Republican presidential nominee Donald
Trump reportedly gave $100,000 to the Greenwell Springs Baptist
Church in Louisiana, which is headed by Tony Perkins.
Trump and running mate Mike Pence last
week met with Perkins, the president of the Christian conservative
Family Research Council (FRC), and Franklin Graham, who heads the
Samaritan's Purse charity, during a tour of flood-ravaged Louisiana.
CNN's Ashley Killough reported the
donation in
a tweet. Greenwell Springs Baptist Church acknowledged on
Facebook that Trump “is sending a financial contribution to the
church to aid our efforts,” but did not disclose the amount.
Perkins, the church's interim pastor,
told media outlets that he and his family were forced to escape their
home by canoe. He called the flood a sign that God considers them
“worthy of suffering for his sake.” Perkins last year agreed
with Rabbi Jonathan Cahn's statement that God had sent Hurricane
Joaquin to Hawaii because he was angry about the legalization of
marriage equality and abortion. “God is trying to send us a
message,” Perkins is quoted as saying.
Graham's charity is using the church as
its “base of operations” for flood relief efforts.
Perkins and Graham are vocal opponents
of LGBT rights.
At an FRC conference in 2014, Graham
said that he was not afraid to have his head “chopped off” for
speaking “the truth” about gays.
“Are we going to be cowards because
we're afraid?” he
rhetorically asked the crowd. “Could we get our heads chopped
off? We could, maybe one day. So what? Chop it off!”