President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order establishing a White House Faith Office on Friday. 

The new office will "empower faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship to better serve families and communities," according to a fact sheet obtained by Fox News. 

The office will be housed under the Domestic Policy Council and will consult experts in the faith community on policy changes to "better align with American values." 

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The office plans to coordinate with other agencies on training for religious liberty and on elevating grant opportunities for non-profit faith-based entities, community organizations and houses of worship. It will also collaborate with the Department of Justice on identifying constitutional religious liberty protections. 

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The order will come one day after Trump signed an order to create a task force to identify "anti-Christian bias."

The White House said this "Task Force to End the War on Christians" will comprise members of the president’s Cabinet and key government agencies, and the order seeks to "end the anti-Christian weaponization of government." 

It came after nearly two dozen pro-life Christians were charged and sentenced for demonstrating outside abortion facilities during the Biden administration. Trump pardoned 23 pro-life protesters in his first week on the job. 

Speaking to Fox News Digital just days before President Donald Trump's inauguration as 47th president, Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas, expressed "gratitude to God" about Trump's re-election and his hope for the future of the country.

"I believe most evangelicals, conservative Catholics and conservative Jews all view President Trump's re-election with a feeling of relief and gratitude to God," said the faith leader in an on-camera interview. (See the video at the top of this article.)

"There's a very real sense that our country has been in a downward spiral the last four years, and mainly because of our departure from the Judeo-Christian foundation of our nation," said Jeffress. "To many people, I believe President Trump's re-election represents God giving America another chance — perhaps her last chance — to reverse this downward trajectory."

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And "I'm talking about things that have caused confusion in our country over the last four years," he said. 

"Embracing the transgender agenda, which is confusing our children. Wavering in our support of Israel, our only reliable ally in the Middle East. And following extreme environmental positions that may have actually caused rather than prevented some of the disasters we're seeing."

All of these things, said Jeffress, "have caused people of faith to lament — but they feel very hopeful now that President Trump is about to enter the White House [again] and they're going to be filled with prayers for him."

The pastor will be participating in certain inauguration events, he said, but was not at liberty to name the specifics ahead of those events.

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Jeffress said he hopes all Americans will heed the Bible and pray for all "those who are in authority" and in a governing capacity in this country.

"Now, I know some of our viewers and readers may be saying, ‘Pastor, are you a hypocrite? Would you have said the same thing about Joe Biden?’" said Jeffress. "And in fact, I wrote an op-ed piece for Fox News when Biden was elected, saying we may be lamenting his election, but we need to obey the Bible and pray for him."

Added Jeffress to Fox News Digital, "The Bible says we don't select whom we pray for. We pray for all leaders. And I would remind people that if President Trump wins in his agenda, which I think he will, then all of America wins, not just Republicans but our entire country."

He went on, "President Trump has been a good friend of mine for the last 10 years. I've talked to him recently. I'll talk to him again next week. And I really believe he wants to unite this country."

And "I think people are going to be pleasantly surprised at the unity that he creates in our country," said Jeffress. "Not everybody's going to agree with every policy he initiates, but I think they're going to see that he wants what is best for the country we all love."

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Jeffress said there is "no official" faith advisory role on his part, but rather "an informal friendship that I've cherished for these last 10 years. I just basically like President Trump," he said. "He's a very likable person. And I can tell you, he loves our country." 

He said that "there's no sane reason he would give up a life of luxury to do this, to risk his life like he did twice in the last few months. He does this because he loves America and wants what's best for our country. 

"And I think Americans ought to be able to follow any man or woman who has that kind of feeling about our country."

Jeffress added that America's "greatness is in our goodness. And the Bible says the only goodness we can have is by our right relationship with God. And I hope we'll begin not only this New Year, but this new term of the Trump administration with a new commitment to follow God. If God blesses a nation, nothing can thwart His purpose or our success."

At the same time, Jeffress noted how important it is to recognize very real struggles and challenges — "and I know at the forefront of people's thinking right now are the fires in Los Angeles and the devastation that has caused."

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For tragedies like this, he said, "it's natural for people to ask the ‘why’ question. Why do these things happen? Why do they happen to me? And I would suggest that sometimes this is an unanswerable question. Instead, the real question we ought to be asking is a ‘who’ question. Who is in control of a world that seems out of control?" 

