Scott Turner, President Trump’s new secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), told attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Feb. 21 that he is “purpose-driven” and passionate about being “your new servant leader.”
During Friday’s speech at the annual gathering near Washington, D.C., Turner, a Baptist preacher, quoted several Bible verses and said God had been “preparing” him for this “mission” at HUD.
Turner, who turns 53 this week, is an associate pastor at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas. As ChurchLeaders has reported, Turner played football in the NFL for nine years. During Trump’s first presidency, he served as the first executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. While there, former HUD Secretary Ben Carson served as a mentor.
Turner and his wife also launched a family foundation, the Community Engagement & Opportunity Council, to “revitalize communities across America through sports, mentorship, and economic opportunity.”
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Pastor Scott Turner on His Role as HUD Secretary
On the main CPAC stage Friday, Scott Turner introduced himself as a “purpose-driven person” who’s “not really concerned with status [or] media attention.” He recalled growing up in Texas, where his first job was washing dishes at a barbeque joint.
After graduating from the University of Illinois, Turner was a last-round pick in the 1995 NFL Draft. He retired from pro football after playing 101 games and then entered politics. Turner was elected to two terms in the Texas State House, where he served from 2013 to 2017.
“All along the way, you know, I believe the Lord was preparing me,” Turner said, adding, “I believe God is a sovereign God.” He quoted Jeremiah 29:11 and then said, “I believe that from before the womb of my mother that [God] was preparing me for this moment, for this day, for such a time as this.”
Turner has been blessed with opportunities to make a “generational impact,” he told CPAC attendees. When faced with difficulties, he has “had to rely on God’s grace to overcome obstacles that the enemy tried to use to stop me from carrying out the Lord’s calling on my life.” Turner quoted James 1:2-4, about trials and the testing of faith producing steadfastness.
New HUD Secretary Scott Turner Restores ‘Biological Truth’
About his work at HUD, Scott Turner pledged to “restore integrity at our agency” and “identify and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse.” Describing how his father took inventory while working at Safeway, the secretary said he’ll work on “stewarding the budget” for the American people.
Turner said HUD will tackle the “housing affordability crisis” that’s affecting so many young Americans, including his 24-year-old son. One focus will be lifting people out of poverty by expanding Opportunity Zones through public-private partnerships.
, told attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Feb. 21 that he is “purpose-driven” and passionate about being “your new servant leader.”){kind=link}