Pastor John Gray of Love Story Church in Greenville, South Carolina, says America is “not a Christian nation” in post-midterm sermon

Pastor John Gray of Love Story Church in Greenville, South Carolina, said America is “not a Christian nation” in a sermon titled “Turn the Lights On,” according to Christian Post. Gray delivered the sermon at the church on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026, five days after the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

Christian Post reported that Republicans lost ground to Democrats across the country in the 2026 midterms, with dozens of U.S. House districts and at least seven U.S. Senate seats flipping. It also reported that Democrats flipped a dozen state legislative chambers and were poised to control a majority of state legislatures. Among the results, Republican Sen. Darline Graham Nordone lost her seat to Democratic challenger Dr. Annie Andrews on Nov. 3. Graham Nordone had served as interim senator since July 2026, when Gov. Henry McMaster appointed her after the sudden death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham.

Gray also pointed to the Mississippi Senate race, where Democrat Scott Colom held a slim lead over incumbent Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. That race had not been called at the time of the reporting. According to Christian Post, Gray urged congregants to view the election results as a spiritual outcome rather than a political one, citing Isaiah 6:1.

Church Leaders reported that Gray called the sermon a “post-election autopsy” of the midterms. In that account, Gray said the outcome was spiritual, not political, and that the “lights got switched on Tuesday,” revealing how much darkness there was in the world. The sermon also addressed race, social justice and political hypocrisy.

Church Leaders reported that Gray said America is not a Christian nation because it would not need to fight politicians to make sure poor people had food, a point that illustrates care for the hungry (Isaiah 58:7). The same report said Gray described the election results as “God repudiating” pseudo-Christians who claimed God moves politically in one way. It also reported his view that America’s racial and cultural challenges are spiritual in nature and that the nation was built on the unpaid labor of people.

The two reports differ in emphasis. Christian Post, published Nov. 8, focused on Gray’s declaration and the election results, while Church Leaders, dated Nov. 13 and written by Stephanie Martin for Christian News, gave more detail on the sermon’s themes and the specific reasons Gray offered for his statements. Neither report included a response from the Mississippi candidates or from the Republican and Democratic parties in the material provided.