‘Blessed’: Frederick Haynes, pastor and candidate, on his politics, faith and health

WASHINGTON (RNS) — When the Rev. Frederick D. Haynes III recently visited Capitol Hill with other members of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, he did so as a Texas pastor as well as a candidate for an office there representing his congressional district.

“One of the challenges that I offered was the fact that we have to be ready for the voter suppression and voter intimidation tactics that I believe are being promised,” he said of political opponents during an interview Tuesday (July 21) at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, where the PNBC’s annual session was held through Thursday.

“This election — and it’s said every year — but this more than ever is the most important election that will determine, as far as I’m concerned, if this nation is going to be what it aspires to be by way of a democracy, or are we going to just remove all of the guardrails and let the wheels fall off while the oligarchs and the plutocrats run away rich and run away wealthy.”

With decades of ministry in a historically Black megachurch and a short period succeeding the Rev. Jesse Jackson, leader of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, before his death earlier this year, Haynes said he has plenty of connections that have helped him get to where he is today.

For example, on the local level, an anesthesiologist who assisted in his surgery last year is also a member of his church. His campaign manager is a preacher’s kid — as Haynes is — who knows Mondays are “sacred to pastors” who need a break after a busy Sunday. Black clergy along with rabbis and imams who have known him in his community are informing some of his campaign issues.

The Rev. Frederick D. Haynes III speaks to supporters after winning his primary election in Texas on March 4, 2026. (Photo courtesy of SF MVP Productions)

And he’s culled advice from a wider circle of others who have both religious and political leanings. They include his own church member, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, whose seat he seeks after her Senate Democratic primary loss; the Rev. Amos Brown, pastor emeritus of San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church, where former Vice President Kamala Harris has been a longtime member and Haynes’ father and grandfather were pastors; and the Rev. Raphael Warnock, the Democratic senator in Georgia who preaches from the Atlanta pulpit where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once was co-pastor.

RELATED: Frederick D. Haynes resigns abruptly as leader of Rainbow PUSH Coalition

Haynes, 65, spoke with Religion News Service about balancing pastoring and politics, recovering from a health scare and the varied religious perspectives in his state.

The interview was edited for length and clarity.

How do you juggle being a pastor, having just celebrated the 50-year anniversary of your church, with your continuing campaign for a congressional seat?

With a lot of prayer and the support of a wonderful family, not to mention the support of a great church. I’ve been blessed in that of the 50 years our church has been in existence I’ve been pastoring 43 of those 50 years. The church has been so supportive that, I mean, they’ve been more excited about my campaign than I have, to be honest with you. And when I was wrestling, their encouragement helped to push me during those moments when I questioned, “OK, why am I doing this, especially at this stage of my life in ministry?” I’ve also just been richly blessed with a strong team around me, both at the church and with my campaign, and that helps me to navigate it.

Is it easier to juggle these two when you may perhaps have more confidence about a win than other candidates might?

I’m sure that has its advantages. I hasten to say I take nothing for granted, and so I’m going to work as hard as if I’m behind in the polls to make sure that we do win in November. But at the same time, I’m allowed the privilege of looking to what beyond November can look like by way of creating an office and creating the kind of services for the district. I think I’m allowed to do that, given what should happen if everything goes as expected. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, when I asked her, I said, “I need advice for the November campaign,” and she said, “My advice to you is to start getting your office ready.” And so I’m trying to obey her dictates.

The Rev. Frederick Haynes III was one of several religious leaders to gather and speak Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in opposition to proposed legislation regarding election processes in Texas. (Photo courtesy of Texas Impact)

What is it like being a prominent faith leader and a pastor of a Dallas church in a state known for pushing legislation that critics decry as Christian nationalist? Do you encounter harsh pushback on your own kind of religious appeals from critics, or are you finding some receptivity?

Well, I think that it’s been a combination of both. Without question, there’s always going to be pushback, especially by dint of the fact that I’m in one of the capital states for white Christian nationalism and, as a consequence, our approach is in the minority, a decided minority. But I also believe that there is a real surge among those who are looking at the policies that go with white Christian nationalism, and they’re saying there’s something about that that’s not right. I think that there’s a real questioning now going on among persons who are not people of faith as well as people of faith.

Think about the fact that in Texas, even though I went for another candidate (my own member Jasmine Crockett), James Talarico is a minister who is not a white Christian nationalist, and as he shared with me recently, he has a strong youth following. And so young people are questioning some of the theological stands that have been so toxic. They’re questioning that and finding in a Talarico, a Freddy Haynes, a Raphael Warnock, and others, maybe we ought to look at things afresh and get another look at the gospel and public policy.

What do you think of the Islamophobic comments coming from Texas lawmakers and of the fact that many members of the Sharia Free America Caucus are from Texas?

I repudiate those comments. I find them reprehensible. I find them anti-Christ and anti-Christian. It grieves me because oftentimes those kind of comments create a climate where Islamophobia leads to violence, and Islamophobia leads to persons not feeling safe in this country. I’ve stood with and in solidarity with the Islamic community, and will continue to do so, and I will continue to denounce that kind of hatred, especially when it’s sickening hatred in the name of Jesus, who came because God so loved the world.

You did step aside for a little bit for health reasons. What was your medical challenge and how are you now?

I’m grateful, so grateful. Sept. 18 I had prostate surgery, and I was blessed with the prayers of the people and a medical team that was absolutely wonderful. I’ll tell you this: I have never been sidelined in my life. I’ve been blessed with good health through the years, and this was the first time. And while I was down, I had a fresh revelation that you only get one body God gives you. Duh, one would say. But at the same time, it hit different to go through surgery having never been through a situation where I was sidelined, and I have a fresh appreciation to be a better steward of my body, and so I’ll say today I am healthier today than I’ve been in like 30 years.

Was the prostate surgery because of cancer?

It was because of an enlarged prostate with nodules that could have been cancerous. Thankfully, they were not.

Thank you for sharing. So if you win, you’re going to potentially be following the model of Raphael Warnock, who remained pastor of his church and serves on Capitol Hill. Will you do that as well?

I will remain pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church, Lord willing. Raphael Warnock is a model, but so is Reverend Adam Clayton Powell Jr. So is William H. Gray III. So is Floyd Flake. So is Emanuel Cleaver. So many in our tradition have basically balanced both. I feel that this is just an extension of the calling, because I see this as ministry. If I’m blessed to go to Washington, D.C., I will go with a strong sense of mission.

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