Latest news with #KingJesusMinistry
Miami Herald
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
What is a ‘supernatural church?' Five things to know about a growing Christian branch
'Miracles happen here.' That's the slogan of one megachurch in southwest Miami-Dade County at the forefront of the fast-growing Christian 'supernatural' movement. It's an Evangelical offshoot, rooted in Pentecostalism, that leans far more heavily into revelations and prophecy than mainstream Christian churches and wields out-sized powerful political influence. That was evident last week at King Jesus Ministry, a nondenominational megachurch where President Donald Trump's top spiritual advisor, pastor Paula White-Cain, has been a visitor over the years. The church hosted a three-day spiritual conference called the 'Supernatural School of the Spirit,' where White-Cain and other visiting pastors preached and instructed crowds of followers and local faith leaders on how to 'walk in the supernatural.' King Jesus is just one of the largest South Florida churches steeped in the movement. Another Miami megachurch with a prominent Haitian-American congregation, Tabernacle of Glory, has credited its large following with its emphasis on the supernatural. The nondenominational church opened its $60 million campus in northern Miami-Dade County last year. At these churches, it's not uncommon to hear pastors talking about 'dominion' theologies or 'cosmic spiritual warfare.' Sometimes, they may speak in tongues or even perform a 'deliverance' or what most people know as an exorcism, to cast out demonic forces. Religious scholars say the branch springs from a movement called 'Independent charismatic Christianity' that gained momentum in the 1960s. Its followers, estimated to be in the millions in America, hold supernatural beliefs and goals of transforming secular society. They've built increasing influence in American politics, supporting candidacies of conservative leaders like President Donald Trump. 'Independent Charismatic leaders, who 20 years ago would have been mocked by mainstream religious right leaders, are now front-line captains in the American culture wars,' writes religious scholar Matthew Taylor, in his book 'The Violent Take it By Force.' The Miami Herald spoke to Taylor to discuss some of the themes and ideologies that are found in these churches and how they intersect with American political circles. 1. What is a supernatural church? This term is popular in charismatic Christian circles and might refer to a church where supernatural experiences — some not defined by logic or reason — take place. But the charismatic Christian world also is a 'diffuse' space, where many terms are interchangeable or sometimes defined differently from church to church, said Taylor. 'Sometimes charismatics will call themselves charismatic. Sometimes they'll say they're spirit-filled ... sometimes they'll just say they're Christians. Sometimes they'll call themselves Evangelicals,' said Taylor, a senior Christian scholar at the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies in Baltimore who spent 30 years of his life as an Evangelical Christian. 'To be charismatic is to seek after the more supernatural dimensions of Christianity ... and this is why they're constantly emphasizing prophecy, constantly emphasizing speaking in tongues and healings and miracles,' said Taylor. The term 'supernatural' is not new, and has been circulating for decades within the charismatic Christian movement. There's an entire Christian media network, for example, led by charismatic leader Sid Roth called 'It's Supernatural! that has been around for decades, said Taylor. Believers will appear on the network to tell stories about the miracles they've witnessed. READ MORE: Haitian American megachurch, 10 years in the making, opens $60 million campus in Miami 2. What are some of the main elements of a supernatural church? One belief that unifies this Christian subculture is the idea that God speaks through prophecy. Many of the leaders in this movement — like Pastor Guillermo Maldonado of King Jesus and White-Cain — are considered by the faithful to be modern-day Apostles or Prophets who can perform 'healings' or deliver prophecies during sermons. Since the movement often operates without a formal connection to more established denominations, leaders may have varying degrees of theological education but will lean on or cite mentors in the movement. The leaders often have ten or hundreds of thousands of followers, or a background in televangelism, and their success can sometimes depend on who they know in the charismatic world — similar, Taylor writes, to how Hollywood operates. Taylor, who has interviewed many charismatic Christian leaders, describes them as 'idiosyncratic' and 'incredibly compelling' people. 'They're very socially skilled,' he said. 'They're very good at reaching and teaching and providing people with these compelling experiences.' Many apostolic leaders believe the Christian church has languished for centuries, and that God has brought them in to reinvigorate the church through Holy Spirit-backed leadership. Common themes focus on 'End-times,' or the second coming of Jesus, and a the idea of 'dominion,' or Christians needing to conquer various aspects of society. There's also an emphasis, similar to Pentecostal churches, on promoting inner healing through living a more Christian lifestyle. The promise of a better, healthier life can appeal to those who are struggling with addiction problems, health — physical or mental — problems or financial hardship. Prosperity — achieving financial wealth — also is a key theme, one that goes hand-in-hand with financial giving to the church. This idea is common in many churches that ask members to 'tithe,' but this movement stresses that more giving can mean more rewards. 