President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks continue to make waves. Chad Chronister, whom Trump has selected to head the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), is drawing renewed criticism for ordering the arrest of a megachurch pastor in 2020 for violating COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders. 

Chronister has been the sheriff of Hillsborough County, Florida, for seven years. 

“For over 32 years, Sheriff Chad Chronister has served the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and received countless commendations and awards for keeping his community SAFE,” Trump said in an announcement on Nov. 30. 

“As DEA Administrator, Chad will work with our great Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to secure the Border, stop the flow of Fentanyl, and other Illegal Drugs, across the Southern Border, and SAVE LIVES,” Trump said. “Congratulations to Chad, his wife Nikki, and two wonderful sons!”

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Chronister expressed his excitement in a post of his own, calling his nomination an “honor of a lifetime.”

“I am deeply humbled by this opportunity to serve our nation,” Chronister said. 

However, Chronister’s decision to enforce safety restrictions in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic is becoming a key talking point in the wake of his nomination.

In March 2020, Chronister ordered the arrest of Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne of The River at Tampa Bay Church after Howard-Browne refused to comply with pandemic-related safety measures restricting large gatherings. 

“Our goal is not to stop people from worshiping,” Chronister said at the time, “but the safety and well being of our community must always come first.”

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The Hillsborough County Council later voted to loosen its pandemic restrictions for churches, and the charges against Howard-Browne were dropped. 

A dispute among family members is escalating at Daystar Television Network, which demanded that investigative journalist Julie Roys retract her recent articles about the Christian broadcasting empire. Roys, founder of The Roys Report (TRR), indicated she won’t submit to that demand because she maintains that her reporting is accurate.

As ChurchLeaders reported, Jonathan Lamb, son of Daystar co-founder and president Joni Lamb, claims his mother covered up sexual abuse of his young daughter—Joni’s granddaughter—by an unnamed family member. Joni Lamb, who has denied any wrongdoing, said her son and his wife, Suzy, are upset that Jonathan wasn’t chosen to succeed his late father as network president.

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Jonathan Lamb, who was previously demoted at Daystar, was allegedly terminated from the network last month after refusing to sign a non-disclosure agreement and then granting an interview to journalist Roys.

Daystar Attorney: ‘Entire Premise’ of Article Is a ‘Total Fabrication’

On Dec. 2, Roys made the following post on social media:

A lawyer for @Daystar TV has demanded The Roys Report retract our exposés of alleged sex abuse & cover-up at the network. However, Daystar failed to show that any of TRR’s reporting was inaccurate. As a result TRR will not submit to Daystar’s demands. Attorney Christine N. Jones, representing TRR, writes in our response that truth is “an absolute defense to a claim of defamation.” She also notes where Daystar’s letter misquotes our reporting. …

Roys provided a link to her Dec. 2 opinion piece, “The Roys Report Refuses Daystar’s Demand to Retract Articles.” At the end of that article, the journalist posted the full letter from Daystar as well as TRR’s response.

In his Nov. 24 letter demanding a retraction from Roys, Daystar attorney Michael D. Anderson wrote, “The entire premise (emphasis in original letter) for the article is a total fabrication built on baseless accusations of sexual abuse and a supposed cover-up. To that extent, every statement published by you and The Roys Report should be retracted immediately.”

Anderson’s letter lists 28 statements from Roys’ article that he claims are false. These include the article’s introductory trigger warning that “the following story contains a description of child sexual abuse.” Daystar’s attorney wrote that the abuse is “alleged” because “there has been no finding of child sexual abuse.”

Anderson also indicated that Roys’ headline, “Former Daystar Executive & Wife Accuse Joni Lamb of Covering Up Daughter’s Sexual Abuse,” falsely accuses the Daystar president.

From Roys’ Nov. 21 article about Suzy Lamb’s claims of her own sexual assault being covered up, Anderson identified 12 additional statements he said are false. When contacted, Anderson spoke to ChurchLeaders on the phone but stayed off the record.

