Detroit's own Pastor Lorenzo Sewell delivered a heartfelt prayer on Monday, with a popular Martin Luther King Jr.'s phrase, "I Have a Dream" at President Donald J. Trump’s inauguration.
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a day emotionally swelled in the soul of America, Sewell invoked King’s timeless words, calling on the nation to dream again under Trump’s leadership.
“We are grateful that you are the one that have called him for such a time as this, that America would begin to dream again,” the pastor said.
Sewell, who leads 180 Church on Detroit’s west side, didn’t shy away from connecting King’s vision with Trump’s presidency. As he prayed for a nation where character triumphs over color, his words echoed King’s famous call for justice.
“We will live in a nation where we will not be judged by the color of our skin, but by the content of our character,” Sewell said, borrowing directly from King’s immortal address.
The moment wasn’t just a reflection, it was a rallying cry. Sewell’s voice rose as he prayed for Trump to embody King’s dream. He concluded with a reimagined take on America’s patriotic hymn: “My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, let us sing with new meaning.”
Sewell’s presence on such a stage was no accident. His relationship with Trump traces back to a pivotal moment last June when the then-candidate visited 180 Church for a roundtable with Black Detroiters. The meeting culminated in a personal promise from Trump to Sewell: “At the inauguration, you’ll be there.”
And Trump delivered.
Reflecting on the promise kept, Sewell told The Detroit News: “Can you imagine shaking the 45th president’s hand — now the 47th president — and him looking at you and saying that? And then it actually happens? Wow.”
The Detroit preacher, who credits Trump for amplifying his platform, has since become a recurring voice in conservative circles. From speaking at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee to delivering invocations at Turning Point USA events and Michigan’s legislative sessions, Sewell’s star has risen alongside Trump’s political resurgence.
Who is Pastor Lorenzo Sewell?
But his journey wasn’t always this polished. Born and raised on Detroit’s east side, Sewell’s early years were shaped by street life and family trauma. He watched his father go to prison for murder and found himself entrenched in drug culture before a life-changing conversion in 1999. At 19, he began preaching. Now, 180 Church, his labor of love, is in its seventh year.
“Trump took me from a vaguely known pastor to an internationally known minister,” Sewell said, describing the ripple effect on his church and influence.
For Sewell, the day belonged to King’s dream and Trump’s promise. The pastor is all in, believing this is a chapter where faith, politics, and a dash of divine intervention converge.
