Inside the large auditorium of the Free Chapel megachurch in Gainesville, Georgia, Pastor Jentezen Franklin, an evangelical adviser to Donald Trump, delivered a message that seemed tailored to the U.S. president's supporters still smarting from the election results.
Speaking from on top of a wide stage to about 800 churchgoers a day after Democrat Joe Biden defeated Trump, Franklin hedged on whether the former vice-president was actually the winner. Although he referred to Biden as the president-elect and insisted that whomever becomes the president "will be my president," he also declared he wants "a good honest and certified count from every state."
And there was one other point he wanted to make clear.
"Regardless of who becomes president," he said, his voice slowly rising, "Free Chapel will always be a pro-life church, a pro-Israel church, a pro-religious freedom church, a pro-equality and justice church!"
Franklin, who was met with loud applause, certainly knows his audience and knows many Trump supporters fear these issues will not be supported by a Biden administration.
Nearly a week after the election, results in Georgia are still extremely close, with Biden leading by about 10,000 votes. While state officials have announced a recount, it appears Georgia is on the verge of tipping blue if Biden's lead holds out.
But many Trump supporters say they're skeptical of Biden's progressive policies on the environment, the economy and abortion. They also fear a Biden administration might raise taxes and the economy could suffer.
Terry Olongo is a 54 year old manager of an IT company, a married father of three, and a strong Trump supporter who believes the president and his pro-business deregulation policies have boosted the U.S. economy.
Olongo, who attended Franklin's Sunday service, said he's nervous a Biden administration will bring in new business regulations and phase out fossil fuels.
'Absolutely worried'
"I'm absolutely worried from the standpoint 'how it's going to effect our personal lives and our freedom in business and so forth,'" said Olongo, standing outside the chapel with his wife, daughter and soon to be son-in-law.
"It's going to be an overreaching policy type of an agenda on his part."
Olongo lives in Gainesville, a town of about 45,000 about an hour northeast of Atlanta, which is right in the heart of the politically Republican district of Hall.........More