President Donald Trump has named Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, and Jentezen Franklin, pastor of Free Chapel in Gainesville, Georgia, to the advisory board of his new Religious Liberty Commission (RLC). Trump announced the members of the advisory board on Friday, May 16.
“[Congratulations] to Senior Pastor Jack Graham on being named to the advisory board of the Religious Liberty Commission by President Trump,” said Prestonwood in an announcement Tuesday, May 20. “His bold voice for truth and unwavering commitment to the Gospel continue to shine as a light in our nation.”
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Trump Names Leaders to Religious Liberty Commission Advisory Board
At a ceremony for the National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 1, President Trump signed an executive order (EO) creating the Religious Liberty Commission. The RLC can have up to 14 members whom the president appoints to serve a term that will end on July 4, 2026, unless the president extends the term of the commission.
The purpose of the RLC is “to vigorously enforce the historic and robust protections for religious liberty enshrined in Federal law.”
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Members are tasked with producing “a comprehensive report on the foundations of religious liberty in America, the impact of religious liberty on American society, [and] current threats to domestic religious liberty,” as well as “strategies to preserve and enhance religious liberty protections for future generations, and programs to increase awareness of and celebrate America’s peaceful religious pluralism.”
Moreover, the commission “shall advise the White House Faith Office and the Domestic Policy Council on religious liberty policies of the United States.” Members of the commission include Franklin Graham, Dr. Phil McGraw, Eric Metaxas, and Paula White.
White also heads the White House Faith Office, which Trump established on Feb. 7. “The Office shall have lead responsibility in the executive branch,” he stated in that EO, “to empower faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship to serve families and communities.”
Trump’s May 1 EO establishing the RLC said that the president would designate three advisory boards—one of religious leaders, one of lay leaders, and one of legal experts—to advise the RLC. On May 16, he did so.
