BALLVILLE TOWNSHIP - Pastor Gary Click has been getting tremendous fallout, both positive and negative, for his spirited invocation at President Donald Trump's rally in Lewis Center on Saturday in which the Fremont pastor asked God to protect the president from "jungle journalism."
"The immediate response was incredible," Click said in an interview Thursday at his church, Fremont Temple Baptist Temple. "People loved the prayer."
Click, who is a member of the Ohio Republican Party's Central Committee, also compared Trump to David in his fight against Goliath in the Bible.
In his prayer, the pastor asked God to “protect our President and his family with a shield of faith, Lord, that shield of faith against the fiery darts of the wicked one, Lord, against that jungle journalism (that) extorts the truth and distorts honesty and integrity every single day, gets in his face with lies and mistruths and innuendos.”
While the immediate response was positive, it quickly turned sour as Click was heading back to Fremont.
He said he began getting calls and emails denouncing him as a pastor, saying he has aligned himself with an "abomination" of a president in Donald Trump, and questioning his Christianity.
After CNN broadcast a video clip of the prayer, Click received dozens of messages and comments on Facebook from people he does not know, cursing him out or saying that he needs to follow the Bible better.
"CNN played their clip, and the loyal CNN people started harassing me and ridiculing me," Click said.
Click said he does not mind if someone shares differing views from him, but some of the negative comments were over the top.
One person, calling from a number Click did not recognize, left a voice mail that lasted just three seconds.
"F***k you," a woman said before hanging up.
"I got about 50 calls and emails, but the worst is social media," Click said.
Several Facebook Messenger messages were sent to Click by people he had never met, calling him a bad Christian and a deriding him as a follower of Trump.
Locally, Jonathan Waugh, of Clyde, posted on Click's Facebook page that the pastor missed the comparison between Trump and King David.
Waugh said both had affairs, both went to great lengths to cover-up the affairs, but unlike David, Trump did not fight in a war and never used a slingshot to kill a lion, bear or giant.
Click responded by saying, "God uses imperfect people. David was worse than Trump, yet God still used him. God's grace amazes me."
"My comparison of Donald Trump to David was very specific. David had a vision when no one else did. He saw a purpose and refused to be intimidated, no matter how great the threat. When challenged by those who should have shared his vision, David asked a simple question, 'Is there not a cause?'"
Click felt another blast of negative feedback when direct messages flooded his Twitter account with comments claiming "he is no kind of Christian," or saying Click should "burn in Hell."
Other portions of his prayer brought more backlash.
During the prayer, Click asked God to protect Trump from "Jungle Journalism," a term the pastor said he used to draw similarities to the Washington "swamp."
"There are people that have a preconceived story before reporting," Click said. "What do we see in the jungle? We see predators that are merciless and uncivilized."
He said it was not a reference to all news media, but asked, "Who holds the press accountable?"
The term has gained steam and become an Urban Dictionary word.
Click said CNN loved the pageantry of his invocation, saying they were riling up the crowd by waving their hats.
When the pastor said "protect him (Trump) with a shield of faith" from the wicked, Click said the wicked was not the news media.
"The wicked is the Devil," he said.
Click said he was asked two days before Trump's Ohio rally to support Republican candidate congressional Troy Balderson if he would want to say the invocation, standing in front of 5,000 spectators and millions more watching at home.
Click said he immediately reached out to pastoral friends and family about what he could pray about.
He said his goal was not incite issues, but said the prayer was from his heart.
Click said he aligns with Trump's policy and platform, including the president's stance on being pro-life.
"He has a vision," Click said. "I vote on policy and platform. If you don't like the president personally, fine."
Click said the president's de-funding of Planned Parenthood, his job creation, and overall plan have been carried out.
"I’m not sure how any Christian or conservative cannot thank God for a president who boldly executes a vision for these causes," Click said.
