Radio Recap – RNC Recap: ACLJ Clients Pastors Brunson and Nerren Make Surprise Appearance

By 

Jordan Sekulow

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August 25, 2020

3 min read

ACLJ

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ACLJ clients Pastor Bryan Nerren and Pastor Andrew Brunson made a surprise appearance with President Trump on night one of the Republican National Convention (RNC).

On today’s Jay Sekulow Live, we discussed last night’s RNC and gave our analysis, just like we did last week with the DNC. We were also joined over the phone by ACLJ clients Pastor Bryan Nerren and Pastor Andrew Brunson, both of whom appeared at the White House with the President last night.

Both Pastors were persecuted for their faith, one detained indefinitely in India, and one imprisoned potentially for the rest of his life in Turkey, if not for the intervention of the ACLJ and the support of ACLJ members to help obtain their freedom.

It was truly a surprise to tune into the RNC and see Pastors Brunson and Nerren. Pastor Brunson expressed his appreciation to President Trump:

I was held in Turkey for two years and you took unprecedented steps, actually, to secure my release and your Administration really fought for me. I think if you hadn’t done that, I may still be in Turkey. I’m very grateful for that.

President Trump reminded everyone of the grim sentence Pastor Brunson was facing:

Could have been there for 28 years, right? They had you scheduled for a long time, Andrew. We had to get you back.

Pastor Nerren was also there to share his own ordeal and to personally thank President Trump. He said:

Spent a unexpected trip there in India. I was not going to India. I was going through India to Nepal, where I’d been working for the last 18 years. But on behalf of my family and myself, thank you President Trump for getting us out and getting us home. The darkest moment of our whole time together, your letter to my wife came and it really gave her the hope and the peace and from that time forward, as more people got involved, especially the ambassador there in India, things became more peaceful and the hope was there for the last four months that we really would get to come home because they had planned on keeping me for three to five years.

Our team at the ACLJ worked very hard with the Trump Administration to free both Pastor Brunson and Pastor Nerren. It was truly a wonderful surprise to see them featured as part of last night’s programming and to be able to speak with them again today.

The full broadcast is complete with analysis of the RNC, similar to what we did last week with the DNC.

We couldn’t do the work of the ACLJ around the world, helping persecuted Christians like Pastors Brunson and Nerren without your help. We are in the last days of our Matching Challenge and need you to participate. The Matching Challenge means your generous donation of $5 is doubled and becomes $10. $10 becomes $20 and so on. Please donate today at ACLJ.org.

Watch the full broadcast below.