Pastor doubles down on church sign calling minority Trump supporters ‘ignorant’
An Alabama pastor has refused to retract a church sign calling minority Trump supporters “ignorant” despite his provocative message drawing criticism from public figures. Pastor Michael R. Jordan of New Era Baptist Church in Birmingham is known for using his church sign to convey controversial messages.
His latest sign reads: “Warning African Americans: A vote for Trump will put Blacks back to picking cotton,” AL.com reported. On the reverse side, it states: “Attention to all Blacks who plan to vote for Trump: You are an ignorant stupid Negro.”
The sign drew criticism from Alabama's Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth.
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On the social media platform X, Ainsworth wrote, “Churches are supposed to spread the Gospel, offer messages of God’s love, and share the life of Christ, not threaten, intimidate, and insult those who exercise their right to vote and support the candidate that is best for them. Those responsible for this sign should be ashamed.”
In response, the pastor told WVTM 13, “He’s thinking from a Republican point of view. Donald Trump is making sad, pitiful negative statements about people every day.”
Jordan reportedly plans to keep the message displayed through the inauguration.
When questioned about whether his use of phrases like “ignorant stupid Negro” might offend potential churchgoers, Jordan responded that he wasn’t concerned because he believes such language grabs attention. He explained that he aims to convey to African Americans and poor whites the seriousness of the upcoming election.
Jordan has a history of posting provocative messages.
In 2019, he posted a sign that read, “A white vote for Trump is pure racism,” and in 2017, he displayed, “Trump deceived poor white folks.”
His controversial signs date back to 2004, when he posted, “AIDS is God’s curse on homosexuals.” In 2008, he warned of drug dealers selling crack cocaine on the same street as the church. In 2013, he posted messages supporting Trayvon Martin and criticizing the George Zimmerman jury.
“This is my ministry. This is my calling,” Jordan was quoted as saying. “Pastor, white or black, is a watchman,” Jordan was quoted as saying. “I’m going to take a stand.”
Other pastors have also engaged in political messaging from the pulpit.
In February, Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in California encouraged his congregation to vote for Republican former Dodgers star Steve Garvey. “I want to publicly right now, today, encourage all of you to vote for Steve Garvey,” Hibbs said, stepping away from the pulpit to comply with legal restrictions.
In November 2022, Pastor Jamal Bryant of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Georgia, criticized Republican Senate nominee Herschel Walker.
Bryant called Walker “the lowest caricature of a stereotypical, broken black man” during a sermon. Walker was running against incumbent Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock, who is also the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.
