Politics - News Analysis

Former Pastor Of Trump’s NYC Church Says He Never Saw Trump There — Not Even Once

Donald Trump suggested on Monday that “Bible literacy” classes were making a comeback in public schools and suggested that was a good thing. Many people were surprised by the tweet since Trump isn’t exactly known for his God-fearing ways.

And as Trump’s former pastor noted, in any case, the president can’t exactly speak with much authority on the subject.

Pastor David Lewicki responded to Trump’s tweet on Tuesday morning, explaining how he served as a pastor at New York City’s Marble Collegiate Church for about five years in the mid-aughts.

Despite being on the member rolls, Trump never showed. Not to Bible study ― and not even to a service, according to Lewicki.

“I assure you, he had the ‘option’ to come to Bible study. He never ‘opted’ in,” Lewicki wrote. “Nor did he ever actually enter the church doors. Not one time.”

At one point, the president did attend Marble. The Trump family migrated to the Manhattan church from a Presbyterian establishment near their home in Queens during the 1960s, when Marble was led by the Rev. Norman Vincent Peale. The president’s father was a particular fan of Peale, a famous minister who authored The Power of Positive Thinking.

On the campaign trail, Trump spoke about his religious upbringing and even name-checked Marble, where he married his first wife.

In a rare move, though, the church issued a statement clarifying that Trump was not an “active” member.

Twitter had a field day:

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