Jeffress shared an example from his own life.

"A few years ago, my wife, Amy, and I were driving in the night, out in the middle of West Texas, out in the darkness during a driving rainstorm — and our headlights malfunctioned and went out. And so we were driving in the darkness.

"I couldn't see six inches in front of me, but I noticed an 18-wheeler behind me and I slowed down, and I allowed it to pass me. And once it was in front of me, I focused on its taillights. And I followed it into the nearest town."

"And when we find ourselves in a maelstrom of confusion and suffering," added Jeffress, "we wonder why these things are happening. There are three lights about God that we can focus in on. First, God is loving. The Bible says God is close to the brokenhearted. Never forget God is love."

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"Secondly, God is sovereign. That means He's in control. Nothing takes Him by surprise.

"And finally, God is powerful enough to take the worst things that happen to us and use them for our own good. The apostle Paul said, ‘For God causes all things to work together for good.’"

"To those who love Him, that doesn't mean everything that happens to us is good, but it means God is so gracious and powerful that He can take the worst things in our life, like a fire, a flood, the breakup of a relationship, an illness — He can take those horrible things and use them for our good."

Added Jeffress, "If we focus on those truths about God when we pass through a storm, then God will deliver us to the other side safely."

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Jeffress is senior pastor of his 16,000-member church in Dallas and is a Fox News contributor. His daily radio program, "Pathway to Victory," is heard on more than 1,400 stations nationwide.

His weekly television program is seen in 195 countries around the world, including on Fox Nation. 

He is the author of nearly 30 books. 

Our high school volleyball career ended abruptly with a choice we never should have been forced to make: Forfeit the last game of our season — and the chance to compete for state title — or play against a male athlete. 
 
On the one hand, the decision was easy. We are Christians attending a Christian school, and it should come as no surprise that we believe Genesis 1 is true — that God created male and female, that you can’t change your sex, and that to compete against a male who identifies as female would send a message that contradicts what we believe. A lot of people believe a person can simply change their sex by saying so, but the Bible tells us to "not be conformed to this world." 
 
On the other hand, it was devastating. We are both seniors, and forfeiting that game meant our entire volleyball career — all the hard work and sacrifices — that we had put in to get to the semifinals came to a screeching halt without proper closure. We never had the opportunity to celebrate playing the last game of a sport we love or to compete for a state title, an award Stone Ridge Christian School’s girls’ volleyball team has won twice in recent years. 

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We volleyball players, along with the administration and staff of our school in Merced, California, made the difficult decision to forgo participating in that November game against San Francisco Waldorf School. 

No girl should be forced to choose between competing against a male athlete or not competing at all. No girl should lose athletic opportunities for standing up for biological reality and truth. Every athlete has the right to compete while adhering to her religious beliefs. 
 
The California Interscholastic Federation has publicly said that our school may be subject to sanctions for our commonsense stand. So, Stone Ridge has retained Alliance Defending Freedom, which stands ready and able to defend the school should the government follow through with its threats of punishment. 
 
Although we are the first Christian school in the state to choose to stand up for our beliefs in this way, college volleyball players at public universities who likewise have a lot to lose are bravely standing for truth, fairness and safety. Five teams have now forfeited seven matches against nearby San Jose State University, which allows a male athlete to compete on its women’s volleyball team. 

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It’s not realistic to think girls and boys can compete fairly or safely against each other. The differences between men’s and women’s volleyball are so great, they’re practically like two different sports. For starters, the net is seven inches taller in men’s volleyball, and the playing style is completely different. 

Girls’ volleyball is very strategic. We watch films, come up with a plan, and think about every move. There’s no greater feeling than seeing all your training pay off when your team earns a hard-fought win. We communicate; we’re defensive. 
 
But it’s quite different for guys — it’s more about power. They use their strength to smack the ball to the other side; they just react. They jump effortlessly, and half of their body is over the net, spiking the ball hard. Forget about trying to block them. 
 
We may never have the opportunity to put on our pads and hit the court again, which is really hard for us. But this is so much bigger than just a game or even a state title. 

We’re taking this stand on behalf of all the young girls who want to play sports someday. Defending the truth that boys and girls are inherently different, and that each deserve their own, separate sports teams and locker rooms, is worth it. 
 
