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A group of American evangelical leaders led by Pat Robertson met with Brazil’s new President, Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday following his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. Christian Broadcasting Network’s Robertson led the group which included author Joel Rosenberg, evangelist Reinhard Bonnke, Charisma Media founder Stephen Strang, Maryland Bishop Harry Jackson and Jonathan Falwell, pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia and the son of Liberty University founder Jerry Falwell Sr. The Leaders discussed the future of the South American country and their belief in traditional Christian values, while the Christian pastors and business owners prayed for Bolsonaro, who has been called the “Trump of the Tropics” because of his right-leaning policies, ChristianPost reports. Robertson prayed, "We pray, Lord, the anointing of the Holy Spirit come upon him, That he may have wisdom. That he will hear a voice in his ear when he turns to the right or to the left saying, 'This is the way. Walk ye in it.’ Lord, uphold him. Protect him from evil. And, use him mightily in years to come.” Critics have however described Bolsonaro’s policies as “far-right.” Although now a member of the conservative Social Liberal Party, Bosonaro launched his presidential campaign in 2016 as a member of the conservative Social Christian Party. He is a member of the Roman Catholic Church but his wife and son are evangelicals, the fastest growing religious demographic in the country. According to Strang, Bolsonaro told the evangelical leaders that it was a miracle that he is even alive. During the campaign, he was stabbed and confined to a hospital bed until the election last October. Bolsonaro has pledged that Brazil would stand side-by-side with the U.S. to “ensure liberties and respect to traditional family lifestyles, respect to God our creator against the gender ideology or the politically correct attitudes and against fake news.” In an interview with Christian Broadcasting Network, Bolsonaro claimed that just like Trump wants to “make America great,” he wants to “make Brazil great.” He seemed to support Trump administration’s stances on immigration. “I also have concerns about the indiscriminate entrance of foreigners without any criteria, But beyond this, [Trump and I] are both Christians and we are God-fearing men.” Bolsonaro said.
By: Anne Clement Bassey