US Sen.-elect Adam Hamilton says he'll remain lead pastor at Kansas megachurch
Pastor Adam Hamilton, who became the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate to represent Kansas in nearly a century, will continue as senior pastor of his church.
Hamilton serves as senior pastor of Church of the Resurrection of Leawood, Kansas, a megachurch that is one of the largest congregations in the United Methodist Church.
A representative of Resurrection shared with The Christian Post a message sent to the congregation on Wednesday, explaining that Hamilton “will continue serving as our Senior Pastor, though his status will shift from full-time to quarter-time.”
“Adam will continue to be the church’s foremost leader, and he will continue to cast vision and set overall direction,” explained the church. “He will preach an estimated 12-18 weekends per year, including Christmas and Easter.”
“He will also set vision for the executive team, weigh in on important matters, and mentor our pastors and leaders. The church will continue to demonstrate its ability to operate under the day-to-day leadership of our executive staff, with oversight from our governing bodies.”
Resurrection also told its congregation that the 62-year-old Hamilton is slated to retire as senior pastor in the fall of 2030, as previously announced, and plans to shift to a pastor emeritus role.
The church also noted that, because he will soon be a senator, Resurrection will increase security, but that “Adam’s roles as pastor and senator will be distinct.”
“The church will not be responsible for his Senate votes or positions; political questions and opinions must be directed to his Senate office,” Resurrection told church members.
“At the church, the Staff-Parish Relations Committee, the main administrative liaison between the congregation and pastor, will continue to assess his pastoral effectiveness at the church, including the maintenance of appropriate boundaries.”
On Tuesday, Hamilton defeated Republican incumbent Sen. Roger Marshall, helping to flip one of many seats in Congress from Democrat to Republican during the midterm elections.
In his victory speech, Hamilton noted the historic nature of his win, seeing it as proof that Kansans, regardless of political party, do not like what is occurring in Washington, D.C.
"We are better together than we are divided," Hamilton told his supporters, saying that as many as 40 percent of his rally attendees were Republican. “Kansans want Republicans and Democrats to work together to actually solve problems, to meet in the middle."
Hamilton also quoted the Bible in his speech, including Matthew 7:12 ("do to others what you would have them do to you") and Micah 6:8 ("what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God").
He also spoke about the parable of the Good Samaritan, declaring, "let's love our neighbors as ourselves" and urged supporters to "love boldly, serve joyfully and lead courageously."
A theological progressive and author of around 30 books, Hamilton is scheduled to be officially sworn in as senator on Jan. 3 of next year.
