because the country is spoiled and narcissistic. The point is, Trump is fairly self-centered and he wants people like Paula White-Cain because she is part of the show. She is useful to him and that is as far as it goes. To put some giant spiritual spin on it is folly because it’s simply the way the secular world works. Worldly people act worldly. They don’t know any different.
“The Left are amoral, petulant children, and they are angry that they didn’t win and that Trump is gounding them and taking their toys away.”
Replace “left” with “right” and “Trump” with “Biden”, and the same statement can be made about 2020. These implications that “only one side does it” is a huge reason we keep going round and round, pointing fingers as the pendulum swings back and forth (because as history has shown, it WILL swing back the other way again at some point).
“Worldly people act worldly.” TRUTH. Worldly people don’t know better and should not be expected to do better than what they know. The problem we have within the church is that we don’t recognize sinful, worldly behaviors, words and actions when they come from within our fellowship, or from those we support, prefer, and/or voted for. Or worse, we deny it or wrap it up in “whataboutisms”, deflections and subjective morality (“at least it’s not as bad as…”) instead of doing what we are called to do in scripture: confront it and call it out as the destructive sin it is, NO MATTER WHO DOES IT.
Marin Heiskell, You would have a point, if it were not a proven fact that the Left is berift of any kind of fixed values. You are pointing out the political components. The argument here is completely from a spiritual standpoint. The Democrat party is 100% amoral. Period. So you cannot support that party, in any way, and still serve God. If you do, you are supporting every single amoral position that Democrats support, by default, or you would not vote for them. The Republican side is in no way as pure as the driven snow, but they do not support the same amoral things the Left does. So you can simply choose not to vote for them as well, if your conscience will not allow you to. Trump was a Liberal right up to 5 minutes before he decided to run for president. By he is a moderate in operation in the White House on most issues. Yes, we should call out wrong-doing wherever we see it. Hence, the problem. I see many people, right here on RR constantly hinting that Trump is some kind of evil monster. But those same people where completely silent as Biden pushed wholesale abortion harder than anyone else in the WH ever has and while Kamala was spouting CRT and transgender rights when she wasn’t hiding in the basement. Sliding scale values are the problem here.
Paula White is buddies with Kenneth Copeland. Their gospel is the prosperity gospel in direct opposition to our Lord Jesus. Justin Peters has an excellent video exposing Paula White and those that promote their heretical “gospel.” How about an interview with Justin Peters!!
I may know President Trump could have picked a better woman or man of God to head up his Faith Office. But his friendship with P. White Cane and the fact she has rented for 20 years in Trump Towers I’m sure worked in her favor. I’m curious if she gets paid for this position or Trump just sends $133 every month…..lol
Tucker Carlson would be just as good, at least we know he believes in God, is a great person with sometimes colorful language, just like Trump.
Bottle Line:
Rather We Like It or Not It’s Better Than What We Had With Obama/Biden!
Tucker “America is getting too brown”, “Immigrants make this place dirtier” Carlson? No thanks. He is little more than a xenophobic, Christian nationalist. But I pray he comes to realize that God created all of us and see value in all of us, not just white Americans.
And we have to stop with subjective morality: wrong is wrong, whether it’s Trump/Vance or Obama/Biden. “At least it’s better than…” thinking will put us on a very slippery slope. Even more slippery than the one we are already one.
I agree with the previous commenter. I’ve heard that sort of thing for so long and it’s pathetic she’s still at it, but has to make the money come in somehow. I’ve said this before, I will never get over her bowing to Rev. Moon’s widow and calling her “Mother Moon”. Nix on Franklin Graham. He has a very close relationship with Greta Van Susteren and her husband. They are Church of Scientology. I’ve heard it is one of their objectives to get close to people and turn them. Also, Franklin was in the same type of situation as Jimmy Evans, putting pressure on a woman to take her husbands extreme abuse because Franklin’s ministry had deep public ties to her husband. Yes, I do wonder why he needs this group. What exactly do they do? hmm. Who there can be trusted? I have heard there are some bad players. I see Joni Lamb and her messed up new husband. Can’t trust them, altho not sure they are in the faith group mentioned. Oh boy.
