Make America Great Again Dallas Baptist Choir Freedom Sunday

DALLAS (BP) — Saying "information technology's good to be back in church," Vice President Mike Pence headlined an annual patriotic service Sunday (June 28) at First Baptist Church building of Dallas, touting the accomplishments of the Trump administration, urging the congregation to "practice prayer in a renewed way," and briefly sharing his personal testimony.

"Celebrate Liberty Sunday" included a medley of patriotic music, chants of "UsaA.," flags waving and a thirty-minute speech by the vice president. Robert Jeffress, pastor of Beginning Baptist Dallas, said the effect, held each year around July 4 to gloat the nation's independence, was non a campaign rally.

"Anybody who would categorize this as a campaign rally," Jeffress told Baptist Press, "I would just say I've never seen a campaign rally where there was a programme of salvation given, and a prayer of salvation offered for those who wanted to trust in Christ."

Jeffress estimated about 2,200 worshipers attended the service. He said virtually 535,000 viewed the result online.

"Nosotros have been overwhelmed with positive responses from people who were blessed by the service," said Jeffress, who told Baptist Press more than than 1,000 online viewers fabricated professions of faith in Christ, based on responses received electronically during the service.

Jeffress said an boilerplate of 500 salvations are recorded weekly online during Beginning Baptist Dallas' services, and that nigh 20,000 professions of organized religion have been registered from viewers worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jeffress said for precautionary reasons, in-person attendance in the sanctuary was limited to 70 percent of capacity and about half of the choir populated the choir loft. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that many people wore masks and that some churchgoers were shunted to an overflow room. The Dallas Morning News reported the choir wore masks when not singing.

"Nosotros take the threat of the pandemic very seriously," Jeffress said.

The vice president's appearance at First Baptist Dallas was amidst several events Pence is headlining on a swing billed as the "Faith in America" bout. Ben Carson, U.S. secretary of housing and urban development, as well spoke briefly at the service.

While in Texas, Pence besides met with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Sen. John Cornyn and medical experts to discuss the global COVID-19 pandemic. The land has recently experienced a dramatic surge in positive tests for the coronavirus, leading Abbott to scale back some aspects of reopening, including shutting down bars again and again reducing restaurant capacity to 50 percent. Co-ordinate to the Johns Hopkins coronavirus tracker, the pandemic had caused deaths of more than 2,400 in Texas as of Mon (June 29).

Noting Pence'south visit to Get-go Baptist Dallas had "been scheduled for more than than a year," Jeffress chosen media reports describing the service equally a campaign rally "gross ignorance and an absolute attempt to misstate the facts."

Jeffress, an evangelical advisor to and outspoken defender of President Trump, and Pence both spoke of Trump's priorities and accomplishments during his term as the nation's 45th president. Jeffress encouraged Pence to run in 2024.

"Mr. Vice President, there are millions of Christians in this land, just like me, who are hoping and we are praying, that when y'all take finished your term every bit vice president in 2024, that you don't movement," Jeffress said to widespread adulation. "We are praying that when you have finished your term in 2024, we don't want you moving out of the west fly, we just want you to move down the hall a few doors and continue to build on the legacy of the most faith-friendly president in history."

Pence opened his remarks with the exhortation that, "The Bible tells us information technology was for freedom that Christ ready us costless." He besides said he believed "more than than ever … nosotros stand in the need of prayer." He encouraged listeners: "As you celebrate freedom in this coming week, practice prayer in a renewed style." The vice president closed by sharing how he came to faith in Christ at a contemporary Christian music concert.

He besides chosen Trump "a neat champion of everything nosotros celebrate here this forenoon, and … a neat champion of people of faith."

"I'chiliad proud to report to yous as your vice president, that from the first days of this assistants, that's exactly what President Donald Trump has been doing — protecting, defending and celebrating freedom of every American of every race and creed and color," Pence said.

Pence praised Trump for advancing the U.S. economy, promoting religious freedom at home and abroad, protecting the sanctity of human life, appointing 200 bourgeois federal judges to courts beyond the nation, rebuilding the U.South. military, supporting Israel and having helped secure the release of American pastor Andrew Brunson from a prison house in Turkey.

Pence besides commended Republican politicians including Abbott and Texas U.S. senators Cornyn and Ted Cruz.

"With this governor and this president, we'll bring Texas and America back bigger and better than ever earlier," Pence said.

The vice president decried the death of George Floyd while in custody of Minneapolis police, saying "there's no excuse" for his expiry "and justice volition be served."

"There's also no excuse for the rioting, looting and violence that ensued," Pence continued. "Burning churches is not protest. Tearing down statues is not free speech. There volition be no tolerance for vandalism or violence in the United States, and we will prosecute those who exercise it to the fullest extent of the law. That's how we defend liberty."

Several times, Pence said these are "challenging times." He encouraged churchgoers to "hold fast to freedom. But let's also hold fast to … faith."

"I believe with all my heart," Pence said, "on this Celebrate Freedom Sunday and every day, that if we will but concord fast to Him, nosotros'll see our way through these challenging times, we will restore our nation'southward wellness, we will renew our liberty, and we volition inspire people across this land with our witness of the love and compassion and strength that comes in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ."

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Source: https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/vice-president-speaks-during-first-baptist-dallas-annual-patriotic-celebrate-freedom-sunday-service/