A number of Latino evangelical churches in Florida and in the southeast United States are gearing up to protect their sacred spaces.

On Sunday, Jan. 10, the first day of Christian worship services since the Capitol riot, religious leaders who have supported the president in the past delivered messages ranging from no mention of the events of that day to incendiary recitations of debunked conspiracy theories. “I stand up and represent Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and I preach to stand for the First Amendment. The American nation will be healed when the American church repents,” he said to some cheers and applause. “We must repent for making the person who occupies the White House more important than the one who occupies our hearts. Tim Remington, the conservative Christian pastor of The Altar church, avoided specific references to Trump and the attack on the Capitol, but offered plenty of politically charged warnings.

The conservative evangelical Christians who helped send Trump to the White House four years ago stuck by him again in 2020. But even if Trump doesnt get a second term, some conservative Christians see reasons to celebrate in this years election results. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)WASHINGTON – The conservative evangelical Christians who helped send Donald Trump to the White House four years ago stuck by him in 2020. But even if Trump doesn’t get a second term, some conservative Christians see reasons to celebrate in this year’s election results. White evangelical voters made up 23% of the vote nationwide and overwhelmingly favored Trump this fall, with about 8 in 10 backing him, according to AP VoteCast.