3. Why is this movement growing? Many followers find a sense of empowerment, contentment and community in the movement, Taylor says. 'There have been studies even on how Pentecostal and charismatic ministries around the world have done a great deal of lifting people out of a lower-class existence economically by empowering them and telling them 'Hey, you have agency.'' At the same time, Taylor points out, those experiences are 'being utilized in this broader political project,' to get more Christians on board with conservative political agendas. Another theory of why it's so popular: In a modern, industrialized world where knowledge is at the fingertips of everyone with a Smartphone, charismatic leaders could be 're-enchanting' the world for people who want more of a sense of mystery and wonder, said Taylor, referring to the concept of 'disenchantment' made popular by philosopher, Charles Taylor. 'People want a sense of a sublime and powerful force in the universe that's guiding and moving them around,' he said. According to Taylor, independent charismatics are the fastest-growing religious demographic in the United States and around world. The followers are well into the millions, or hundreds of millions worldwide by some estimates, but the actual number is hard to measure, since the group is not tied to a formal denomination. 'For people who are searching for an anchor in the world or searching for self-confidence or searching for a sense of what their purpose is in life, ... they're scratching where people itch,' Taylor said. 4. How is this different from the Pentecostal denomination? It's similar, but without the bylaws and bureaucratic oversight that comes with a denomination, or network of churches with an established hierarchy. 'They believe that 'We need the Holy Spirit to be unrestrained. We need the fires of revival prayer,' said Taylor. 'But that same lack of restraint makes it very susceptible to political co-optation, because .. there's not a lot of oversight.' Pentecostalism, a movement within Protestant Christianity, is a denomination that can be traced back as early as 1900's and emphasizes manifestations of the Holy Spirit — such as supernatural healing and speaking in tongues. In the early years of Pentecostalism, its followers were largely poor Angelo and African Americans, according to Pew Research, and women have always had a large role. In the late-1940s, various 'healing evangelists' began traveling around the country, filling tents and auditoriums that attracted tens of thousands of people, according to Taylor's book. Some of the preachers, like Oral Roberts, were Pentecostal preachers who found their way on television to bring the movement out of tents and into the mainstream world. In the 1950s, Roberts teamed up with preacher Kenneth Hagin and began teaching about an ideology called the 'Word of Faith' doctrine, which emphasized a form of faith that rewards devout Christians with healings and blessings. The ideas found in the doctrine gave rise to what is known today as the 'prosperity gospel.' 5. Does the movement have a broader mission? Some religious scholars, many who are Christians themselves, point out that the movement is also putting spiritual influence to other uses. Leaders aim to exert more influence over everything from popular culture and education to politics. It's that latter field where the supernatural movement and other Evangelicals have arguably had the most success. Last week at King Jesus Ministry, for instance, White-Cain outlined a vision of a society transformed by Christian ideology, urging believers to play a role in making it a reality. 'You didn't come to fit in, You came to take over. You came to move in your Kingdom calling. That threatens people who don't understand the word of God because their language, their understanding is not like yours. God birthed you to rule, to have dominion,' she said. White-Cain has been one of the most influential voices in charismatic Christianity, and is someone who was able to bring its ideology into the mainstream and now, as the head of the newly established White House Faith Office, into American politics. 'Very soon our Lord and savior Jesus Christ is going to split the sky and come back,' she said during her sermon. 'This is not your home, this is your assignment. And you and I have to reap the harvest.' This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, including Khalid and Diana Mirza, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's top spiritual advisor visits Miami megachurch. She shares a prophecy