Former NFL cornerback Scott Turner is currently on staff at Prestonwood Baptist Church as an associate pastor. But his career is about to change. President-elect Trump has nominated Turner to join his Cabinet as the secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

“As the church goes, so goes America,” said Turner in a social media post. “We have an important mission ahead. To God be the glory. Let’s get to work!”

Scott Turner Nominated To Join Trump’s Cabinet in 2024

As Trump makes plans to take office for his second term as president of the United States, he is continuing to assemble key leaders. He has nominated Turner to serve as secretary of Housing and Urban Development to “make America great again for EVERY American,” Trump said in a statement.

The HUD Secretary position was created in 1965, under the administration of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The focus of the role is “to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing free from discrimination.”

This isn’t the first time Turner has served in Trump’s administration. During Trump’s first term, Turner worked as the first executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council (WHORC). Trump said that Turner’s “unprecedented effort…transformed our country’s most distressed communities.” Turner oversaw 16 federal agencies, worked with former HUD secretary Ben Carson, and raised more than $50 billion in private investments.

Turner said of his “mentor” Ben Carson, “Few people are as compassionate and gracious as he is, and I am aware that I have big shoes to fill.” Turner continued, “The forgotten men and women of this great country over the past four years will be honored in the Trump administration.”

“Thank you, Mr. President. I am thrilled to continue the outstanding work we began in your last administration at HUD with an incredible team,” Turner said. “I am deeply humbled by your confidence in my nomination.”

Scott Colter, CEO of The Danbury Institute, shared his excitement about one of his pastors joining the cabinet of the next president. The Danbury Institute is “a conservative Christian coalition of life and liberty.”

“Really neat to see one of your pastors step up to serve in the President’s cabinet,” Colter said. Colter explained that Prestonwood Pastor Jack Graham took time during the church service to pray for Turner and this new role.

“The vehicle is HUD, but the work is serving people and building the Kingdom of God,” said Turner.

Really neat to see one of your pastors step up to serve in the President’s cabinet. Today, @jackngraham led @prestonwood to pray for @sturnerofficial as he accepts this new role.

“The vehicle is HUD, but the work is serving people and building the Kingdom of God.”

“As the… pic.twitter.com/oCYFqccrnL

— Z. Scott Colter 🇺🇸 (@ScottColter) December 1, 2024

A pastor put his mixed martial arts training to use early on Thanksgiving morning after encountering a burglar on the property of his church. Nick Neves went to check on First Family Church in Antioch, California, after the alarm went off. 

When Neves arrived, he discovered that a would-be thief had smashed one of the church’s windows with an axe and had propped a door open. 

“As I was going into the door, the perpetrator came out with a handful of our goods, and I stopped him,” Neves told CNN. “And I told him he was essentially under citizen’s arrest, that the police would be there, and he needs to stop and wait for them.” 

Neves said that the assailant attempted to flee and that when Neves attempted to restrain him, the man began to fight. 

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“And so we tussled for quite a while before the cops were able to get there,” said Neves, who indicated that he has practiced Brazilian jiu-jitsu since he was a high schooler. 

Neves clarified that he did not intend to hurt the man, saying, “I was just hoping to keep him from getting away so that justice could be done and our church could be protected.”

Neves, who is 46 years old, was able to restrain the man until the police arrived and detained him. He told NBC News that he grappled with the man for roughly 12 to 15 minutes. 

“I was able to pin him to the ground, and he got up and [tried] to get away several times, but basically just trying to wear him out because I knew I could outlast him,” Neves said.

“When the pastor at First Family Church on Contra Loma responded to check an alarm in the early hours of Thanksgiving he was not expecting to confront a burglar, but that’s what happened,” said the Antioch Police Department (APD) in a social media post.

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“When the burglar saw his wicked deeds had been discovered he decided to fight with the pastor instead of repent,” the APD continued. “What he did not know was the pastor would win this battle of good and evil and he held down the perp until APD arrived and placed the man in custody.”