Paula White Cain is deeply connected to the NAR–New Apostolic Reformation, a troubling and controversial organization taking hold across the country. The Roys Report has covered the NAR in previous articles, but my main concern about Paula White is that she espouses NAR’s dominionism theology that re-establishes the hierarchical positions of apostles and prophets within church governing systems. These apostles and prophets are not accountable to their congregants and create a climate that’s ripe for all kinds of power abuse that cause immeasurable harm to their flock and mock God’s character. The proaperity goapel that Paula White Cain promotes is no gospel, but a slick con job wrapped in cut-and-paste scraps of biblical sounding sales language. She and others connected to the NAR are all about amassing enormous amounts of influence and money. Beware the shiny counterfeit!
Real simple, here are the disqualifiers:
1. Paula White is a prosperity preacher, a biblical no go.
2. A woman preacher having authority over men, a biblical no go.
3. Her marriage/ marital affairs record, a biblical no go.
4. Replace her and this presidency will do much better.
A very useful consideration and mapping of the “Christianity” surrounding Trump. A mapping I’m likely to return to across the next four years, as I try to understand what is taking place around Trump and his communications and actions and regime team.
The photograph at the top of this article, has me thinking about how Trump is experiencing being embraced (or not) by various individuals and groups within the Christian denominational diaspora. He appears in the photograph to be being affirmed by how he is being seen by particular Christian individuals and groupings. Drinking it in, being resolved by it all.
That then a crucial plane in the Trump-“Christian” relation. The hyper personal (for Trump) plane. That in addition to the ideological-political and electoral planes we tend to focus on. Then the power plane the article touches on. Not forgetting the theological and faith planes central to Christianity.
A thought or fear lurking at the back of my mind, is that while Trump embodies much to turn away from, his eccentricity is also a holding-the-centre force in the chaos he brings about. What if he dies in office, and Vance inherits the Presidency? My sense, or maybe just fear, is that something much worse than Trump could then emerge, and take very dangerous steps into an unknown future.
According to Pr6:16-19, Trump has an abominable character:Haughty,liar,schemer,slanderer(murder by tongue), divider. His faith based counselors are health,wealth,prosperity gospel, which is NO GOSPEL, and fit his self serving character, although he brought useful moral reforms. Beware America, and beware christians, and examine yourself those who think there is no harm in that kind of Baal counselors, stimulating emperor (Trump) worship. Only one is Lord.
I am just intrigued so many think Trump actually takes advice from faith leaders! 🤣😅 he certainly won’t listen to someone who’d confront him, were he wrong; so I seriously don’t care. This is what Americans voted for! 😂
Both Wilson and White-Cain have some glaringly unbiblical teachings.
Wilson needs to get the beam out of his eye before he attempts to remove the splinter from White-Cain’s eye.
“What was the date that it became okay, in the body of Christ, all of a sudden, to trash people by name that you’ve never met?” said Jonathan Shuttlesworth, a Pentecostal pastor of Revival Today Church, who was among the first to rush to her defense…
If you’re honest about the church, you know it has always been that way. From earliest years in a Pentecostal pastor’s home I overheard the conversations and endured the gossip — someone was always trashing someone else. And the pastor was never pleasing most of the power-brokers, who hired him to do everything from mowing the lawn to preaching.
Further, we could give multiple examples of how people of other churches are viewed as enemies–or at least not ‘real Christians’.
The Trump administration is basically a conglomerate of power-mongers and grifters. Today’s church fits it like a glove. I’m here to see it all implode. History is replete with examples.
Isn’t she the one who “saw” angels leaving Africa to correct the 2020 election results?
Her numbers are too small. See Revelation 5:11. “. . . Ten thousand times ten thousand . . .” Now there’s real money!
Richard, the problem is, there is no way to get those angels to phone in seed money. She has to work the rank and file to get that gelt. And she works it every day.