Updated: 12.15pm (AEST)
RNS
John Hagee, the head of Christians United for Israel and one of President Donald Trump’s unofficial evangelical advisers, has tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
Hagee’s diagnosis was announced on Sunday by his son Matt Hagee at the church they pastor, Cornerstone Church in San Antonio.
Influential Texas evangelist John Hagee, of Christians United for Israel, addresses a crowd of his followers and Israeli supporters at a rally at the Jerusalem convention center on 6th April, 2008. PICTURE: AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner/File photo.
“It was, one, discovered very early. Two, his medical team has him under watchful care, and, three, he’s feeling well enough to be frustrated with everybody in a white coat and a stethoscope,” Matt Hagee said.
US PASTOR GREG LAURIE CONFIRMS POSITIVE TEST
Pastor Greg Laurie of the prominent California-based church Harvest Christian Fellowship confirmed he has tested positive for COVID-19.
Laurie said in an Instagram posting Monday that he tested positive on Friday and has been in quarantine since then with his wife, but so far all members of his family have tested negative.
“My symptoms have been mild so far, and I expect to make a full recovery,” he wrote. “I have always taken the Coronavirus seriously, and it has tragically taken many lives. At a time like this, we need to pray for those that have it and avoid politicizing it. If our President and First Lady can get COVID-19, clearly anyone can.”
– AP
A spokesperson for CUFI explained that Hagee received his diagnosis on 25th September and did not attend services that weekend because he immediately began to quarantine. At the time, Matt Hagee told the congregation at Cornerstone that his father was “well” and did not disclose the diagnosis but asked them to pray for his father because he had several “very important meetings” upcoming.
The CUFI representative explained that the meetings in question were dialogues with doctors and that the elder Hagee is feeling “well”.
Hagee did not attend the event on 26th September in the White House Rose Garden, at which Trump announced Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his pick to fill Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat on the Supreme Court. At least nine people – including two faith leaders – who were present since have tested positive for COVID-19.
However, Hagee did attend an event at the White House on 15th September – roughly 10 days before his COVID-19 diagnosis – to celebrate the signing of the “Abraham Accords,” a US-brokered agreement establishing diplomatic relations between Israel, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
Hagee was seen posing for photos with others at the event.
It is unclear if attendees at the Abraham Accords event have been instructed to quarantine.
– With EMILY MCFARLAN MILLER