President Donald Trump's top spiritual advisor visited a southwest Miami-Dade County megachurch to outline a vision of a Christian-dominated world and urge believers, particularly Evangelicals, to help make it a reality. In a two-hour sermon on Thursday, Florida Pastor Paula White-Cain — a prominent televangelist and senior advisor to Trump in the newly established White House Faith Office — told a packed church at King Jesus Ministry, one of the largest megachurches in South Florida, that she was not merely preaching but prophesying. 'Can one person make a difference? You didn't come to fit in, you came to take over. You came to move in your Kingdom calling,' she said. 'That threatens people who don't understand the word of God because their language, their understanding is not like yours.' Blending Biblical scripture and personal stories, White-Cain spoke about God using ordinary people to spread the Gospel, save lost 'souls,' and achieve Christian 'dominion' by transforming society. 'God wants to use you to reposition society, your community, this nation, the world,' White-Cain said. 'Get ready because you're going to reap the greatest harvest mankind has ever known.' A translator echoed her every word in real time for the mostly Spanish-speaking audience sprinkled with visitors from South and Central America. Apostle Guillermo Maldonado, the church's founder, has a large international following, including many congregants with strongly conservative political and social values. Nationally, evangelical congregations ranked among the Republican president's most enthusiastic supporters — voting clout that has made White-Cain a powerful political influence in the White House. White-Cain appeared at King Jesus for a three-day spiritual conference called the 'Supernatural School of the Spirit,' where she headlined a string of local and visiting Christian leaders who preached, performed supernatural healings, and instructed crowds of followers and local pastors about how to 'walk in the supernatural' — a term used in some Christian circles referring to direct encounters with God and the Holy Spirit. 'Evangelism is the responsibility of every single christian. As a believer you cannot choose to ignore it. No way you can have an encounter with God and not care about the lost,' said White-Cain during a session that was aired live on the church's Facebook page. White-Cain — who is based in Apopka and married to Jonathan Cain, who played guitar and keyboard for the band Journey and is now part of the Christian music scene — is aligned with a movement of Christianity religious scholars call 'Independent Charismatic Christians,' a part of the New Apostolic Reformation. It blends Pentecostal practices with modern-day Evangelicalism, and its followers believe some leaders — like White-Cain and Maldonado — are apostles or prophets. The idea of achieving 'dominion' over the world and society is not uncommon in charismatic Christian theology, according to religious scholar Matthew Taylor, who studies Christian Nationalism. 'It holds that because God gave human beings 'dominion' over creation (Gen. 1:28), God must intend for human beings today to be active partners in ruling over the earth,' writes Taylor in his book 'The Violent Take it By Force.' Many charismatics, he writes, 'came to understand this as a present-day mandate to take over human societies so as to govern them according to God's reign.' White-Cain, a longtime supporter of Trump, has been credited for her skill at bringing views long considered extreme into the mainstream of conservative Christianity. Her Miami appearance echoed many familiar themes, preaching about God's dominion and transforming American values and culture. 'We're responsible to create culture. And that culture is a kingdom culture where you bring the heart of God into herding humanity,' White-Cain said during her sermon in Miami. White-Cain's personal story moved some in the church to tears as she shared tales of her tumultuous childhood and unlikely path to ministry. White, who grew up in Mississippi but eventually landed in Florida, emphasized that she didn't attend church until she was 18 years old and that she never imagined that she'd make it out of her abusive situation let alone into the White House. White-Cain has often spoken about her chaotic childhood — her father who had a gambling and drinking problem, died by suicide when she was just five-years-old, she says. In the fallout of her father's death, her mother struggled with alcoholism and before the age of thirteen, she endured years of sexual and physical abuse from babysitters and neighbors, according to a chapter on White-Cain in Taylor's book. In her Miami sermon, White-Cain talked about her journey from the trailer park as an 18-year-old single mother to preaching on television and ultimately, serving as a close spiritual advisor to President Trump. 'My story has nothing but brokenness, has nothing but ashes, but a great God can take what everyone else will give up on and say look what I can do,' she said. White-Cain also spoke at length about 'financial abundance' and preparing for a 'great harvest,' connecting the idea of giving financially to a spiritual revival. A key part of her message: in order to reap the rewards and feel God's glory, believers must first plant the seed and make a covenant with God. It was an appeal echoed in almost every church on Sunday to take out a checkbook or wallet but she urged congregants to dig deep. 'God's giving me revelation right now. Remember, glory only came when there was extravagant giving,' White-Cain said as QR codes flashed on the screens of the worship center, prompting people on how to donate. 'Stop holding yourselves back … Let God touch your heart for the harvest … Watch God extravagantly bless you … What you sow you grow. Obedience opens overflow. This is not historic. This is prophetic. God is getting ready to increase you.' White-Cain said she was moved to plant her own seed at King Jesus Ministries, pledging $12,000. She fetched her checkbook and wrote the donation live in front of thousands watching in person and at home. White-Cain didn't discuss specific issues like the administration's controversial crackdown on immigrants, many of them Hispanic. But she mentioned Trump a few times in her sermon on Thursday, telling the audience that her work was bigger than politics. 