“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them.” – Exodus 20:4-5 (NIV)
The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church has stood for more than 219 years as “The Freedom Church.” We are heirs of a tradition that has never confused earthly power with divine authority, and we have never allowed the garments of political office to be draped over the shoulders of Almighty God. It is in that same prophetic spirit that we are compelled to speak clearly and without apology regarding the imagery circulated by President Donald J. Trump on the Truth Social platform — imagery that presents him in divine, messianic, and god-like iconography, suggesting that his person, his power, and his political movement are ordained, anointed, and sanctioned by the God of Scripture.
We unequivocally and without reservation condemn such imagery as a form of idolatry.
The Word of God is not silent on this matter. The First and Second Commandments given to Moses on Sinai were not suggestions — they were the foundational laws of a covenant people who understood that God alone is sovereign, God alone is to be exalted, and no mortal, regardless of their office, wealth, or influence, may occupy the throne that belongs to the Lord of Hosts. The Prophet Isaiah declared in Isaiah 42:8, “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols” (NIV). When any leader — of any party, of any nation, allows themselves to be portrayed as messianic, as divinely appointed in the manner of Jesus Christ, or as an object of quasi-religious devotion, they have crossed a line that the Church of the Living God cannot and must not ignore.
We are deeply troubled that such imagery has been not merely circulated, but embraced, amplified, and celebrated among communities that claim the name of Christ. We remind all believers that Scripture warns us that deception in the last days will come not through obvious evil, but through the co-option of sacred language, sacred symbols, and sacred devotion for the purposes of political power. Jesus himself warned in Matthew 24:24, “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (NIV).
We do not make this statement out of partisan preference. The A.M.E. Zion Church does not belong to any political party. We belong to Jesus Christ. It is precisely because of that allegiance that we must speak. To remain silent when the imagery of divinity is placed upon a mortal is not neutrality — it is complicity.
We call upon all Christians, and especially our clergy, lay members, and connectional partners, to be vigilant. We call upon those in the broader evangelical and Protestant community who have promoted or remained silent about such imagery to exercise the discernment that Scripture demands. We call upon our brothers and sisters to remember that our citizenship is first and foremost in the Kingdom of God, as Paul declared in Philippians 3:20, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (NIV).
The Freedom Church has never bowed to Pharaoh. We did not bow under the lash of slavery. We did not bow under the terror of Jim Crow. We did not bow under the suppression of our votes, our voices, or our bodies. And we will not bow to any golden image set up in the plain of political power, as the three Hebrew boys refused in Babylon, declaring to King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 3:18, “But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (NIV).
We are praying for wisdom in our nation. We are praying for the hearts of leaders who have confused the adoration of the people with the anointing of the Almighty. We are praying for the Church universal to awaken to its prophetic responsibility. But prayer, as always, must be accompanied by proclamation. We proclaim today that there is only one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism — and His name is not found on any ballot, any platform, or any social media post draped in false glory.
“I am the Lord your God… You shall have no other gods before me.” – Exodus 20:2-3 (NIV)
Your Servants in Christ,
This 14th Day of April, in the Year of Our Lord 2026
The Board of Bishops of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
Bishop Eric L. Leake, President
Bishop Darryl B. Starnes, Senior Bishop
Bishop W. Darin Moore
Bishop George D. Crenshaw
Bishop Hilliard Dogbe
Bishop Uduak U. Effiong
Bishop Brian R. Thompson
Bishop Daran H. Mitchell
Bishop Anthony Witherspoon
Bishop Melanie Rogers Miller, Secretary
Bishop Dwayne A. Walker
Bishop Bernando Ngunza
Bishop Seth O. Lartey, Located
Bishop Joseph Johnson, Retired
Bishop Marshall H. Strickland, Retired
Bishop Nathaniel Jarrett, Jr., Retired
Bishop George W.C. Walker, Sr., Retired
Bishop S. Chuka Ekemam, Sr., Retired
Bishop Warren M. Brown, Retired
Bishop Kenneth Monroe, Retired
Bishop Dennis V. Proctor, Retired
Bishop Michael A. Frencher, Sr., Retired
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