By Michael Gryboski, Editor Saturday, February 22, 2025

A Texas megachurch pastor and former NFL player who was recently confirmed the new secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development believes that God is calling on him to make a "generational impact."

Scott Turner, an associate pastor at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, spoke on the main stage of the Conservative Political Action Conference gathering in National Harbor, Maryland, on Friday.

Turner told the audience he was a "purpose-driven person" who believed "God is a sovereign God."

"All along the way, I believe that the Lord was preparing me," he said. "I believe that from before the womb of my mother that He was preparing me for this moment, this day, for such a time as this," he continued.

"From washing dishes, to graduating college, playing in the NFL, serving in the Texas House, building businesses, to now standing before you, the beloved people of America, as a secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, He was training me and preparing me."

Turner, a defensive back, played in parts of eight seasons with four different NFL teams after graduating from the University of Illinois. Among his NFL career highlights was a fumble recovery for a touchdown in 1996.

He encouraged those gathered at CPAC and watching online "to never let your circumstance define your ability or your opportunity to succeed."

"We must not have a defeatist attitude," said Turner. "Instead, we will have a victorious attitude no matter the difficulty that we face. We will not be victims. But instead, we will be victorious."

Turner discussed the housing affordability crisis facing many young Americans, noting that he has a 24-year-old son who does not believe that he will ever be able to buy a home.

"Today, I challenge you to think of this not so much as a crisis, but instead as an opportunity to change course, an opportunity to uplift individuals and families, and lead them down the path of self-sufficiency and self-sustainability," he added.

"An opportunity, if you will, to decrease the cost and increase the supply of safe, quality, affordable housing in our country. An opportunity to enact impactful, enduring policies."

In closing, Turner said, "the government rests on the Lord's shoulders" and "all glory goes to the Lord." He is thankful "for this opportunity to make a generational impact" and to also "give a voice to all forgotten Americans."

Last November, Trump announced Turner's nomination to serve as secretary of HUD. He served in the first Trump administration as executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council.

In a statement released at the time, Trump said that Turner had helped "to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country's most distressed communities."

"Those efforts, working together with former HUD Secretary Ben Carson, were maximized by Scott's guidance in overseeing 16 Federal Agencies which implemented more than 200 policy actions furthering Economic Development," Trump recalled. "Under Scott's leadership, Opportunity Zones received over $50 Billion Dollars in Private Investment!"

Earlier this month, Turner was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 55-44, with all Republicans and two Democrats — Peter Welch of Vermont and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania — voting in favor.

CPAC is an annual multi-day gathering of conservative politicians and activists that is usually held in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.

On Thursday, the first day of this year's conference, notable main stage speakers included Vice President J.D. Vance and Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. Trump is slated to speak on Saturday. 

During his remarks, Vance claimed that mainstream American society was trying "to turn everybody, whether male or female, into androgynous idiots who think the same, talk the same and act the same."

"We actually think God made male and female for a purpose," he continued. "We want you guys to thrive as young men and as young women, and we're going to help with our public policy to make it possible to do that."

News Source : https://www.christianpost.com/news/hud-secy-tells-cpac-god-called-him-to-make-generational-impact.html