'This is not about Democrat or Republican or Independent. This is a moment that God opened up to be harvested,' she said. White-Cain said she has been close friends with the president for over 24 years. The relationship started when Trump called her one day out of the blue, she said, after he saw her preaching on TV and told her she had the 'it' factor. But, even before Trump called her, she said she had been praying for the president, and that she had added him to a list of ten people that she wanted the Lord to 'save.' 'When President Trump got back in, I knew that it was for America, but the Lord spoke to me and said it was for the nations,' White-Cain told the crowd. 'And the Lord has divinely aligned his people. That's you.' In 2020, she first gained broad national fame when one of her sermons at her church in Tampa went viral online. In it, she prayed forcefully, imploring God to give victory to Trump just one day after the presidential election was called for Joe Biden. During the prayers in the now-viral video, White was speaking in tongues, a practice that is commonly used by charismatic Christians who evoke ecstatic sounds that believers find to be a heavenly language. 'For every enemy that is aligned against you, let there be that we would strike the ground, for you will give us victory, God…. I hear a sound of victory. The Lord says, 'It is done,'' she said in that sermon.'We break and divide every demonic confederacy against the election, against America, against who you [God] have declared to be in the White House.' Her stance also drew criticism. As clips of White's intonations spread across the internet, people mocked the Florida pastor — arguing that Trump's Christian base was appearing more extreme, more unhinged by the day. 'Religious extremists like this is why we need to strengthen the separation between church and state!' wrote one online critic. Following Trump's latest victory, White-Cain became the first female clergy member to pray at a presidential inauguration and now serves as the first female primary spiritual adviser to a U.S. president. This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.
Miami Herald
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Trump's top spiritual advisor visits Miami megachurch. She shares a prophecy
President Donald Trump's top spiritual advisor visited a southwest Miami-Dade County megachurch to outline a vision of a Christian-dominated world and urge believers, particularly Evangelicals, to help make it a reality. In a two-hour sermon on Thursday, Florida Pastor Paula White-Cain — a prominent televangelist and senior advisor to Trump in the newly established White House Faith Office — told a packed church at King Jesus Ministry, one of the largest megachurches in South Florida, that she was not merely preaching but prophesying. 'Can one person make a difference? You didn't come to fit in, you came to take over. You came to move in your Kingdom calling,' she said. 'That threatens people who don't understand the word of God because their language, their understanding is not like yours.' Blending Biblical scripture and personal stories, White-Cain spoke about God using ordinary people to spread the Gospel, save lost 'souls,' and achieve Christian 'dominion' by transforming society. 'God wants to use you to reposition society, your community, this nation, the world,' White-Cain said. 'Get ready because you're going to reap the greatest harvest mankind has ever known.' A translator echoed her every word in real time for the mostly Spanish-speaking audience sprinkled with visitors from South and Central America. Apostle Guillermo Maldonado, the church's founder, has a large international following, including many congregants with strongly conservative political and social values. Nationally, evangelical congregations ranked among the Republican president's most enthusiastic supporters — voting clout that has made White-Cain a powerful political influence in the White House. White-Cain appeared at King Jesus for a three-day spiritual conference called the 'Supernatural School of the Spirit,' where she headlined a string of local and visiting Christian leaders who preached, performed supernatural healings, and instructed crowds of followers and local pastors about how to 'walk in the supernatural' — a term used in some Christian circles referring to direct encounters with God and the Holy Spirit. 'Evangelism is the responsibility of every single christian. As a believer you cannot choose to ignore it. No way you can have an encounter with God and not care about the lost,' said White-Cain during a session that was aired live on the church's Facebook page. White-Cain — who is based in Apopka and married to Jonathan Cain, who played guitar and keyboard for the band Journey and is now part of the Christian music scene — is aligned with a movement of Christianity religious scholars call 'Independent Charismatic Christians,' a part of the New Apostolic Reformation. It blends Pentecostal practices with modern-day Evangelicalism, and its followers believe some leaders — like White-Cain and Maldonado — are apostles or prophets. The idea of achieving 'dominion' over the world and society is not uncommon in charismatic Christian theology, according to religious scholar Matthew Taylor, who studies Christian Nationalism. 