As long as California’s athletic policies allow boys to compete against girls — taking their roster spots and trophies and forcing them to unfairly forfeit critical games — other girls will face this issue. Christian schools like Stone Ridge have the fundamental right to protect their students’ well-being and stand firm in their religious beliefs. 

Mikyla Beene plays volleyball for Stone Ridge Christian School in Merced, California.

As tributes pour in from all corners for former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away on Dec. 29, 2024, at age 100, faith leaders across the country are sharing thoughts and insights into Carter's religious beliefs and the ways he demonstrated them.  

In 2018, Carter himself published "Faith: A Journey For All," sharing the lessons he learned throughout his life.

"The most important example of faith in my life has been the marriage vows I exchanged with Rosalynn," Carter wrote in his book.

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"At the time of our marriage, we could have said, ‘I love you now, and I believe I will always love you and be faithful.’ Instead, we both took an oath before God ‘to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death us do part.'"

Carter also shared that their love and faith made it possible to triumph over differences and challenges they experienced.

Carter taught Sunday school at his home church at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia. 

He continued teaching from time to time throughout his life and, in 2019, Carter spoke from the pulpit on the day of Pentecost.

"After He was crucified and resurrected, He is still with us through the Holy Spirit," said Carter about Jesus Christ. 

"So whenever we feel the presence of Jesus in our heart, that's the Holy Spirit."

He added, "And whenever we feel God in our hearts, that's the Holy Spirit. So it's the easiest thing to explain, but it's easy to forget also."

Carter was a long-serving member of the Southern Baptist Convention until 2009, when he sent a resignation letter to the convention.

In media interviews, Carter cited the increasingly "rigid" views of the organization.

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"I have finally decided that, after 65 years, I can no longer be associated with the Southern Baptist Convention," he wrote.

"Our prayer is that we can avoid this divisive action, and adhere to the traditional beliefs that, for generations, have sustained our ancestors and us in a spirit of unity and cooperation."

He continued as a deacon and Sunday school teacher.

Reverend Franklin Graham, CEO of both Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, said others should pray for the entire Carter family.

"He served as our nation’s 39th president during a turbulent time in the '70s and '80s when we were facing inflation and an oil shortage, and a hostage crisis in Iran," said Graham in a statement shared with Fox News Digital on Sunday evening, which he also posted on his Facebook page.

"He and my father, Billy Graham, had a close relationship, and we were honored to have him join us for the dedication of the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte in 2007," Graham added.

"Jimmy Carter grew up going to church and was baptized at age 11," said Pastor Jesse Bradley of Grace Community Church outside Seattle, Washington. "His parents were devoted, but he later admitted that his relationship with God was superficial."

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Added Bradley, "There was a renewal in his life in 1967, and he began reading his Bible consistently, becoming an earnest follower of Jesus."

He also said that the former president "lived out his faith as a courageous and inspirational proponent of racial reconciliation. He was also passionate about taking practical action, with a commitment to providing for people in need. Since 1984, President and Mrs. Carter were advocates of affordable housing for everyone through Habitat for Humanity."

Said Bradley, "Carter's life reminds us to be intentional with unity. Build authentic friendships, as we genuinely enjoy and appreciate each other … Remember that there is nothing more important than to know Jesus as your Savior and love your neighbor daily."

Rabbi Pinchas Taylor, director of the American Faith Coalition and based in Florida, told Fox News Digital on Sunday evening, "Carter was the first American president to publicly light a Hanukkah menorah, inaugurating the National Menorah ceremony in 1979."

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At the time, added Taylor, "the United States was grappling with the Iran hostage crisis, yet Carter found inspiration in the Hanukkah message of hope and resilience, emphasizing the universal values of freedom and faith. His impromptu words during the ceremony reflected a profound understanding of the menorah's symbolism — that even in the darkest moments, light and unity can prevail."

He continued, "This act not only marked a milestone in religious pluralism — but also helped popularize public menorah lightings worldwide."

Walker Wildmon, vice president of the American Family Association in Tupelo, Mississippi, and CEO of AFA Action, the government affairs affiliate of AFA, told Fox News Digital, "Throughout his life, President Jimmy Carter has exemplified the heart of a servant. His contributions in the arena of humanitarian and disaster assistance are abundant."

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He added, "He has also modeled the importance of family throughout his life and career. We pray that God grants President Carter and his family peace during this time."