Trump Brings Message of Faith, Unity to Black Church
Donald Trump addressed Great Faith Ministries International, a predominately black church, in Detroit on Saturday. He delivered a focused message on unity and the importance of faith in healing a divided nation.
The Republican nominee was greeted warmly by congregants. Although he is not wildly popular among their voting bloc, his message resonated with the faith community.
"For centuries, the African American church has been the conscience of our country," Trump told the congregation.
"I will always support your church — always — and defend your right to worship," he added. "I hope my presence here will also help your voice to reach new audiences in our country and many of these audiences desperately need your spirit and your thought."
Click play to watch Trump's address.
Trump sympathized with the group, telling them that he wants a country that ensures a right for everyone to a great education and to live in safety and peace.
"I fully understand that the African-American community has suffered from discrimination and there are many wrongs that should be made right," he said.
Trump's visit comes shortly after hiring former Apprentice star Omarosa Manigault as the director of African-American outreach with the hopes of securing the minority vote. Trump was also joined by former Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson.
"Today, I just want to let you know I am here to listen to you and I am doing that," Trump said, adding that as a leader he wants to "step into the community and learn what is going on."
The billionaire mogul did just that as he swayed quietly while the church choir sang "What a Mighty God We Serve." Later he was donned with a prayer shawl by the church's pastor, Bishop Wayne Jackson, and given a Jewish Heritage Study Bible.
"This is a prayer shawl straight from Israel. Whenever you're flying from coast to coast -- I know you just came back from Mexico and you'll be flying from city to city -- there is an anointing. And anointing is the power of God," Jackson said. "It's going to be sometimes in your life that you're going to feel forsaken, you're going to feel down, but the anointing is going to lift you up. I prayed over this personally and I fasted over it, and I wanted to just put this on you."
Trump closed his speech by reading , 'No one has ever seen God but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.' And that's so true," he said.
Some of the congregants walked away loving Trump and others said they felt no differently about him.
Booker Sawyer III, a real estate agent, told ABC News he was pleased with what he saw.
"It's a blessing to have him here because we just want to hear -- be open to what he has to say," he said.
Carol Thomas told the news organization that she has been offended by the things he has said in the past, but that his visit was a "smart move."
"At least he can have somebody he can talk to, somebody that is on his level as far as economically, that he can see that all a black people are not so impoverished or we need so much help, because some people have arrived and helped themselves," she said.
Jacqueline Wilson, a cashier and a church member, was reluctant to give her political opinion but referred to the Bible when speaking on Trump.
"God says judge no man because you shall be judged," she said. "It's not about Democrat or Republican, it's about who has God's potential."
