HUD Secretary Scott Turner declared Saturday that “faith is back in our government” as hundreds gathered on the National Mall for the agency’s first-ever faith-based disaster recovery event.
The faith event, featuring a musical performance with Sean Feucht as part of HUD’s Innovative Housing Showcase, marked a shift in how the federal government engages with Christian organizations.
“After disaster strikes, the devastation can be overwhelming. I’ve met with those impacted, heard their stories, and seen the destruction first-hand,” Turner, also an associate pastor, told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement.
“In these moments, faith-based organizations are often the first to respond. I’ve witnessed their incredible recovery work: homes built, houses of worship turned into emergency centers and small businesses reopened with support from local churches. Under the leadership of President Trump, faith is back in our government.”
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“These [faith-based] organizations are not just filling a gap. They are breathing new life into devastated communities, and HUD’s role is to strengthen their efforts with resources and support needed to recover,” Secretary Turner concluded.
The event was held Sept. 6 beginning at 6:00 pm on the National Mall amid strong wind and rain. It featured speeches from faith leaders across the country before closing with worship led by Sean Feucht.
For Feucht, the night represented a dramatic turn. After years of clashing with left-leaning governments in cities like Seattle, he stood in Washington under an official invitation from HUD.
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“God bless America! Last month up in Canada Mark Carney’s Govt did everything he could to keep us from worshipping Jesus…pulling permits, blocking parks, but here in America the Trump Administration is rolling out the red carpet to Christians and giving us a chance to bring worship to the heart of the Capital! God is good!!!” Feucht said in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital.
Feucht launched his “Let Us Worship” movement in 2020 during COVID lockdowns to protest restrictions on church gatherings. The movement gained traction nationwide but faced repeated backlash.
Canadian cities revoked permits in August 2025. Seattle activists branded his events “malicious harassment and incitement” against the LGBTQ community.
In 2020, Seattle closed Gas Works Park ahead of a scheduled rally, sparking accusations of discrimination against believers. Violence broke out again in May of this year at a Seattle rally, leading to arrests.
Saturday’s event told a different story. HUD placed churches and faith-based responders at the center of its disaster recovery strategy, treating them as partners instead of outsiders.
Speakers included Shayam Menon of HUD’s Center for Faith, Dave Donaldson of the White House Faith Office, Pastor Matthew Barnett of the Dream Center, Scottie Stice of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, Luther Harrison of Samaritan’s Purse and Rev. Nathan Newman of Mission to North America.
“Powerful night with Sean Feucht and Secretary of HUD, Scott Turner,” wrote @brag_dc on X. “Jesus was the Star!”
Turner delivered remarks before Feucht closed with a worship set and final words from Pastor Lorenzo Sewell. The National Mall, long a stage for protests and cultural events, hosted worship tied directly to federal leadership.
For Turner, the showcase put churches where he believes they belong, which is at the front of national recovery efforts. For Feucht, it marked the transformation of his movement from rallies of believers to federally-recognized gatherings.
Rain and thunder swept across Washington on Saturday, but worshippers remained. Feucht later posted on social media that the night was “absolutely historic in every way.”
The event tied into HUD’s partnership with the America 250 initiative, commemorating the nation’s upcoming 250th birthday. Both Turner and Feucht used the historic event to send the same message: faith is not only alive but welcomed at the center of American public life.
The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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