May 3 (UPI) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order creating a faith-based office at Thursday’s National Day of Prayer event, proclaiming “faith is more powerful than government.”
In addition to establishing the White House Fair and Opportunity Initiative, Trump offered his promise to “always protect religious liberty” in the United States.
“Prayer has always been at the center of the American life. America is a nation of believers, and together we are strengthened by the power of prayer,” he said during the ceremony in the Rose Garden.
A newly appointed adviser will head up the initiative, which is expected to make recommendations to the Trump administration and make connections with faith organizations outside the government. The office will ensure that faith organizations have access to federal funding.
“We take this step because we know that in solving the many many problems and our great challenges, faith is more powerful than government and nothing is more powerful than God,” Trump said.
Among those in attendance at the prayer event were Rabbi Levi Shemtov of the Rabbinical Council of Greater Washington, Cissie Graham Lynch of Samaritan’s Purse, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington, Lt. Col. Dawud Abdul-Aziz Agbere of the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps, Jean B. Bingham, general president of the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and Narayanachar Digalakote, priest at the Sri Siva Vishnu Temple in Lanham, Md.
