On October 30, 2026, The Christian Post, an evangelical news outlet, described the Trump administration’s Federal Education Freedom Tax Credit as the “greatest evangelism opportunity since the Billy Graham crusades.” The article presented the program as an unprecedented opportunity to expand Christian education to millions of families. In other words, a federal tax-credit initiative is being promoted by an influential evangelical publication as a means of advancing Christian evangelism on a scale not seen since the Billy Graham crusades.
This demonstrates the growing connection in America between federal tax policy and organized Christian evangelism. What is emerging is an effort to use federal education policies to advance religious evangelism, effectively transforming the federal government into an evangelistic arm of the church.
The Christian Post published the following on October 30, 2026:
• A new nationwide school choice program is being celebrated as the “greatest evangelism opportunity since the Billy Graham crusades,” as it is projected to give millions of children across the United States access to a Christian education starting next year … under the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit, for which the U.S. Department of the Treasury unveiled proposed regulations earlier this month. [1]
• “We have seen school choice tax credits, like the one President Trump enacted in the One Big Beautiful Bill, be transformational for Christian education,” Aaron Baer, president of the Center for Christian Virtue, told The Christian Post during his visit to Washington, D.C., this week. [1]
• Because of the program, he said, families across the United States “are going to be able to access a high-quality Christian education if the body of Christ is able to step up and respond,” calling it the greatest evangelism opportunity since the Billy Graham crusades.” [1]
• So far, 30 states have opted in to the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming. Taxpayers in any state can claim the credit, but only students who live in states that have opted in can receive the scholarships. [1]
• “We want to help support those Christian schools to have their religious freedom protected and pressure their governor to opt into the program,” he added. [1]
Billy Graham’s evangelistic crusades were among the most influential Christian revival movements of the twentieth century. Through decades of preaching, Graham brought the message of Jesus Christ to millions. But there is an important distinction that must not be overlooked: Billy Graham was a preacher. Evangelism was his calling. Winning souls to Christ was the very purpose of his ministry.
Donald Trump, however, is not serving as a Christian evangelist or the director of a religious ministry. He is serving as president of the United States. His constitutional responsibilities are fundamentally different from those of Billy Graham. The presidency is a civil office, and the federal government was not established to function as an evangelistic agency for America’s churches.
This is precisely why the comparison between Trump’s policies and Billy Graham reported by The Christian Post on October 30, 2026, is concerning because it reveals how Christian organizations intend to use the federal education tax incentive to advance their religious mission. Christian education is important, and Christians have a right to evangelize. The issue here is whether federal tax dollars should become a means for advancing the evangelistic programs of the churches.
The Gospel does not require the federal government to become its missionary agency. The church has its own divine commission, and the government has its own constitutional duties. Confusing those responsibilities raises serious questions about both religious liberty and the separation of church and state.
Sources
[1] https://www.christianpost.com/news/network-launched-to-fund-christian-school-scholarships.html
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