'It holds that because God gave human beings 'dominion' over creation (Gen. 1:28), God must intend for human beings today to be active partners in ruling over the earth,' writes Taylor in his book 'The Violent Take it By Force.' Many charismatics, he writes, 'came to understand this as a present-day mandate to take over human societies so as to govern them according to God's reign.' White-Cain, a longtime supporter of Trump, has been credited for her skill at bringing views long considered extreme into the mainstream of conservative Christianity. Her Miami appearance echoed many familiar themes, preaching about God's dominion and transforming American values and culture. 'We're responsible to create culture. And that culture is a kingdom culture where you bring the heart of God into herding humanity,' White-Cain said during her sermon in Miami. Humble beginnings to the White House White-Cain's personal story moved some in the church to tears as she shared tales of her tumultuous childhood and unlikely path to ministry. White, who grew up in Mississippi but eventually landed in Florida, emphasized that she didn't attend church until she was 18 years old and that she never imagined that she'd make it out of her abusive situation let alone into the White House. White-Cain has often spoken about her chaotic childhood — her father who had a gambling and drinking problem, died by suicide when she was just five-years-old, she says. In the fallout of her father's death, her mother struggled with alcoholism and before the age of thirteen, she endured years of sexual and physical abuse from babysitters and neighbors, according to a chapter on White-Cain in Taylor's book. In her Miami sermon, White-Cain talked about her journey from the trailer park as an 18-year-old single mother to preaching on television and ultimately, serving as a close spiritual advisor to President Trump. 'My story has nothing but brokenness, has nothing but ashes, but a great God can take what everyone else will give up on and say look what I can do,' she said. White-Cain also spoke at length about 'financial abundance' and preparing for a 'great harvest,' connecting the idea of giving financially to a spiritual revival. A key part of her message: in order to reap the rewards and feel God's glory, believers must first plant the seed and make a covenant with God. It was an appeal echoed in almost every church on Sunday to take out a checkbook or wallet but she urged congregants to dig deep. 'God's giving me revelation right now. Remember, glory only came when there was extravagant giving,' White-Cain said as QR codes flashed on the screens of the worship center, prompting people on how to donate. 'Stop holding yourselves back … Let God touch your heart for the harvest … Watch God extravagantly bless you … What you sow you grow. Obedience opens overflow. This is not historic. This is prophetic. God is getting ready to increase you.' White-Cain said she was moved to plant her own seed at King Jesus Ministries, pledging $12,000. She fetched her checkbook and wrote the donation live in front of thousands watching in person and at home. A viral prayer for Trump White-Cain didn't discuss specific issues like the administration's controversial crackdown on immigrants, many of them Hispanic. But she mentioned Trump a few times in her sermon on Thursday, telling the audience that her work was bigger than politics. 'This is not about Democrat or Republican or Independent. This is a moment that God opened up to be harvested,' she said. White-Cain said she has been close friends with the president for over 24 years. The relationship started when Trump called her one day out of the blue, she said, after he saw her preaching on TV and told her she had the 'it' factor. But, even before Trump called her, she said she had been praying for the president, and that she had added him to a list of ten people that she wanted the Lord to 'save.' 'When President Trump got back in, I knew that it was for America, but the Lord spoke to me and said it was for the nations,' White-Cain told the crowd. 'And the Lord has divinely aligned his people. That's you.' In 2020, she first gained broad national fame when one of her sermons at her church in Tampa went viral online. In it, she prayed forcefully, imploring God to give victory to Trump just one day after the presidential election was called for Joe Biden. During the prayers in the now-viral video, White was speaking in tongues, a practice that is commonly used by charismatic Christians who evoke ecstatic sounds that believers find to be a heavenly language. 'For every enemy that is aligned against you, let there be that we would strike the ground, for you will give us victory, God…. I hear a sound of victory. The Lord says, 'It is done,'' she said in that sermon.'We break and divide every demonic confederacy against the election, against America, against who you [God] have declared to be in the White House.' Her stance also drew criticism. As clips of White's intonations spread across the internet, people mocked the Florida pastor — arguing that Trump's Christian base was appearing more extreme, more unhinged by the day. 'Religious extremists like this is why we need to strengthen the separation between church and state!' wrote one online critic. Following Trump's latest victory, White-Cain became the first female clergy member to pray at a presidential inauguration and now serves as the first female primary spiritual adviser to a U.S. president. This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.
