A nondenominational church in Oklahoma has become a political hot spot for President Donald Trump’s inner circle.
FBI director Kash Patel promoted his book in the church. Lara Trump phoned Trump on stage. The lawyer Alina Habba talked about Trump’s New York trial. And this month, Eric Trump met there with some of Tulsa’s top CEOs.
The 1,700-member Sheridan Church, which has campuses in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, is led by the pastor Jackson Lahmeyer, an unsuccessful 2022 Senate candidate who has backed Trump since 2015. Lahmeyer, who also founded Pastors for Trump, a coalition to engage the evangelical Christian voter base during Trump’s 2024 campaign, has turned all of that early support for the president into a new role in the White House. He said he’s now part of the White House Faith Office and was in the Oval Office when Trump signed the executive order creating it on Feb. 7.
Lahmeyer said his long relationship with the Trumps has made it so his congregation can hear directly from these high-profile guests.
“They love Oklahoma. They get to come here and they don’t have to feel like they’re going to get attacked,” Lahmeyer said.
He first met members of the Trump family on the campaign trail a long time ago.
Lahmeyer said they’ve come to the church because he’s asked them to.
The president has not attended an event at the church, and the White House did not respond to a request for comment.
But Sheridan Church’s events have become something of a hot ticket for Republicans from the state.
“They’re doing a really good job with outreach, and Oklahoma is always hungry to hear anybody with the last name of Trump,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin said. “You can always fill a venue if they’ve got that last name.”
Mullin said the church invites him to join events every time there’s a political guest, but he has yet to be able to attend due to scheduling conflicts.
But plenty of other political figures are using Sheridan Church as a place to reach an audience of conservatives.
Melissa Myers, the newly elected chair of the Tulsa County GOP, said Lahmeyer invites local Republican candidates to speak at the church. That included Myers during her unsuccessful campaign for county commissioner last year, with the church serving as an easy forum to get a message in front of a large audience.
“Even though … all 77 counties in Oklahoma voted for Donald Trump unanimously, we still have to get the information out,” Myers said.
She pointed to the church’s location as a middle-ground hub in the country as reason it has more reach than appears at first glance.
At the start of the month, Sheridan Church hosted a networking luncheon with Eric Trump, attended by some of Tulsa’s top CEOs, as well as Ryan Walters, the superintendent of Oklahoma schools who has been vocal in his support for Trump, to tell business owners about what they can expect from the new administration.
In a written statement, Walters, who has also spoken at the church, said he was proud to support the church and excited to work with Lahmeyer.
“It is an honor to be a guest whenever a member of the Trump family attends,” Walters said. “The shared conservative values that the church and the Trump family have is the core of Oklahoma’s community.”
Lahmeyer was already brainstorming possible future events, indicating that he’s hoping to keep the church as a hub for Republicans in the state.
“Loyalty matters, especially to the Trump family, because they’ve been stabbed in the back by so many in the political world,” Lahmeyer said. “We’ve been through battles. They’re great people. I like them. I hope to think maybe they like me a little. I think that’s probably why they come … and both Don and Eric tell me they’re coming back.”
This story was produced as part of a partnership between NOTUS, a publication of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Allbritton Journalism Institute, and Oklahoma Watch.
Em Luetkemeyer is a NOTUS reporter covering the federal government for Oklahoma Watch. Contact her at emmalineluetkemeyer@notus.org
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Sources consistently place two members of Oklahoma’s congressional delegation, Kevin Hern and Markwayne Mullin, in the top 10% of all 535 members of Congress based on net worth.
Using personal financial disclosure reports from 2018, OpenSecrets ranked members of Congress by approximate net worth by adding each disclosed asset value range and subtracting the liability value range, placing Hern and Mullin at No. 12 and No. 45, respectively.
Quiver Quantitative, which uses live data on politicians’ stock portfolios made available through the STOCK Act, currently ranks Hern and Mullin at No.10 and No. 16, respectively.
Though OpenSecrets also includes data filed under the STOCK Act, which requires members of Congress to report all financial transactions after they occur, only Quiver Quantitative is regularly updated.
OpenSecrets estimated the 2018 net worths of Hern and Mullin to have been about $61 million and $11 million, respectively, while Quiver Quantitative has current estimates of $106.76 million and $65.04 million, respectively.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Oklahoma Watch partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims.
Sources
Support our publication
Every day we strive to produce journalism that matters — stories that strengthen accountability and transparency, provide value and resonate with readers like you.
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SUMMARY: Severe storms are expected Friday evening into the overnight, with a level 2 risk for hail (up to 2 inches) and damaging winds (60-70 mph), though the tornado risk is low. Storms will begin with drizzle in eastern Oklahoma, followed by active thunderstorms, and watches will likely be issued for Oklahoma City by evening. Ongoing showers and thunderstorms will persist into Saturday morning, particularly in southern Oklahoma. Saturday’s risk includes larger hail and more storms in southeastern Oklahoma. Chief Meteorologist Damon Lane will provide updates on the timeline and weekend weather threats.
KOCO meteorologist Jonathan Conder says storms return Friday, he has the latest timeline.
SUMMARY: Severe storms are expected in two waves: one late Wednesday night and another Friday. Wednesday’s storms, with a low risk of isolated hail and 60 mph winds, will affect northern Oklahoma from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Friday’s storms are more widespread, with a level two risk, primarily for wind and hail, and a low tornado risk. The storms are expected to intensify by 10 p.m., with heavy rain and thunderstorms continuing into early Saturday. A break in storms may occur before redevelopment in southern Oklahoma. By Sunday afternoon, drier air will bring clear conditions for Easter plans.
KOCO 5 Meteorologist Jonathan Conder says after a warm and windy day, storms are possible tonight.
