Head of the White House Faith Office Paula White sings as she stands next to President Donald Trump and other religious leaders during a National Day of Prayer event in the Rose Garden at the White House on May 1, 2025. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
In the case of Texas A&M, De Gance said there were currently 420 students enrolled in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) class, with approximately 100 or more adult baptisms expected, something he said was "really unusual." OCIA classes are meant for adults looking to enter the Catholic Church. Regarding Protestant denominations, Communio is seeing an "increase in small and intimate church settings," De Gance said.
The faith leader said that the White House has not only been reacting to a growing interest in faith, but is also embracing it more publicly than prior administrations. He also stated that he sees a "huge difference" in the Trump administration's approach to faith versus that of the Biden administration.
"When you look at the Biden administration, his final Easter celebration had a proclamation of ‘Transgender Day’ instead of an Easter proclamation," De Gance noted, referring to former President Joe Biden's acknowledgment of Transgender Day of Visibility. In 2024, Easter Sunday fell on the same day.
"I think you had a last administration that was seen by a lot of people of faith as being actively hostile to faith, and now I think a view that there's an openness and and an interest by the current administration to more embrace faith in their work and in their actions," De Gance added.
Attendees pray during an "American Comeback Tour" stop hosted by Turning Point USA in Burruss Hall at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Va. (Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images)
As Trump enters the second year of his second term and America approaches its 250th birthday, De Gance says many are looking to see the administration continue to reaffirm the role that religion plays in American life.
"I think American Christians would love to see the president, the White House continue, or find ways to embrace the core pillars that made this country so excellent on the world stage," De Gance told Fox News Digital. "In this 250th anniversary, I think it's a time where we can reflect and see that the American founding was grounded in sort of core cultural pillars that allowed self-governance to exist."
De Gance emphasized the importance of strong families and Americans maintaining connections to faith communities, saying Christianity served as a "core bedrock" at the nation’s founding.
Fox News Digital spoke to Communio's founder before Sunday's incident at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minn., made headlines over the weekend. Anti-ICE agitators disrupted a worship service, chanting slogans including "ICE Out" and "Justice for Renee Good," a reference to the woman shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis earlier this month.
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The Trump administration responded swiftly, with the Justice Department launching an investigation into potential violations of federal law. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that she spoke to the pastor of the church and affirmed that "attacks against law enforcement and the intimidation of Christians are being met with the full force of federal law."
Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/faith-returns-public-square-during-trumps-second-term-christian-leader-says