LYNCHBURG, Va. — At the Tree of Life Ministries, down the road from Liberty University, the senior pastor, Mike Dodson, did not have to look very far for sermon material about sin, redemption and what’s expected of a Christian. “You have watched one of the most influential leaders of this city, of the country and the world, the Christian community, go down,” Mr. Dodson said, bent with passion. “The Christian community is being laughed at.”Jerry Falwell Jr., a close ally of President Trump and one of the most prominent evangelical leaders in the country, has weathered one controversy after another in recent years. In it, he had his pants unbuttoned and his arm around a woman who was not his wife. In an accompanying post, he had a glass of what he described as “black water” that appeared to be alcohol.

Source: New York Times August 09, 2020 23:28 UTC